Composing Music For Video Games

(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore)
Course Title: Composing Music for Video Games

Course Catalog Description: Composing Music for Video Games (Online) Through weekly writing assignments, online lectures and audio-visual demonstrations, composers gain an understanding of the composition techniques, organization, and delivery formats unique to the video game industry using the Blackboard system. Topics include in-game versus cinematic scoring; budgeting and project management; contracts; technology tools for asset creation and processing; music engines and compositional techniques specific to video game music; electronic music creation versus using live musicians; mixing; composing for different game genres and audio formats, delivery of assets for different console formats such as Xbox/Xbox 360, PS2/PS3, PC, GameCube, and handheld devices (GameBoy, Nintendo DS). Weekly composition assignments focus on writing original adaptive music similar to works created for current games. Prerequisite: Some composition background. Since outside composition projects are assigned, students must create final mixes outside of class with their own composition tools such as: Pro Tools, Logic, Digital Performer, Cubase SX, Nuendo, Sonar, or Reason and upload them to the Blackboard. Enrollment limited; early enrollment advised. Lennie Moore, composer of music for the Watchmen Motion Comic (2009 G.A.N.G. Awards winner) and such video games as Star Wars: The Old Republic, Magic the Gathering: Duel of the Planeswalkers, Dirty Harry, Dragonshard, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Ring, Plague of Darkness, and Outcast (Infogrames, AIAS Best Music Nominee 2000). Mr. Moore also has composed and orchestrated music for feature films, television movies, and commercials.
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) WELCOME MESSAGE Instructor Lennie Moore
WELCOME to Composing Music for Videogames

This class is an intense, hands-on workshop on composing music for videogames and I will be challenging you for the next twelve weeks - breaking down your conceptions of what composing is, building your abilities to compose adaptive music, and introducing you to many of the things I consider when creating music for video games. Enjoy the class and prepare for the unknown!
Getting Started
I suggest starting with a review of the syllabus, which you'll find by clicking on the syllabus button on the upper left side of the Blackboard. You will also need the following: A sequencing host software (Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools, etc.) and familiarity with how to export audio mixes of your compositions into 44.1KHz 16-bit .wav audio format. I recommend an Audio editing tool like Pro Tools, Bias Peak, Sony Sound Forge, Steinberg WaveLab or the like to really do detailed edits of things like seamless loops.. I also heartily recommend Ableton Live, which is a tool I use to simulate video game music engines for testing my adaptive compositions (I'll be showing you examples of this in my course). Apple Quicktime Pro (costs about $30 and you can save and edit Quicktime movies from the web easily, convert movies and audio to various formats - a great buy) Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader (the full version of Acrobat allows you to create and edit pdfs - a slick tool for making docs look great for your clients)
If you have questions, I can be reached at the phone number and email address listed below. I'm a busy guy, so be respectful of that and I'll do my best to assist you ASAP.
Lennie Moore Studio: (707) 260-2400 email: [email protected]
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) Staff Information
Instructor: Email: Work Phone: Office Location: Office Hours: Website: Notes:
Lennie Moore [email protected] (707) 260-2400 3l33t Studios Santa Rosa, CA Thursdays, 4-6pm Pacific time zone or by appointment www.lenniemoore.com
For over 20 years, Lennie Moore has been a proven force as an accomplished composer, orchestrator and arranger of music for videogames, film, and television; with a wide range of musical styles, from jazz to symphonic orchestra. He has composed music on numerous films, orchestrated for other composers on feature films, television movies, over 125 commercials, in addition to composing for many videogames including Outcast (2000 nominee for Best Music by the AIAS - Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences), Star Wars: The Old Republic, Magic the Gathering: Duel of the Planeswalkers, Dirty Harry (WBIE), Dragonshard (Liquid/Atari), War of the Ring (Liquid/Vivendi), and additional music for Snoopy vs. the Red Baron (Bandai Namco). Lennie recently won a G.A.N.G. Award for the Watchmen Motion Comic web series. He has taught Composing for Games at UCLA Extension, USC Thornton School of Music, CSUN Summer Arts Festival, and developed the first accredited degree program in the U.S. in Video Game Audio at Pinnacle College in Alhambra, CA. If you need to reach me, the best method is via email (which I check usually twice a day) or calling when necessary. If I am unavailable or on another phone call, just leave a message and I will get back to you (usually within 24-48 hours). As I develop this online course further, I'll research more effective ways for online conversations (Skype for example).*
*I will occasionally add new features/content to the course to refine the material based on things
like changes in technology, discovering better ways to present a particular topic, and student feedback.
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) Class/Instructor Expectations
What you can expect from this course: Online lectures demonstrating techniques most often used in composing adaptive music for videogames. Other lectures will cover important aspects of the work I do such as project management, contracts, and technology. Lots of audio/visual examples Eight composition assignments where you will be creating your own adaptive music. Instructor/Peer review of your work What I expect from you: Weekly assignments to be turned in by 9am (Pacific time zone) of each due date (every Wednesday). Active participation on the forums (25% of your grade) with your comments, questions, and opinions. Excellent time management in completing your work when it is due. Review of your peers work using the following criteria: 1. What do you like about the piece? 2. What will make it better? Regarding Posting Responses: I expect you to make a commitment to post your responses for exercises, assignments and discussions by or before the due dates each week. The classroom/forums should be active and engaging. Pacing your work earlier in the week will give you more time for larger projects when you need it (and there are plenty of them!). Your postings should incorporate responses to your peers, your opinions, pertinent information from things that youve read, web links, and examples from your experience. Your responses should include more than phrases such as "I agree" or "kk." Features of a good posting IMO include objective and critical analysis, thoughtful inquiry, and generous sharing of your experiences. Your posts should feature good writing, correct spelling and mechanics. The quality, clarity and depth of your writing conveys many things to your clients. This is part of the business side of the work we do. Communication should be professional and use good netiquette. In the spirit of scholarly discussion, I expect responses that agree and disagree with others as long as they apply to the topic and are respectful (see my FORUM RULES thread). Put my name in postings to me (to Lennie). Do the same for responses to everyone else. No messages are private - so please expand on any topic.
Responses to your Postings: I will be in the classroom almost every day. I will respond to questions generally within 24-48 hours. Feel free to email me if theres something urgent. If you need to contact me with non-public questions (things like problems with how youre managing the course, scheduling issues, or absence from the class due to emergencies) please email me. Any question that relates to the subject of composing for games (like how do I do X?) I will always have you post it on the forums as it has been in my experience, a valuable thing to bring to the whole class. If after reading the assignment, you do not understand what to do, please call me at (707) 2602400, so that I can explain the assignment. This is much better than turning in an assignment that is not done correctly and losing points. If I get enough similar questions about assignments or any subject in particular, Ill respond via a follow-up online tutorial.
Discussion Rubric Table

This Rubric Table will be used to assess the quality of your participation in the online discussion forums. Please use this tool as a guide when constructing your postings.
Mechanics of the Posting Unsatisfactory Uses incomplete sentences, is unstructured in its organization, and includes frequent or consistent errors in mechanics (grammar, spelling, usage) in each paragraph. The posting is unreadable and there is a distinct lack of tone. Provides minimal comments and information to other participants in the forum. Basic Uses complete sentences and the posting is comprehensible. The organization could be improved to present a more coherent argument, statement, or question. Includes 2-3 mechanical errors grammar, spelling, usage) per paragraph. The tone is respectful. Provides comments, and some new information on a sporadic basis. Interacts with only 1-2 participants in the forum. Proficient Uses complete sentences, organization is evident, and the posting includes no more than one mechanical error (grammar, spelling, usage) per paragraph. The tone is clear and respectful Provides comments, discussion, questions, and new information on a fairly regular basis. Interacts with a few participants in the forum. Demonstrates an adequate understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by posting superficial, or general statements in the forum. Includes a few details in the posting. Indicates agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion including a limited explanation or justification. Provides comments, discussion, and questions without a clear connection to the course material at hand. Distinguished Uses complete sentences, organization is clear and thoughtful, the posting is grammatically correct, and free of spelling errors. The tone is clear and respectful.
Participation in the Discussion
Content of Posting
Writes a general or superficial posting that is unrelated to the discussion at hand and/or posts no comments.
Demonstrates a restricted understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by posting information that could be derived from prior posts and/or including highly general comments.
Critical Thinking Evidenced by Posting
Provides no evidence of agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion.
Indicates agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion but provides no justification or explanation for comments.
Provides comments, discussion, questions, and new information on a regular, active, and weekly basis. Shows a high degree of interaction with other participants in the forum. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by thoughtful responses and questions that show a clear connection (are integrated) with the course material at hand. The posting shows depth, and includes many supporting details. Demonstrates a critical analysis of an existing posted idea or introduces a different interpretation to an existing concept or idea. Includes comments, discussion, and questions that have a clear connection (are integrated) with the course material at hand.
Reflection Rubric Table

During your course, you will be asked to reflect on your work and how you will apply what you have learned. This Rubric Table will help you assess your reflections.
Uns Coherence & Relevance atisfactory One cannot discern the learners perceptions and attitudes or what he or she learned. Basic Paper adequately describes the learners perceptions, attitudes and what she or he learned; however, gaps and omissions are present. There are gaps in the learners description of how the experiences helped transform him or her into a scholarpractitioner. Proficient Paper describes the learners thoughts, perceptions, attitudes and what was learned; a few gaps or omissions are present. Learner adequately describes how the experiences helped transform him or her into a scholarpractitioner. Distinguished Paper thoroughly describes the learners perceptions, attitudes and what he or she learned from the project. Learner clearly describes how the experiences helped transform him or her into a scholarpractitioner.
Transformation
It is not clear how the experiences transformed the learner.
The Rubric Tables provide a way for you to discern the level of performance I expect in my course. It provides performance-based criteria that may help to steer discussions so that they are effective and reflect on your learning experiences.
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) Syllabus Outline Topics by Unit Unit 01 Introductions, Course Overview, In-game vs. Cinematic Scoring, Tools/Resources, Common Terminology, and Music Engines Unit 02 Technology/Tools for asset creation and processing, Music Engines I Looping Unit 03 Project Management I, Mixing, Music Engines II (Merging Stems) Unit 04 Composing for Different Genres, Project Management II (Pre-Production), Music Engines III (Branching)
page 14
15
16 17
Unit 05 Electronics vs. Live Musicians , Project Management III Compartmentalizing & Scheduling, Music Engines IV Zones, Flags & Triggers Unit 06 Audio Delivery Formats, Project Management IV Budgeting, Music Engines V Transitions Unit 07 Project Management V Contracts, Music Engines VI God of War style Unit 08 Music Engines VII Composing in Segments Unit 09 Middleware Engines Unit 10 Project Management VI Your Music Team, Music Engines VII Layers & Stems Unit 11 Final Projects due, Audio Implementation and Music Systems, Demos Unit 12 Final Project Review and course wrap-up
18
19
20 21 22 23
24 25
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) Course Overview
This course will teach an in-depth program of composing music for videogames. Teaching style will include online lectures, audio/visual demonstrations, handouts, composition assignments. Topics will include: In-Game vs. Cinematic Scoring, Budgeting/Project Management, Contracts, Technology/Tools for asset creation and processing, Music Engines/Compositional techniques specific to videogame music, Electronic music creation vs. utilizing live musicians, Mixing, Composing for different game genres (MMORPG, FPS, RTS, Educational), Audio formats and delivery of assets for different console formats (SKUs) such as XBOX/XBOX 360, PS2/PS3, PC, GameCube, handheld devices (Gameboy, Nintendo DS) Students will have eight varied composition assignments to create their own adaptive music similar to works created for current videogames. They will also have the opportunity to compose MIDI/digital music with any tools they feel comfortable using (DP, Logic, Cubase SX, Nuendo, Reason, Ableton Live, etc.). Course Objective This course is designed for composers interested in exploring the challenges of creating music for videogames. The course will present a basic overview of compositional techniques, organization, and delivery formats that are unique to the videogame industry, along with online lectures and audio/visual demonstrations. Students will be shown how to use some of the latest audio hardware and software technology for the creation and processing of audio assets. Students will be given composition assignments where they can test their skill in creating adaptive music. The goal of the course is to provide each student with a basic understanding of the distinctive qualities required to compose music for videogames, and to give them hands-on experience creating content for this medium. Reading/Research Assignments Handouts will be provided to supplement the lectures in areas like budgeting, software tools, sample libraries, softsynths, reference books, and websites. The handouts will only act as a supplement to the material presented. Attendance is required for the student to get the most of this unique opportunity. Graduation Requirement Successful completion of this course will include the following: a final exam in the form of an adaptive composition, completion of in-class exercises/assignments, and forum participation. Prerequisites Students should have some composition and theory background. As composition projects will be assigned, students will be required to create final mixes using whatever composition tools they have at home such as Cubase SX, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Logic, Digital Performer, Reason, Ableton Live, etc.
(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore) Course Grading Policies
10
Grading:
100 points possible for all course components Grades are assigned based on your ability to demonstrate understanding of the techniques, material, and concepts presented in this course. 1. Assignments: 5 points for each assignment; total 50 points. 2. Forum/Class participation: Total 25 points for each discussion Please see the Discussion/Reflection Litmus Tables below for further information on grading policies. 3. Final Project: Very important! 25 points.
Tests/Quizzes:
Currently, there are NO tests or quizzes for this course. My evaluation of your ability to understand the techniques and approaches I present in this course is based on how well you do with all the assignments and the Final project. In the future I may introduce quizzes if I feel that certain areas of learning can be reinforced by them. If so, I will announce these ahead of time.
Policies About Deadlines and Late Work:

Many of my students in this UCLA Extension program are working professionals and, although I understand that emergencies sometimes occur, all my deadlines for delivering your work are hard ones. When I give an assignment, it is due by 9am (Pacific time zone) of each due date (every Wednesday with the exception of the Final, which is always due by 9am PST of the last class). If the assignment from one week is posted late, youll lose ten percent. After the assignment is more than 7 days late, you will no longer receive a grade. If you will contact me before the work is late, we can try to work out something that will be acceptable. There are no extensions for the class. Again, all work must be turned in on the day it is due. One of the common things Ive told my past students is, If you dont deliver in the format I require by the deadline I set, youre fired! Harsh words I know, but reflective of what the people who hire composers would do in the real world.
11
Academic Policies
Regarding cheating and plagiarism: I work on the honor system. It probably needs not be said, but I expect you will get the most enjoyment from doing the work in this course yourself. Taking someone elses intellectual property and submitting it as your own will only get you fired in the real world (not to mention the possibility or legal action by the owner of the IP). If you engage in this activity, eventually I or someone else will discover it and the following consequences will occur: 1. I will never hire you to work on my team. 2. I will never recommend you to my colleagues. 3. You will increase the likelihood of a ruined reputation in the industry. So, that said, dont post written assignments that were cut and pasted together from Wikipedia or the like. Do your own research. Express your own ideas. Do the honorable thing and enjoy the challenge of the course.
12
Course Materials and Resources

Syllabus accessible from the Syllabus tab on the Course Menu and available in PDF file format in the Course Documents section. Textbooks There are no required textbooks at this time for this course. For recommended reading, there is currently only one book available that I feel can be helpful: The Complete Guide to Game Audio, Second Edition Author: Aaron Marks Publisher: Focal Press, 2009 ISBN: 978-0-240-81074-4 Handouts Youll find these in the Classroom and Course Documents sections of the Course Menu. Lectures, Video Tutorials, and Classroom Youll find these in the Classroom and Course Documents sections of the Course Menu. Articles Also in the Classroom and Course Documents sections. External links Ive included many useful links in the External Links section of the Course Menu. Discussion and Reflection Rubric Tables see page 6-7 of this Syllabus.
13
ADA 508 Compliance Web Site Resources

Section 508 http://www.section508.gov ADA 508 The Law http://ada508.com/ Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508 Compliance Web site http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm Access Board http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/e-learning.htm U.S. Department of Labor The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/statutes/ofccp/ada.htm U.S. Department of Justice 508 Home page http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.html U.S. Department of Justice ADA Regulations & Technical Assistance Materials http://www.ada.gov/publicat.htm W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) http://www.w3.org/WAI/ W3C Improving the Accessibility of Your Web Site http://www.w3.org/WAI/impl/improving Web Accessibility in Mind Articles http://www.webaim.org/articles/ Web Accessibility in Mind Resources http://www.webaim.org/resources/
14
Composing Music for Video Games: Unit 01

Unit 1 - Introductions, Course Overview, In-game vs. Cinematic Scoring, Tools/Resources, Common Terminology, and Music Engines Handouts: 1.1 Websites/Resources 1.2 Common Terminology Classroom/Lecture: Course Overview Review Course Syllabus, Teaching Style, Class Requirements and Expectations Websites/Resources Discussion of video game industry/technology websites and resources Common Terminology Overview of common terminology used in the videogame industry including various styles of gameplay, technical language used in communicating with developers, programmers, and audio directors. Music Engines Introduction to music engines and how they are implemented in-game vs. cinematic scoring. Assignment U1 Implementation Report DUE Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 9am PST 1. Find examples of good and bad music implementation in a video game (one each). 2. Write a report on what you like/dislike about them and why you think they work (or dont work) well in the game in .doc or .pdf format (it must be a PC compatible document). 3. Important! put your initials at the beginning of the filename (in_implementation.doc, in_example1.mov). Otherwise, I dont know whos who after Ive downloaded them. 4. Include links to audio/video examples or upload them to the Submissions/Assignment U1 forum thread along with your report for next session.
15

Unit 2 - Technology/Tools for asset creation and processing, Music Engines I Looping Handouts: 2.1 Software/Tools/Sample Libraries 2.2 Music Engines I Looping Classroom/Lecture: Software/Tools/Sample Library Lecture demonstrating numerous examples of music asset creation/audio processing tools used by game industry professionals. Music Engines I Lecture on the use of a looping section of music. Demonstrations include examples of music loops, compositional form considerations, seamless transitions from the end of the loop back to the beginning, and music mixing issues. Assignment U2A Tools Report DUE Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 9am PST 1. Write a report listing all the audio tools you use, what you like/dislike about them and how you plan on using them to create music for videogames. 2. Name your filename in_mytools.doc (or .pdf) 3. Upload it to the Submissions/Assignment U2A forum thread. Assignment U2B Looping DUE Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose a 30 second piece of music that loops seamlessly. 2. Name your 44.1KHz 16-bit wav format audio filename in_loop.wav 3. Upload it to the Submissions/Assignment U2B forum thread.
16

Unit 3 Project Management I, Mixing, Music Engines II Merging Stems Handouts: 3.1 Project Management I What am I providing? 3.2 Mixing 3.3 Music Engines II Merging stems Classroom/Lecture: Project Management I First of several lectures on managing a large project. What am I providing? Asks key questions regarding what a videogame composer is responsible for providing on a given project. Mixing Lecture on the mixing process when providing music for videogames. Demonstration of various approaches to mixing. Music Engines II Merging stems. Lecture on the concept of merging individual music audio events based on game conditions where synchronizing in tempo is not possible. Assignment U3 Merging Stems DUE Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose a 60 second loop. 2. Compose a one-shot music event to be randomly triggered to play over/against the loop. 3. Compose a second one-shot music event to be randomly triggered to play over/against the loop. Try to make the style of this event different from the first. 4. Deliver your stems with the following naming convention: in_loop.wav, in_event1.wav, and in_event2.wav 5. Upload it to the Submissions/Assignment U3 forum thread.
17

Unit 4 Composing for Different Genres, Project Management II Pre-Production, Music Engines III Branching Handouts: 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Composing for different genres Project Management II Pre-Production Music Engines III Branching JH_AdaptiveAudio.pdf How_audio_is_implemented_in_games.pdf
Classroom/Lecture: Composing for Different Genres Lecture on the various kind of composition used in different game genres such as MMORPG, FPS, RTS, and Educational. Structural differences, audience expectations, and style or tradition all play their part. Project Management II Pre-Production Lecture. What needs to happen before actually composing a score? What materials are supplied by the developer? What technologies will you need to master? Music Engines III Branching. Lecture on Branching/Organization structures of audio assets for videogames. Demonstration of numerous examples of Branching and how this is implemented in-game. Assignment U4 Branching DUE Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose a 60 second looping Battle cue. 2. Compose a 5 second Victory statement (one-shot). 3. Compose a 5 second Death statement (one-shot). 4. Make the Victory and Death cues work seamlessly with the Battle cue. 5. Name your files in_battle_loop.wav, in_victory.wav, and in_death.wav 6. Upload them to the Submissions/Assignment U4 forum thread.
18

Unit 5 - Electronics vs. Live Musicians , Project Management III Compartmentalizing & Scheduling, Music Engines IV Zones, Flags & Triggers Handouts: 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Electronics vs. Live Musicians Project Management III Compartmentalizing & Scheduling Music Engines IV Zones, Flags & Triggers Music Tracking example1 Music Tracking template (Excel)
Classroom/Lecture: Electronic vs. Live Musicians Lecture comparing the differences between creating a purely electronic score vs. utilizing live musicians. What additional tasks are required to prepare for and produce a live musician session? What mix issues if any need to be addressed when working on a hybrid score (combination of live players and electronic elements)? Project Management III Lecture on how to break down a massive project into smaller, more manageable tasks. How to schedule in reverse by calculating what must be done the day before the delivery of the final music assets and working backwards to your first day of composition. Demonstration of Cue Log Manager. Music Engines IV Zones, Flags & Triggers. Lecture on working with the programmer concepts of using flags and triggers on a level map to enact music that follows the game action. Demonstration of examples of music using the flags and triggers method. Assignment U5 - Zones DUE Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose 2 variations of a 30 second piece of music where Variation 1 is the ambient mix, and Variation 2 is only the added elements which create more intensity. 2. Deliver in two stems: in_Zones_Var1.wav and in_Zones_Var2.wav. 3. Upload your work into the Submissions folder under Assignment U5.
19

Unit 6 - Audio Delivery Formats, Project Management IV Budgeting, Music Engines V Transitions Handouts: 6.1 Audio Delivery Formats 6.2 Project Management IV Budgeting 6.3 Music Engines V Transitions Audio bid examples 1-2 Classroom/Lecture: Audio Delivery Formats Lecture on the various audio formats and asset delivery requirements for the various consoles such as XBOX360, PS3, PC, Wii, and handheld devices. Project Management IV Lecture on how to create a budget to supply music assets for a videogame. Music Engines V Lecture on composing music transitions as separate components to be played between looping segments as connecting material. Demonstration of examples of music transitions in video game. Assignment U6 Transitions DUE Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose a 30-second Ambient loop, a 30-second Battle loop, a 5-second Ambient to Battle one-shot transition, and a 5-second Battle to Ambient one-shot transition. 2. Deliver your stems with the following naming convention: in_amb_loop.wav, in_bat_loop.wav, in_amb-bat_trans.wav and in_bat-amb_trans.wav 3. Upload to the Submissions/Assignment U6 forum thread.
20

Unit 7 - Project Management V Contracts, Music Engines VI God of War style Handouts: 7.1 Project Management V Contracts 7.2 Music Engines VI God of War Style Agreement Templates 1-3 Classroom/Lecture: Project Management V Contracts. Lecture on contracts as they apply to videogame composers. Music Engines VI God of War style. Lecture on composing looping music in the God of War style. Demonstration of examples of music created using the God of War approach. Assignment U7 GoW Style DUE Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 9am PST 1. Start by composing a 1-minute looping battle cue in the God of War style. 2. Copy and paste your piece two more times back to back to create a 3-minute long piece. The goal is to create three variations based on your original 1-minute piece in the following order: Variation I (0:00-1:00) is the full mix, Variation II (1:00-2:00) has no melodies but includes a more sparse low intensity version of groove and ambience, Variation III (2:00-3:00) adds more intensity and hints of melodic or thematic moments. 3. Make sure your last bar loops seamlessly with your first bar! 4. Deliver your 3-minute loop with the following naming convention: in_GoW_bat_loop.wav 5. Upload to the Submissions/Assignment U7 forum thread.
21

Unit 8 - Music Engines VII Composing in Segments Handouts: 8.1 Music Engines VII Composing in Segments 8.2 Music System of Dead Space Classroom/Lecture: Music Engines VII Composing in Segments. Lecture on composing music in segments. Discussion of AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems. Demonstration of examples of music organized and programmed to work as a library of music segments (DirectMusic Producer). Assignment U8 Segments DUE Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose three 30 second pieces of looping battle music where #1 is low intensity, #2 medium intensity, and #3 high intensity battle. 2. Use the same theme in all three loops but create variations, dont just cut and paste. 3. Deliver your stems with the following naming convention: in_bat1_loop.wav, in_bat2_loop.wav, and in_bat3_loop.wav 4. Upload to the Submissions/Assignment U8 forum thread.
22

Unit 9 Middleware Engines Handouts:
None
Classroom/Lecture: Middleware Engines Lecture on 3rd part middleware engines FMOD and Wwise. Demonstration of features and capabilities. Assignment U9 Middleware DUE Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 9am PST 1. Download FMOD and Wwise (if you have a PC or XP/Vista capability on your Mac). 2. Review tutorials for both programs and write a comparison report. 3. Discuss how effective you feel they are for music implementation, user friendliness, and the kinds of music approaches you feel would push the boundaries of the tool. 4. Upload your report (in_middleware.doc) to the Submissions/Assignment U9 forum thread.
23

Unit 10 - Project Management VI Your Music Team, Music Engines VII Layers & Stems Handouts:
10.1 Project Management VI Your Music Team 10.2 Music Engines VII Layers & Stems
Classroom/Lecture: Project Management VI Lecture on how to assemble an outstanding music team to help you in your projects. Music Engines VII Lecture on composing music in multiple layers and stems. This is currently one of the most common types of music engines being used in the videogame industry and the Final Project will be based on this approach. Final Project DUE Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 9am PST 1. Compose a 2-minute looping segment in 4 synchronized layers, where each layer represents a game state. All layers must work individually as a complete piece of music or in combinations (A+B no C, A+C no B, A+B+C, etc.). 2. Game states from which you can choose are - Ambience, stealth, tension, low/medium/high-intensity battle, heroic, tragic, win/lose, and proximity to enemies. 3. Deliver your stems with the following naming convention: in_layer1_loop.wav, in_layer2_loop.wav, in_layer3_loop.wav, in_layer4_loop.wav. 4. Upload to the Submissions/Final Project forum thread.
24

Unit 11 Final Projects due, Audio Implementation and Music Systems, Demos Handouts: 11.1 GamebizDaily Blizzard article 11.2 Power Of The Sung Word 11.3 Music system of Hellgate: London 11.4 Bioshock Pitch Document Classroom/Lecture: Audio Implementation and Music Systems Lecture on how audio is implemented in-game and demonstration of several music systems. Forums Students will participate in evaluating the effectiveness of the other students Final Projects by posting their reviews on the forum. Final Project DUE Wednesday, June 8th, 2011 9am PST
25

Unit 12 - Final Project Review and course wrap-up Handouts:
12.1 Organizations
Classroom/Lecture: Final Project Review Instructor will upload an online video review of all Final Projects. Class Survey This online Forum thread will be an opportunity for students to comment on their experience in the course and what they learned over the last 11 weeks. Course Wrap-Up Instructor will talk about organizations that are great resources for the emerging video game composer. Course Complete!

Composing Music For Video Games

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Composing Music For Video Games

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Composing Music For Video Games

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What topics are covered in the course?

What topics are covered in the course?

What software is recommended for students?

What software is recommended for students?

(Composing Music for Video Games) Course Syllabus (Lennie Moore)

Course Title: Composing Music for Video Games

WELCOME to Composing Music for Videogames

Lennie Moore Studio: (707) 260-2400 email: [email protected]