Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546054
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 103 only inspire my craft, but also inspire my person. Some of the best craftspeople in games have interests that are outside of games, whether it's reading books or movies or anything else. You can spend all your time honing your skills using plugins, recording, Foley, implementing things in-engine, and programming. But if you don't invest in interfacing with culture and different ways of seeing the world, you don't invest in yourself as a person. Even just going outside and experiencing life is a big part of the job. Being able to invest in yourself outside of your craft, in turn, also enhances your craft. I think it's really easy to lose sight of that. JW: If I were to give any advice, it would be to stay curious, develop your ears, and develop your creative taste. I think the only way to really do that is through experience. You have to experience art, but you also have to go out into the world and listen to how sound behaves naturally. While we were recording for this game, I remember being in London and hearing someone shouting in an alley nearby. I found myself listening to the way their voice was echoing off the buildings. I remember thinking, "Oh, that's an interesting delay." You hear something like that and put it in your back pocket for later, whether you are mixing an outdoor environment or trying to create a sense of space. Like Derrick mentioned, a lot of my choices in audio design come from pulling small pieces of inspiration from different places. It might be one little moment from a film, one little thing from a game, or something I heard in the real world. Then you put it all together, and it becomes its own thing. I think part of being a designer is becoming really aware of what makes you feel something. Whether it is a piece of art or something you experience in life, you have to stay in touch with that feeling, understand why it moved you, and find a way to channel that emotion into your design. From there, it always comes back to the story. You have to understand where the story is going and ask, "How do I want the player or audience to feel in this moment, and how can I support that through sound?" So for me, staying curious and developing your taste is a huge part of it. That process never really stops. You are always learning, always listening, and always finding new ways to bring those experiences back into the work. AB: Yeah, just get out there. In most big cities these days, there's got to be game audio hangouts, game audio drink nights, groups that you can join as a student or an individual. I can imagine one thing that would increase your chances of getting into a gig is being active in those sort of scenes. Maybe one of us would be there. Getting out, shaking hands, meeting people, just making those connections. I think eventually that's going to end up paying off in the long run. JF: I will say, of our entire sound team, at KJP and at SIE, you'll find there's so many hobbies, life backgrounds, and interests outside of the studio. This game is about rope and stick: both strands of connection and weapons that separate us. We have military veterans and even a fencer who's part of our team; we have folks who have life experiences with "sticks." A bunch of us are into rock climbing. I started learning how to climb and belay rope specifically for this game—I wanted to know the feeling of the rope burning through my fingers trying to help pull someone up a steep wall, as well as the sounds that can occur. Our entire team just loves to experience life and bring it with us. EM: That is all incredibly inspiring advice. Joanna, Alex, Andrew, Justin, and Derrick, thank you all for your time and for talking about this incredible sounding game. Sam in a boss battle