Video Game Music!! 197to create the sound effects. It behooves composers to learn this craft. Most
composers who write music for commercials and industrial videos are
familiar with designing sound effects. There are innumerable sound
effects libraries available for purchase, and most composers own several
libraries. Many of the libraries do not have copyright restrictions, allowing
composers to use the effects (without a licensing fee) without infringing
on the rights of the copyright owners.
Certain effects are created by combining and editing synthesized and
sampled sounds, such as space ships and additional ‘‘Star Wars’’ types of
effects. Various audio effects (plug-ins) are used to morph basic sounds
into unique effects. Delays, filters, pitch bending, compression, echo,
reverberation, and pitch shifting are some of the devices used to manipu-
late sounds.
!!It can take composers
equal time to design effects
as it does to compose and
record the music.If certain realistic sound effects have to
be created by recording the actual source
(e.g., an airplane taking off or a car start-
ing), composers must have the proper
microphones and additional technical
equipment to achieve the best results.
Most important is capturing the sounds so
that they sound authentic. This is a difficult and time-consuming process
and should not be the responsibility of composers unless there are severe
budgetary constraints. Some composers command additional creative fees
if they create the sound effects.
Voice-Overs
In low-budget projects, composers might be asked to cast and record the
voices of the game characters. This can be a precarious situation. Pleasing
the creative team is as vulnerable a task as having their music accepted
and approved.
!!It would be a reason-
able assumption that a high
voice playing Darth Vader in
theStar Warsfilms would
not have been as effective
as the low-resonant voice of
the actor James Earl Jones.If casting the voices becomes a com-
poser’s responsibility, make certain that
the creative team attends the auditions
and the final recording sessions. Voice
performances are crucial to the success of
games.
Most major video game developers do
not expect composers to cast and record
the voices. This is generally the responsibility of the executive producer,
producer, and the creative team. The creatives usually have a definite
vision of how the characters should sound and behave.
Hiring and recording the actors requires the composers (and game
developer) to abide by the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) or AFTRA (Ameri-