For the 143rd International Audio Engineering Society Convention, the traditional Game Audio Track is expanding into the Game Audio and VR (Virtual Reality) Track to reflect the growing importance of immersive sound and virtual reality audio. This year’s series of events, put together by co-chairs Steve Martz and Michael Kelly, incorporates the latest cutting-edge technologies and techniques used in some of today’s most popular, and growing, forms of entertainment.
“The frenetic pace of ongoing developments in Game Audio, VR, AR, and other related technologies provides the foundation for the VR and Game Audio track in the technical program at this year’s AES New York Convention,” stated Track co-chair Martz. “With a common goal of presenting the latest research findings and sharing the latest production tools and techniques known to those in the industry, the AES Convention is the place to come and get a better understanding of each role in the audio production and delivery chain for game and VR content,” Martz concludes.
The new shared virtual reality action-adventure game Star Trek: Bridge Crew takes participants on a dazzling journey through uncharted areas of space, with astounding visuals, sound effects, battles and more. The “Star Trek: Bridge Crew VR Audio Post Mortem” session will feature Justin Drust of developer Red Storm Entertainment and his team as they discuss the contributions from the audio director, audio programmer and others in bringing this fantastic game to market from conception to completion.
“The ‘Horrific’ Sound of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” will take an in-depth look at the latest installment of the smash hit videogame series. Sound Designer Ken Usami and others from Capcom will talk about their methods in creating realistic high-fidelity sound, including their use of “musique concrète” – music constructed by mixing recorded sounds to create a wide variety of textures, tones and noises to deliver an uncomfortable and disturbing sonic environment.
Video games are a worldwide phenomenon, as evidenced by the seminar “Gateways to the East: Music and Recording for Chinese Video Games.” Fei Yu, music supervisor for the NetEase multiplayer online game Revelation Online, will discuss the challenges of working with collaborators around the world, and the creative and technical processes of working with ethnic soloists and orchestras to create authentic world-music sounds. The Revelation soundtrack has won the BSOSpirit Jerry Goldsmith Award and the Tracksounds Genius Choice Vote for Best Score: Video Game.
What does the aspiring VR audio professional need to know in order to excel in this new field, and how is higher education responding to the current skills gap? “Immersive Audio and VR/AR: A Traveler’s Guide to the Growing Landscape of Experiential Audio” will address these topics and more in a session led by Josh Antonuccio, lecturer at the School of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University and co-creator of the Immersive Media Initiative, and Richard Warp, founder of music production company Intonic. A related panel, “State of the Art: Kickstart Your Career in Audio for Games, VR and Beyond” will discuss how to succeed in this field via the deep expertise and experiences shared by industry pros.
With the new XBOX One and Windows’ addition of native platform-level support for spatial sound, games and other applications can now implement audio above, below and around the listener, as well as transparently render to multiple endpoints (speakers, headphones) and formats (Dolby Atmos, Windows Sonic for Headphones). This functionality opens up new technical and creative possibilities for game designers, as addressed in the talk “Spatial Sound for Console and PC Games,” hosted by Microsoft’s Robert Ridihalgh, Scott Selfon, and Mark Yeend, exploring a multitude of impactful and common use examples in this burgeoning field.
Additional information about these and other AES Game Audio and VR Track events is available here.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More