Scorbit’s Fall 2017
Game Scoring Contest
Check out the winners and finalists below.
Sponsored by:
Grand Prize
Andrew Napier
From: Los Angeles, California • United States 
Andrew’s Contest Winning Entry
Andrew’s Additional Contest Entry
What got you interested in scoring for games?
“I got interested in scoring for games early on when I started to glean an aesthetic pleasure and a distilled story from my favorite video games through the music and its ties to the visual aspect.I became very perceptive to this second layer of immersion and thought it would always be very rewarding to be able to help create such an experience.”
What was your favorite part about the Game Scoring Contest?
“My favorite part about the Game Scoring Contest was that it was based off of an impression and interpretation of Mike Ackerman’s concept art alone. Having to capture the art’s essence in a 30 second three-layered loop for a hypothetical game proved to be difficult, but at the same time provided the conditions for more creative freedom within the unique formal constraints of looping and layering. “
Grand Prize Package
Iris 2 from iZotope
Neutron Elements from iZotope
14 Minute Orchestral Recording (Basic Package) OR 7 Minute Orchestral Recording (Premium Service) from $99 Orchestra
Kitchen Sink Course Bundle from Scorbit (includes all premium Scorbit content)
Runner Up
Guillermo Corral
From: Madrid, Spain 
Guillermo’s Contest Entry
What got you interested in scoring for games?
“I’ve always been very interested in film music, I was passionate about it. And then I discovered the wonderful world of video game music. The moment I started to get interested and learn more about this was when Garry Schyman gave me a masterclass about scoring videogames. And now I’m trying to get into the film and video game music industry.”
What was your favorite part about the Game Scoring Contest?
“My favorite part about Game Scoring Contest was the composition moment, in which I tried to express what the image transmitted to me and the world I was transported to. Imagine how the video game would be and what effect each note implemented in the video game would have been one of the most wonderful parts. I had a great time in this contest. It was also exciting when you selected me as a finalist and even more so when you told me the final decision.”
Runner Up Prize Package
Iris 2 from iZotope
Kitchen Sink Course Bundle from Scorbit (includes all premium Scorbit content)
The Finalists
A note on listening to the finalists: Each contestant was tasked with creating a 30 second piece of music, broken up into three layers. This allows for seamless integration within a video game when the intensity of game play is increased, and the music needs to follow suit.
What you will hear in each of the finalists’ pieces is layer one for the first 30 seconds, then the addition of layer two for the next 30 seconds, followed by the addition of layer three, then a fade to silence.
Enjoy!
Chris Allen
From: Boise, Idaho • United States
Fernando Cabrera Pérez
From: Madrid, Spain
Miriam Daly
From: Brooklyn, New York • United States
Michael Greenwald
From: Los Angeles, California • United States
Max Hervé
From: Montréal, Canada 
Marcos Moscat
From: Thousand Oaks, California • United States
Daniel Sottile
From: Lapeer, Michigan • United States
Christian Steuer
From: Baden-Baden, Germany 
The Contest
Compose a 3-layer, 30-second, looping piece of music based on the concept artwork, Promise Of Adventure by Michael Ackerman.
The Artwork
click image for higher resolution view
Artist Bio:
Mike Ackerman is a concept artist, illustrator and art director working in the game and entertainment industries. Working collaboratively with teams of all sizes, he helps build appeal with rich worlds that support the project’s story.
He has worked with great people on titles including Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Faeria, Full Throttle Remastered, and is always open to project inquiries.
Twitter: @MikeAckermanArt
Instagram:@MikeAckerman
Portfolio: www.MikeAckermanArt.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mikeackermanart
The Prizes
Grand Prize
Iris 2 from iZotope
Neutron Elements from iZotope
14 Minute Orchestral Recording (Basic Package) OR 7 Minute Orchestral Recording (Premium Service) from $99 Orchestra
Kitchen Sink Course Bundle from Scorbit (includes all premium Scorbit content)
Runner-Up
Iris 2 from iZotope
Kitchen Sink Course Bundle from Scorbit (includes all premium Scorbit content)
Interactive music
In games, music must respond to input from the player during gameplay. This could be to provide feedback to the player on the dangers ahead or the health of the game character, or an indication that a level has changed, or the game character has gone from exploration to enemy engagement. Perhaps the most important reason for interactive music is to avoid repetition.
Layering technique in interactive music
There are many ways to achieve interactivity in game music. One technique is through layers. A game theme may be broken up into instrument groupings, or stems. The stems function in tandem and can be brought in or out, thus creating intricate, responsive capabilities. Depending on the active stems, the music adjusts in intensity, and can vary in melody or phrasing.
Composing based on concept art
Game composers are often asked to write music based on concept art. The concepts could be storyboards, characters, environments, or other elements that will eventually be part of a game. Being able to draw inspiration from concept art, and write appropriately matched music, is a crucial skill for game composers.