| Candidate Name | Isaac Hill |
| Candidate Number | 10626277 |
| Pathway | UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Music Performance and Production |
| Project Title | Composing Music for a Pre-existing Video Game |
| Section 1: Context (approx. 300 words) | |
| For my final project I have chosen to compose music for a pre-existing video game called ‘Wwise Adventure Game’, this decision was highly influenced by last final project, as I enjoyed it very much and would like to attempt composing music for video games again. Throughout my time on the course, I have acquired skills and knowledge such as; composing and arranging for strings, composing for moving image, problem solving, time management, collaboration, performance, confidence and music production skills. Before I joined this course I had little to no knowledge of music composition or music theory, therefore these attributes I have acquired through the course will be very helpful when composing music for this final project. I enjoy composing music as it is a strong and reliable outlet of my creative expression, I also find it very rewarding to write engrossing and immersive music for people to listen to. In my future I would like to make a career out of composing music for video games and film, as these are two areas of media and music, I am very interested in. From this final project I hope to gain more knowledge and experience surrounding elements of music composition such as; harmony, melody writing, orchestral arranging and writing musical loops for video games. I believe in depth understanding of these topics will help me become a better composer by the end of the project which is main goal for this project. Last year’s final project was very successful and I am proud of this achievement, however I made many mistakes during this project which I have now learned from. I believe implementing the lessons I learned from my mistakes in this project will help compose music to a higher quality than last year’s final project as I now know how to effectively counter anticipated problems and recover from them. | |
| Section 2: Research (approx. 50 words) | |
| I am going to use a variety of research sources such as; books, journals, interviews documentaries and I will also attempt to attend relevant live events if possible. I will visit the college library and attend the Yorkshire Games Festival to obtain information and research relevant to my project. | |
| Section 3: Problem solving (approx. 100 words) | |
| One problem I may encounter in this project is hitting writers block, this issue happened in my last final project. To solve this problem, I will look at other music for inspiration and take a short break from the screen to reduce stress and frustration. Another issue I may encounter is that the music coded into the game is not playing on cue, to solve this issue I can revise the code to see if it is correct or talk to a digital programming expert for help on the matter. | |
| Section 4: Planning and production (approx. 50 words) | |
| I am planning to have finished my music compositions by the end of week 7, this will give me up to 2 weeks to mix my music to a high standard. I will also be writing self-reflections on my practical work at the end of each week to highlight room for improvement. | |
| Section 5: Practical skills (approx. 100 words) | |
| In order to successfully achieve my project aims I am going to have use my composing and arranging skills in order to compose realistically for an orchestra, as well as use advanced methods/techniques of composition. It is important that I have great time management skills in order to balance my time efficiently in order to have a flexibility in my project plan. I am also going to use my sound design knowledge to create my own synth patches from scratch. I will also need great communication during recording sessions to effectively direct other musicians. | |
| Section 6: Evaluation and reflection (approx. 100 words) | |
| I will do self-reflections on my practical work at the end of each week, this will help me evaluate what I did well during the week and what must be improved in the future of the project. I will document my reflections in a text-based log on my digital-space, if there are any major/minor changes in my project I will address them in my weekly evaluations. I will be posting my composition progress to different platforms of social media such as; Instagram, reddit and Tiktok this will help me attain public feedback, which will help me improve my music. I will also be using the Gibb’s reflection to help give detailed and structured evaluations. | |
| Section 7: Presentation (approx. 100 words) | |
| My music will be presented in a pre-recorded gameplay footage of ‘Wwise adventure game’ in the student showcase, where I will narrate over the gameplay footage to explain how the music responds to the gameplay. I am going to design my own professional music composer website to upload my music and build up an online portfolio. I will also upload my compositions standalone on platforms such as; YouTube, Soundcloud and Instagram Reels. So that people who don’t want to play the game can easily access the music. I will also be presenting the progress on the music throughout the project on social media, this will allow the public to view my progress on the video game music and give me feedback. | |
| Proposed Research Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format) | |
8-bit Music Theory, 2017. 8-bit Music Theory. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/c/8bitMusicTheory> [Accessed 28 February 2022]. Bauer, H., 2009. Young people’s guide to classical music. 1st ed. New York: Amadeus Press. Dystify Music, 2018. Field (Day) – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Soundtrack. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igNpsyKZojY> [Accessed 16 February 2022]. Gibbons, W., 2019. Music in the Role-Playing Game: Heroes & Harmonies. [ebook] New York: Routledge. Available at: <https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RnKhDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT10&dq=rpg+game+music&ots=pZzbf7AdmQ&sig=xOT0vTbjsyex4uNgQwSlIwmZk7I&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=rpg%20game%20music&f=false> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. Hannigan, J., 2018. Runescape Original Soundtrack Classics [Full Album]. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-7hILtUI4> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. Karlin, F. and Wright, R., 2013. On the Track. Milton: Taylor & Francis. Kellman, N., 2020. A Practical Guide to Crafting an Unforgettable Musical Soundscape. [ebook] Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: <https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FQgCEAAAQBAJ&dq=rpg+game+music&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s> [Accessed 28 February 2022]. mdvn soundworks, 2020. Unity’s John LEMON: How to implement your sounds using Wwise. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wol4NACF8eg> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. Orchstral Tools, 2022. LA Creatives: Garry Schyman & Phill Boucher on scoring for video games. . Phillips, W., 2014. A Composer’s Guide to Game Music. Michigan. MIT press. Soule, J., 2008. Streets of Whiterun. [Online] Rockville: DirectSong. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_34gUVqLkAo> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. Summers, T., 2020. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: A Game Music Companion. [ebook] Bristol: Intellect books. Available at: <https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BOMLEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT13&dq=rpg+game+music&ots=xZgOzGdXb0&sig=Km_MEIwdfGv23afIe6e_28Z3Awc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=rpg%20game%20music&f=false> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. Thomas, C., 2017. Composing Music for Games. New York: Routledge. Westlund, M., 2019. Essential Tips for Orchestral Positioning and Mixing. [Blog] Soundfly, Available at: <https://flypaper.soundfly.com/produce/orchestral-positioning-mix-panning/> [Accessed 17 February 2022]. |
| Project Action Plan and Timetable | |||
Week | Date WeekBeginning | Activity / What you are intending to do – including independent study | Resources / What you will need to do it – including access to workshops |
| 1 | Monday 10:00-12:30-Install Wwise adventure game and play test game (understand context, notes on what it needs musically) Monday-1:30-3:00-Analyse inspirational game music that matches games setting (Skyrim, Zelda, Nino Kuni etc.) Monday 3:00-4:30- Decide what level I am composing for (location/time of day/activity e.g., exploring or fighting) and how the music should reflect on the setting Wednesday 10:00-12:30-Research ambient music techniques used in the genre (chord progressions, instrumentation, key signature, articulation) Wednesday 1:30-3:00-Begin initial research (how to compose for video games/Medieval Instrumentation/Composing tips and music theory) Thursday 10:00-11:00-Document spotting notes on the game (digital space) Thursday 11:00-11:30-Gather books for college library for research Thursday 11:30-12:30-Develop a work process for composing music each week to increase efficiency e.g., session 1 composition foundations (harmony, tempo and key signature) Thursday 1:30-3:00-Begin making creative decisions the first music block (key, tempo, mood, instrumentation) Thursday 3:00-4:30- Document work | -Imac -Access to library -Paper and Pen (brainstorming ideas) | |
| 2 | Monday-10:00-3:00-Begin working on first music block (experiment with melodic and harmonic motifs) Monday-3:00-4:30-Document work Wednesday 10:00-10:30-Send out public survey to narrow down target audience for more effective promotion Wednesday 10:30-12:30-Research digital promotion strategies Wednesday 1:30-3:00-Work on first music block (for exploring the location of the game) Wednesday-3:00-4:30– Document work Thursday 10:00-12:30– Work on music block (begin expanding harmonic and melodic ideas) Thursday 1:30-3:00– Document work Thursday 3:00-4:30-Reflect on practical work at the end of the week (what went well and what to improve) | -Wwise -Unity or Unreal Engine -Logic Pro X -Imac -MIDI keyboard -Headphones | |
| 3 | Monday 10:00-12:30- Work on composition (begin implementing depth into music e.g. advanced harmony, counter melodies, etc.) Monday 1:30-3:00-Brainstorm ideas for music block 2 (key, rhythm, instrumentation) Monday 3:00-4:30-Document work Wednesday 1:00-1:30– Begin developing ideas for artwork to post as promotion and thumbnails for Soundcloud and Youtube Wednesday 1:30-2:00-Email industry professional musicians for feedback on music Wednesday 2:00-3:00- Analyse RPG video game battle music for inspiration Wednesday free time- Document work Thursday 10:30-12:30-Research how to programming music into video game via Wwise/ When research is complete begin programming music into the game. Thursday 1:30-2:30– Begin brain storming ideas for potential video game artwork Thursday 2:30-3:00-Bounce down music loop and upload progress to Youtube and Soundcloud Thursday 3:00-4:30-Document all work on digital space Friday free time- Finish music block one (if incomplete) Saturday free time- Weekly practical work evaluation | -Access to the internet-Imac -MIDI keyboard -Pen and Paper -Headphones -Logic Pro X | |
| 4 | Monday 10:00-12:30-Begin working on second video game loop (battle theme, experiment with melodic ideas) Monday 1:30-3:00-Programme music into Wwise when the block is complete (test to see if it works) Monday 3:00-4:30-Document practical work Wednesday 1:30-2:00-Promote progress on music block 2 and one online (ask for feedback on Reddit and Discord)Wednesday 10:30-12:30 (free time)– Start designing music website through Wix Wednesday 1:30-3:00- Work on music block (expand melodic and harmonic ideas) Thursday 10:30-3:00- Work on music block (begin polishing ideas and organizing them into a structured piece of music) Thursday 3:00-3:15- Hand in artwork ideas and explain them to a digital artist to prepare for design Thursday 3:15-4:30- Document work and complete weekly reflection on practical work | -MIDI keyboard -Logic Pro X -Wix -Imac | |
| 5 | Monday 10:00-11:00-Finalise music website and upload previous compositions onto it Monday 11:00-11:15– Open Linktree and upload in social media bio (attach links to; YouTube, Soundcloud, Music Website and other social media accounts) Monday 11:15-12:30-Develop ideas for music block 3 (key signature, instrumentation, rhythm etc.) Also begin thinking about the purpose if the music in the context of the game (boss theme, location theme, cut-scene music) Wednesday 1:30-3:00-Continue working on music block 2 (approach conclusion of music block 2 by finalizing the structure and form of the music)Thursday 10:00-12:30– Finish music block two (final tweaks and adjustments to music) Thursday 1:30-3:00-Weekly practical work reflection and document daily work on digital space Thursday 3:00-3:15-Check up on progress of artwork being designed | -Logic Pro X -MIDI keyboard -Wix -Linktree-Headphones | |
| 6 | -Begin working on third music block of the project -Publish battle music online platforms such as reddit and discord and ask for public feedback -Program music block two into the video game -Research 5.1 audio in video games and panning techniques (help create immersive music for players) -Reflect on practical work at the end of the week (what went well and what to improve) | -Logic Pro X-Wwise and Unreal Engine -Headphones-MIDI keyboard | |
| 7 | -Research mixing techniques for acoustic instruments such as percussion, strings, brass, piano, etc -Finish third music block for game -Have artwork finalised and ready to post online for promotion -Reflect on practical work at the end of the week (what went well and what to improve) | -Logic Pro X -MIDI keyboard -Headphones | |
| 8 | -Begin making final improvements to the music blocks -Share link to college showcase online to attract a local audience -Program all unmixed tracks into the game when finished arranging as a place holder in the games files for the mixed tracks -Begin mixing music blocks -Reflect on practical work at the end of the week (what went well and what to improve) | -Social media -Logic Pro X/Pro Tools if available (mixing) -Wwise | |
| 9 | -Overwrite mixed music blocks over the unmixed tracks already coded into the game -Finish mixing music and present it online platforms such as YouTube, Soundcloud, personal music website and Instagram reels. -Record Gameplay capture of me playing through the game with music as showcase footage -Upload footage to Youtube -Prepare for narration of project (purpose of the music, how the music was composed and how it complements to the visual stimuli of the game) -Begin reviewing digitalspace written work -Reflect on final week of practical work (what went well, what to improve) | -Wwise -Logic Pro X/Protools-Screen capture app -Youtube -Flash cards | |
| 10 | -Read through all written digitalspace work -Submit all work for deadline -Write up final project evaluation (use Gibb’s reflection cycle) -Rehearse narration of gameplay footage for final showcase | -Digitalspace |