almost 6 years
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PlayWarframe
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0s | hello there and welcome back to episode |
---|---|
2s | 4 of deconstructing this month we're |
5s | going to do something a little bit |
6s | different that we're actually doing a |
8s | part two of sound design and production |
9s | of warframe community manager Megan |
12s | Everett sits back down with audio |
13s | director George Spanos and seniors sound |
15s | designer Eric Preston to give you some |
17s | more behind-the-scenes intel as to how |
19s | the sounds of warframe are made grab a |
21s | hot cup of tea |
22s | or some lemonade and enjoy |
25s | [Music] |
41s | so George you've been here for 13 years |
43s | how has the sound design process changed |
46s | since you've started it's changed a lot |
48s | I mean you know the tools that we use to |
51s | put sounds in the game have changed so |
54s | you know plugins change all your |
56s | processing changes even a software we |
59s | use changes and the game engine that we |
61s | use has changed a lot you know I |
63s | remember when I first started here |
64s | weapons for example would just use three |
67s | sounds for each weapon and now it's |
70s | probably what there's three six nine |
74s | twenty ten or twelve sounds playing at |
78s | one time for each weapon type of thing |
80s | to give it different layers and and make |
82s | it feel more realistic and so there's |
84s | been a lot of improvements that way |
87s | music is another good example we should |
90s | just put loops of music in so a |
92s | two-minute piece of music we just get |
94s | put into the game and it would just loop |
96s | indefinitely and now we have a whole |
98s | dynamic system so that's gotten better |
100s | and there's tons of other stuff that's |
103s | just improved and we kind of we kind of |
105s | take pride in in trying to to to keep |
108s | the engine up to date and keep it fresh |
112s | and keep it with all the latest sort of |
114s | bells and whistles that that that we |
117s | hear about that other games are doing so |
118s | yeah there's been there's been a lot of |
120s | change that way yeah |
122s | just speaking about the bells and |
123s | whistles and the kind of the tech side |
125s | of it if there was no kind of boundaries |
127s | or restraints on any of that what is a |
130s | sound that you wish you could put into |
132s | warframe yeah I know it's a tough |
134s | question I mean I think I think for us |
136s | the biggest thing is always sort of |
138s | memory constraints and so we always want |
141s | to get the highest fidelity sounds into |
143s | the game and we're still not quite there |
146s | yet you know technology is still not at |
148s | the point where we can just put |
150s | uncompressed audio in the engine or play |
152s | as many sounds at a time as we want kind |
155s | of a thing so that's definitely |
156s | something that that we keep kind of |
158s | working towards and we keep we keep |
161s | trying to make better so but yeah I mean |
165s | I think we kind of we each put what we |
168s | want into the engine |
169s | the game you know like we're always |
171s | challenging ourselves every new warframe |
173s | every new weapon every new tileset |
175s | always try to put things into the game |
178s | that we haven't put in there before you |
181s | know always trying to push ourselves |
183s | like Eric was saying go into a pool and |
185s | recording stuff and we went to a sewage |
187s | treatment plant as well that when I |
189s | started to and so it's always that's the |
193s | thing for us is always like what can we |
194s | do that's different that we didn't do |
196s | last time and that makes me think of the |
198s | whole synth board stuff that you guys |
200s | have going on that blows my mind I don't |
202s | know what the heck is do it |
204s | yeah like the modular stuff to you was a |
206s | another great example a couple of years |
208s | ago one of the sound designers on the |
210s | team Karl said to us he's like hey have |
212s | you guys ever explored modular and we're |
214s | like wow yeah why do you if you can do |
217s | it all in the computer why do you need |
219s | hardware and then and then I think was I |
222s | know you were the first to buy we got |
225s | our order together yeah there first and |
229s | then and then it was just we became |
232s | addicted to it and it's like it's so |
234s | much fun and it's an expensive hobby but |
237s | man is it fun but for people who are |
240s | interested in sound is like it's the |
242s | Holy Grail it's it's so much fun it's |
245s | some such a combination of interesting |
247s | new unique tones but also just the |
250s | playfulness of it all just being able to |
252s | really enjoy making these weird sounds |
255s | and not thinking too much about it |
257s | because usually when you're using |
258s | software there's a tendency to sort of |
261s | like overthink what you're doing when |
263s | real when you were creating audio a lot |
265s | of the time you just want to harness a |
266s | feeling and if you're not thinking too |
269s | much about your input or what you're |
270s | doing you can kind of like get in touch |
273s | with your emotions a little bit better |
274s | now it sounds weird but modular really |
277s | lets you do that because it's just it's |
279s | all knobs you just turn yeah I think |
280s | that's what goes on mind the most is you |
282s | there's how many knobs and buttons on |
285s | that thing like yes and so much and it's |
287s | like the combinations are probably |
289s | infinite if you calculate it and that's |
291s | part of the fun is it's like you'll |
293s | never hear that exact same sound the |
295s | same way your prints are all yeah and |
298s | that's |
298s | that's such a beautiful thing about it |
300s | because you know |
300s | a world of people using loops for things |
302s | and using just pulling sound effects |
304s | from libraries it's so nice and |
306s | refreshing to be able to put your own |
308s | stamp on it and that's why we try to |
310s | record as much of our own stuff as |
312s | possible to put into the game and I |
314s | think that's why a lot of the stuff that |
316s | we do sounds unique you know because you |
319s | chances already won't hear it in another |
321s | game absolutely do you recall the first |
324s | sound that was from that synth board |
326s | that we used I do yeah yeah it would |
330s | have been the hunt how a boss fight Oh |
332s | would you sounds out to the Octavia |
334s | quest right yeah I used a lot of a lot |
337s | of those sounds in that in that boss |
339s | fight that's right yeah yeah and now |
342s | it's like yeah yeah cuz it's like you |
344s | can always find something new with it |
347s | which is super exciting that's the thing |
350s | you have to keep it interesting you have |
351s | to keep it exciting right like you can't |
353s | just do the same thing every day because |
356s | it's kind of boring you know to do that |
357s | warping is going in a weird direction so |
362s | we're gonna go to the saw seven route |
364s | and yeah so without trying to spoil |
371s | anything that's coming up as we all know |
373s | what's happening at work right |
375s | what realized sound elements are you |
377s | going to pull for the next potential |
379s | open world or rail jack everyone knows |
381s | rail Jack's coming so what kind of |
383s | sounds are you working on now yeah rail |
386s | jack actually it's gonna be a lot of |
390s | different combinations of sounds I don't |
392s | know we don't have anything immediately |
395s | planned to go record for it I'd like to |
398s | go out and record like like gears and |
401s | and mechanisms and that kind of thing |
403s | like find some old factory or something |
405s | I've been wanting to do that for a while |
407s | just to have a library of that kind of |
410s | stuff but what will a lot of times do is |
414s | will will go out and record you know an |
417s | opportunity to present itself like a few |
419s | years ago I recorded my snow blower cuz |
420s | I'm like oh the snow blower makes an |
422s | interesting sounds I should record it so |
423s | I have a library of lower sounds that |
425s | you never know you might use them for |
426s | something and I've probably use them in |
428s | weapons and that kind |
429s | thing so it's a lot of that too it's a |
432s | lot of like oh yeah remember that |
433s | session that we did yeah I wonder what |
435s | was in there if I could use something |
437s | from there and bring it into this world |
439s | but there probably will be a bunch of |
442s | recording sessions for Rail Jack just |
444s | haven't figured that out yet I think |
446s | well one of the one of the things that I |
449s | remember Jeff posted a couple maybe a |
452s | week or so ago he just grabbed some |
454s | clips with like little RC cars and then |
456s | he pitched them way down right and we |
459s | kind of went whoa this could be really |
461s | cool for rail Jack ships because we're |
463s | gonna have lots of enemy ships so we |
466s | might be doing a little RC session and |
468s | they have these microphones called |
471s | extended frequency microphones so they |
473s | go way above human hearing and what you |
476s | can do with those is when you record |
477s | with those you can pitch them down |
479s | several octaves and it exposes all of |
482s | this interesting sonic information that |
485s | you previously could not hear so when we |
489s | record with those microphones that |
490s | allows you to get some really unexpected |
492s | results so there might be a little bit |
494s | of RC car action yeah that is a really |
497s | cool thing you want to think about right |
499s | because right now in the room we're |
502s | sitting in there's probably a whole |
503s | bunch of sound above human hearing that |
505s | we just can't hear and it's like what is |
507s | what's in there and so it's a cool |
509s | technique to use to as a sound design |
511s | tool to see what you can capture |
514s | expensive or grand support our |
521s | microphone we should start a Kickstarter |
523s | maybe help the de sound team by an |
526s | extent he would bats here yeah come on |
533s | guys dog whistles you want to was like |
541s | the grandfather of that like I remember |
544s | listening to Star Wars early on and |
546s | analyzing some of the the sounds and I |
548s | was listening to some of the ship sounds |
550s | and when I actually just closed my eyes |
553s | and listened I was like that's a |
555s | motorcycle like a hundred percent all it |
557s | is is a recording of a motorcycle that's |
559s | made me maybe pitch down six semitones |
561s | or not |
562s | but when you put it up against the |
563s | visuals making the decision to make that |
566s | match that's where a lot of sound design |
568s | comes in because it's like oh when you |
570s | take it out of out of the context of the |
572s | real world and put it in the context of |
574s | that spaceship it works perfectly and |
575s | Ben Burtt was so good at that I think I |
578s | yeah I try to strive for that sometimes |
580s | so there again it's like so something |
582s | that is really high tech that's in a |
584s | future world you're like oh I must use |
587s | since I have to use modular I have to |
588s | use whatever no you don't and that proof |
592s | of that is that a lot of current day or |
595s | older type of sounds can work for the |
598s | future if you just kind of let your mind |
600s | go to that place you know so do you find |
604s | yourself doing that a lot where you |
605s | watch movies or shows and you just kind |
608s | of you hear as a sound designer you hear |
611s | what the sound actually is as you're |
612s | watching it is that happen a lot it's |
614s | funny like at one point for me it's all |
617s | I could do I couldn't enjoy the movie or |
619s | music or games for for what they were I |
622s | was always analyzing it but I've gotten |
624s | better at just being just trying to lose |
626s | myself in the wonderment of it and |
628s | there's something cool and interesting |
630s | happens then I'll kind of like go back |
632s | and try to listen to it again but I try |
634s | to kind of let myself go in that moment |
636s | but it's hard to do though it is sound |
639s | plays such as supporting it's so |
641s | important to support the visuals with |
643s | sound like as a sound designer I think |
645s | that's the number one goal |
647s | I'm never like oh I want to draw |
649s | people's attention to this sound it's |
650s | always know I want me I want to make |
652s | people believe what they're experiencing |
655s | and I feel like I don't necessarily pick |
658s | out cool sounds anymore in movies it's |
660s | more the opposite when a sound doesn't |
662s | work or when it pulls me out of what I'm |
666s | enjoying that's when I'll notice the |
668s | sounds now more so than the other way |
670s | around |
670s | it's a good way of thinking of it |
671s | actually if you're noticing a sound it's |
674s | probably not the right thing yeah you |
675s | know and it's like you can you can |
677s | notice the sound to be like oh that |
678s | sounded cool but if it takes you out of |
680s | the moment it's like the boom mic in the |
682s | shot in the movie oh this is a movie oh |
685s | yeah just breaks that dimension totally |
687s | breaks that wall and that's and I think |
690s | that's the mark of great sound design is |
692s | just when you don't notice it then |
695s | then it's doing what it should be doing |
697s | which is ironic but that is that is |
700s | that's kind of the mark of great audio I |
703s | think so outside of music and sound |
706s | creation what other passions or |
708s | interests do you guys have I yeah I |
712s | don't feel free to plug away here well |
717s | as some of you know like sound is a big |
721s | part of what I do and so I make |
724s | experimental music as threat machine I'm |
727s | on all of the streaming services or go |
730s | to start machine comm check it out it's |
732s | it's some pretty weird stuff that will |
734s | never make it into warframe because it's |
735s | too weird I think and then outside of |
741s | that I don't it's funny like I yeah I |
745s | mean I just I enjoy playing games |
748s | watching movies listening to music you |
750s | know a bit of reading long walks on the |
752s | beach you know campfires at night yeah |
755s | it's funny because it's like I don't |
758s | know like the time is so short that it's |
760s | like it's hard to have anything anything |
762s | else that you really you really do but |
764s | you know um yeah it's it's mainly sound |
768s | or music related for me I'm a father |
773s | have a daughter who's turning for |
775s | tomorrow happy birthday yeah |
777s | so I I spend a lot of time with her |
779s | these days but after she goes to bed and |
784s | yeah after she goes to bed I make I make |
787s | video games and I know it's so weird I |
789s | get here cool yeah I go home when I make |
792s | more video games yeah yeah I just work |
794s | on little solo independent projects such |
797s | as vault tomb of the king is what I'm |
800s | working on right now so yeah I just |
802s | enjoy I just really enjoy all aspects of |
806s | game creation so that's sort of the time |
808s | that I get to do programming and do art |
810s | and do game design and oddly enough I |
813s | always leave audio to last |
817s | but I'm carving my own game |
821s | yeah sound various that's actually |
825s | hilarious |
826s | I wish you hadn't told me that no reason |
829s | why is it just you're so engrossed in |
831s | like everything the other aspects of the |
833s | game that's exactly it yeah I I just I'm |
836s | just so fascinated with all of the other |
838s | disciplines that go into into game |
840s | making you know what as well as sound |
843s | and just like do the same thing you do |
845s | something different I do put a lot of |
847s | love into the sound eventually so if |
854s | anyone wants to find you guys on so |
857s | shows listened to you know your album |
859s | see things of your game where can they |
862s | find you so on Twitter I'm at game sound |
865s | design and on Instagram I'm at threat |
867s | machine don't ask why but they're just |
871s | they're both different because let's |
872s | keep it interesting my personal Twitter |
875s | is at what now Eric and the Twitter for |
879s | my game is at brave the vault anything |
883s | we didn't cover that you guys want to |
885s | talk about expand on no I mean I think |
889s | you know like I think for us you know |
890s | we're you know whenever people give us |
893s | feedback especially on Twitter a lot of |
895s | feedback on Twitter I you know we read |
899s | all of it and and I actually I love it |
902s | when when when players interact with us |
905s | and tell us if it's something they don't |
907s | like or it's something they like and |
908s | it's like it's great to know that you're |
910s | out there and you're playing the game |
910s | and and it's great to hear your feedback |
913s | on things so yeah let's just keep that |
916s | up and and you know I think that's one |
919s | of the unique things for me you know I |
921s | worked on a bunch of games of for |
922s | warframe and I never had that experience |
924s | you know cuz we release games and we |
926s | never really had contact with the people |
928s | who are playing them and so it's it's so |
930s | great to have that I know it sounds a |
932s | bit ok whatever |
934s | cliche but it's so true and it's like it |
937s | just you know you read something on |
938s | Twitter and you're like cool man like it |
940s | gives you the strength to keep going and |
942s | it's like or someone appreciates |
944s | something and says something nice about |
946s | what we've done and |
947s | and letting the team know about that |
949s | it's it's really great to hear that it's |
952s | really great to have that feedback so |
954s | yeah keep that up yeah we listen and |
957s | read them as much as we can |
959s | yeah and that's the thing too like even |
960s | if you think we're not reading something |
961s | chances are we have everything on the |
963s | forums we read it's actually I what the |
966s | first thing I do in the mornings when I |
967s | walk in as i refresh the forum's and I |
970s | look at all the sound forums and I and I |
972s | read it all |
973s | so all those comments out there I know |
975s | I've probably read it yeah I think I'm |
982s | good yeah I think it was one question |
984s | about favorite sounds did we did we do |
987s | that or like our most yeah family our |
994s | favorite designer have worked on |
995s | possibly mister there's a lot here I |
998s | could say it yeah in warframe we presume |
1001s | you talk about any favorite sounds that |
1005s | you've created in warframe George you |
1008s | got any favorites so now you have to |
1011s | leave that whole preamble actually do |
1018s | actually the cuz I have to think about |
1021s | this so I still don't I still don't |
1025s | think I've made the perfect sound and I |
1027s | still don't think I've I've I've |
1029s | attained a sound that I can look back on |
1033s | and be like yep that's it that's that's |
1035s | the pinnacle of my career that's that |
1037s | was the height of it and now I can't do |
1039s | anything better than that |
1040s | it's obviously back here but go yeah |
1042s | back here yes it was great |
1045s | Valkyr was great I have to say I'm |
1048s | really proud of Octavia cuz we put a lot |
1050s | of work into her and it was something |
1052s | new for me |
1053s | you know programming sounds into a |
1055s | warframe and we basically made a |
1057s | software synthesizer which is pretty |
1060s | cool but I think for me it's like I'm |
1063s | still looking for that perfect sound I'm |
1065s | still looking to what's the next thing |
1067s | that I can work on that I can be proud |
1068s | of because as soon as you finish |
1070s | something it's kind of like okay what |
1073s | what's next then you want to keep rising |
1075s | and keep going and keep going from there |
1077s | so yeah that's |
1080s | that's my comments on it awesome now you |
1082s | can't say you have a favorite song I |
1091s | think like one of them like one of the |
1093s | more enjoyable experiences I had doing |
1095s | sound was working on the ambience for |
1100s | Cetus and the plains and also working on |
1104s | the sound for the terror list that was |
1106s | just a really terrible cool place to be |
1110s | mentally because I got to kind of like |
1112s | live in that environment for a very long |
1115s | time and fight the terror list every day |
1117s | yeah when I came to work so that was |
1119s | that was a really fun sound design |
1122s | experience for me the terror list ended |
1123s | up really cool as well and I'm not crazy |
1126s | oh yeah okay I don't know well I |
1129s | remember talking to people about it and |
1134s | trying to figure out what a good |
1135s | creature was that would resonate because |
1138s | I wanted something big but something |
1140s | gentle at the same time that you would |
1141s | feel bad hurting saying that D right |
1150s | actually that is cool I tried an |
1151s | elephant but elephants can sound pretty |
1153s | mean yeah but whales was just you know |
1155s | it's that that salt that like really |
1157s | somber yeah that's interesting that is a |
1169s | commentary on like how sound can make |
1171s | you feel right it's like so just that |
1174s | thought process behind it it's like we |
1176s | want to make you feel kind of a little |
1178s | bad for hurting it because it's it's |
1179s | kind of like maybe you shouldn't be |
1181s | doing this and so it's toying with your |
1183s | emotions in that way which is really |
1185s | interesting and cool I think yeah I |
1187s | remember getting that an early meeting |
1189s | with Steve and who loves one of his |
1190s | directions was we want to feel bad for |
1193s | for hurting this thing it was just a |
1195s | unique a unique spin on a boss fight his |
1198s | usually bosses are imposing and |
1200s | thereafter forgot to get you they want |
1202s | to hurt you but this was like he just |
1204s | wanted you to go away so he can kind of |
1206s | walk is there anything else in the game |
1213s | that's like don't hurt it kind of vibe |
1215s | they can think of I can't but maybe not |
1219s | off the top of my head don't hurt it I |
1222s | mean don't hurt the animal is he trying |
1223s | to conserve them we had a hard time |
1230s | actually with the feral the feral cats I |
1232s | think |
1234s | Jeff one of the somme designers on the |
1236s | team did the pets and made them sound |
1238s | really you know cute and lovable and I |
1241s | was like okay now we have to make like |
1243s | the wild ones I kind of like attack you |
1244s | like and it was hard to kind of have |
1246s | that okay how do we make it sound like |
1248s | it's the same kind of animal but a rabid |
1250s | version of it or whatever so that was |
1253s | that was interesting a side note from |
1255s | that jeff has a little video I think he |
1257s | used his dog he's like a little |
1258s | chihuahua and when it's awawa sleeps it |
1262s | does this cute little purring sound and |
1265s | I remember he recorded that for it and |
1266s | so that was pretty cool so he's Jeff's |
1269s | pet Chihuahuas in the game he's got a |
1271s | lot of animals in the game he has he did |
1276s | the cool okay that's healthy |
1278s | conservation stuff all the conservation |
1280s | stuff yeah yeah Jeff's the animal man |
1285s | [Laughter] |
1292s | the g-man what was that even for oh that |
1303s | was a sacrifice the video that I made |
1305s | the yeah sacrifice for the the the |
1309s | patient in the bed and it was like how |
1312s | do we what's the sound of someone trying |
1315s | like choking and suffocating struggling |
1318s | to breathe well the best way to do it is |
1319s | to kind of do that's here so that makes |
1321s | me so uneasy that sound and I I |
1323s | literally was Oh God and so I went into |
1326s | Travis one of our other sound designers |
1328s | I went into his office and and I'm like |
1330s | okay look because he tried a bunch of |
1331s | different things and that's the other |
1333s | thing too sometimes you can try a whole |
1335s | bunch of different things that that to |
1337s | build a sound from but sometimes it's |
1339s | better just to record the real thing |
1341s | yeah |
1341s | and so let's start from |
1342s | let's do it and I sacrificed myself I |
1345s | literally you are the sacrifice joy and |
1347s | the sacrifice I literally I literally |
1349s | almost passed them like seriously like |
1351s | after after we did I was like okay I got |
1354s | it like take a break here cuz I'm |
1355s | hyperventilating record that quick I |
1358s | suffer from my art I believe from my art |
1362s | but yeah that was it's fun it makes it |
1366s | exciting right before we end the podcast |
1375s | any advice out there for anyone that |
1377s | wants to start the in the audio industry |
1380s | yeah I think just like we said you know |
1383s | it's like just keep doing it and look |
1385s | for opportunities wherever and don't |
1386s | feel like you know if you don't have the |
1389s | latest equipment or you don't have this |
1390s | piece of gear or that piece of gear you |
1392s | know like the equipment isn't what makes |
1395s | you have talent the equipment helps you |
1397s | realize the end goal but there there's |
1400s | so many people that makes cool stuff |
1402s | with with the least amount of equipment |
1404s | don't let that hold you back you know |
1406s | air jordans didn't make Michael Jordan |
1408s | the amazing basketball player that he is |
1411s | right like you know it looks stylish |
1412s | yeah and made him a lot of money |
1414s | probably but but like just remember that |
1417s | that it's not it's not it's not about |
1420s | the tools you have it's it's it's about |
1422s | like your creativity and work on that as |
1425s | much as you can and if you a lot of |
1427s | people ask me too it's like you know how |
1429s | do I get into the game studio you know |
1431s | like start off small you know find some |
1434s | independent mobile game companies that |
1437s | are looking for someone to do sound and |
1439s | just say hey I'll work on your game and |
1441s | just try to build your credit list from |
1443s | that and and never say no and always say |
1445s | yes and and and always try to try to |
1449s | make something unique and something that |
1451s | you're happy with I think and then |
1454s | that's that's that's what shows so a big |
1457s | thank you to George and Eric for being |
1458s | on the show this month and to you for |
1460s | listening tune in next month for another |
1463s | episode of deconstructing |
1466s | you |