The Game Composer’s Blog

How to talk to developers.

A couple of months ago I wrote some tips about for game developers on how to talk to their composers. I thought it was about time to give some tips to the composers out there on how to talk to your designers and producers. These tips come from observations I’ve made over the course of my career as I’ve communicated with many different developers.

First, before getting into the important discussions about the music direction, get as much info as you can about the game. Read any design documents, look at any art assets, or play the game or prototype if it’s that far along. Then take a step back and think about what you think would be the best kind of music for the game. And then also consider a couple alternatives to that. Don’t get too excited about your music direction, though, as the developers may have something else entirely in mind. Then file that away for the time being.

When you finally sit down to talk with the producer or designer who’s making the calls on the music, just listen and carefully consider their vision for the music. You already have your direction in mind, but the developers will probably have insights into the game that you were not able to consider. Even if their direction sounds really bad at the outset, just take a little bit of time and give them a fair hearing. They have the best interests of the game in mind, as well as a good overall vision of the game, so their idea is probably going to be alright, if not absolutely suitable.

They will probably ask for your thoughts on the music direction at some point. That’s when you can compare your vision to theirs. Chances are some concepts will line up. Concentrate on those. If there are significant differences between your visions, go ahead and lay out your best argument for your approach to the music. They may have considered your approach already and decided to abandon it. Hearing those reasons will probably enlighten you to aspects of the game you hadn’t seen or been privy to.

A good developer will seriously consider your approach if it is new to them. You do, after all, make your living doing music for games and have significant experience in the industry that is of value to them. As long as your vision for the music is well thought out, well explained, and appropriate for the game, they will give you a fair hearing. When explaining your vision, keep in mind that developers have widely varying experience with music. I’ve dealt with anyone from tone-deaf musical illiterates to accomplished instrumentalists. Generally, the more experience a developer has with music the more they will be willing to listen to you. And that’s fairly counter-intuitive. I think the reason for this is because musicians get used to working with other people. An orchestra or band is composed of different people all working toward the same goal of making the best music possible. Musicians understand teamwork whether making music, making games, or making music for games.

So keep their musical experience in mind when discussing the music direction. You won’t always approach the music direction the same way when the discussion first starts, but it’s important to fully understand each other’s approach. If you don’t understand where the developer is coming from, be sure and ask questions. Trust that they’ve put some thought into it. Get as detailed a description as you can. To come to a music direction you can both be excited about, it’s important to communicate clearly. Get as technical as you can, depending on how much detail they are able to provide.

The best way to describe your visions to each other is to use examples. Look at other games, movies, and pieces of music and say what aspects apply to your vision. A developer of any musical skill level will be able to understand you better when you pick appropriate examples. If they have no examples to provide to you, then provide some for them and ask if those examples are what they were thinking. They can then confirm or look to give you other examples. Examples are very important for successful communication between composer and developer.

So, all of this advice is assuming your producer or developer is willing to listen to you and use your experience to help make a great soundtrack. What if they are stubborn and refuse to budge from their vision of a Britney Spears-inspired soundtrack for their giant monster turn-based strategy game? Well, you’ll sometimes just have to shut your mouth and do what they want, nonsensical as it may sound. The reality is that they’ve decided to hire you because they think you can do what they want. And, of course you can, even if what they want is truly awful. So at that point, just do the work and await your paycheck. Be prepared for some bad sound/music reviews because of poor music direction, but take heart knowing you were under orders.

But those kinds of developers are fairly rare. If you go in with a willingness to cooperate, chances are you will all come up with a music direction that will best fit the game and make you all proud to have been a part of it.

October 10, 2008 Posted by thegamecomposer | Career Advice | communication, developers, game music | Leave a Comment