Stephan Schutze(I)
- Composer
- Sound Department
- Music Department
Stephan Schütze is a multi-talented force in the video game audio world, having strengthened countless projects through his music and sound design.
Creating music for nearly every console generation of the new millennium, Stephan has scored projects from early 2000's mobile games, all the way to recent MMOs. He recently provided sound design for the acclaimed digital board game Armello, bolstering the tone for the game's strategic, high-fantasy battles. He won Best Audio at the Australian Game Developers Conference for his work on Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis, the first fully orchestra game score recorded in Australia, and his work enlivening this franchise has been praised as the favorite of fans, second only to John Williams. Other fan-favorite franchises and brands Stephan has uplifted include Star Trek: The Cold Enemy, Need For Speed: Underground, Nicktoons Unite, and Rugby League Live. Many of the top developers and publishers in the space have entrusted Stephan with their project audio, as he has collaborated with companies including Ubisoft, THQ, Konami, and Universal Interactive. Whether utilizing a full orchestra, or a few live players, Stephan's scores and sound design consistently enrich the game worlds, and leave fans wanting more.
Stephan's compositional style is highly influenced by his time in Japan working for the renowned Tokyo anime studio, Studio Easter. While he enjoys the powerful sound of a large orchestra, the delicate touch inspired by the music of Ghibli is the unique quality he brought to the score for Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. In an era of boisterous musical themes and massive walls of sound, Stephan uses subtlety to support character and narrative. Many years spent as a performing drummer also enhances the more dynamic material he creates.
A highly sought-after speaker, Stephan has been a featured presenter at GDC, Game Sound Con, Animfx, GCAP, and more. Recognized by his peers for his leadership and community building, Stephan was awarded the 2017 G.A.N.G. Distinguished Service Award. In his free time, he has also been a vocal analyst of sound in games media, writing for numerous sites including Polygon, Gamasutra and Develop Magazine. Additionally, Stephan is considered a leading expert in the development of audio for VR/AR/MR and 360 video, having worked with Magic Leap, Oculus, and the Facebook Spatial Audio team. Stephan has a book on the subject set for release sometime late in 2017
Stephan is also an avid location recordist. He has channeled this passion into his company, Sound Librarian, for which he has created an extensive catalogue of commercial sound effects libraries. These libraries are utilized by many of the world's top media producers such as Skywalker Sound, Disney, Warner Brothers, Activision and EA. He has captured some of the rarest sound sources in the world such as classical military aircraft and historical technological equipment.
Stephan was born in Guildford, England and moved to Australia as a child. He studied at both the Victorian College of the Arts and LaTrobe University, before spending five years in the Australian Army Band Melbourne as a horn player. He may also be one of the few people in the industry who likes BioShock 2 more than the original.
Stephan's compositional style is highly influenced by his time in Japan working for the renowned Tokyo anime studio, Studio Easter. While he enjoys the powerful sound of a large orchestra, the delicate touch inspired by the music of Ghibli is the unique quality he brought to the score for Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. In an era of boisterous musical themes and massive walls of sound, Stephan uses subtlety to support character and narrative. Many years spent as a performing drummer also enhances the more dynamic material he creates.
A highly sought-after speaker, Stephan has been a featured presenter at GDC, Game Sound Con, Animfx, GCAP, and more. Recognized by his peers for his leadership and community building, Stephan was awarded the 2017 G.A.N.G. Distinguished Service Award. In his free time, he has also been a vocal analyst of sound in games media, writing for numerous sites including Polygon, Gamasutra and Develop Magazine. Additionally, Stephan is considered a leading expert in the development of audio for VR/AR/MR and 360 video, having worked with Magic Leap, Oculus, and the Facebook Spatial Audio team. Stephan has a book on the subject set for release sometime late in 2017
Stephan is also an avid location recordist. He has channeled this passion into his company, Sound Librarian, for which he has created an extensive catalogue of commercial sound effects libraries. These libraries are utilized by many of the world's top media producers such as Skywalker Sound, Disney, Warner Brothers, Activision and EA. He has captured some of the rarest sound sources in the world such as classical military aircraft and historical technological equipment.
Stephan was born in Guildford, England and moved to Australia as a child. He studied at both the Victorian College of the Arts and LaTrobe University, before spending five years in the Australian Army Band Melbourne as a horn player. He may also be one of the few people in the industry who likes BioShock 2 more than the original.
