SC: Ghost Sound Director: Post your questions for interview

Before I go typing up any questions. What is this focussed at?
Do we get to ask what equipment he uses? Can we get technical? Or should we only stick to the questions that everyone understands?

WC3C Sound Editors have complete freedom to ask any questions:

- Starcraft: Ghost related
- Equipment
- Tools
- Software
- Sound Editors guilds
- Tips
- Info Sources
- Advice on how to make it into the industry
- etc

The interview was acquired for 2 reasons:
1. To find out more about Starcraft: Ghost
2. For the value he has as a source of info to the modding community or to guys that would love to make it into the gaming industry.

SAVAGE was also invited to share their own questions.

An example, Kerrigan Voice Actress was asked if she is willing to support the modding community on a monthly basis or when she got some spare time to be voice actress on some modding projects. Another question I made was if she is willing to start a Voice Acting Guild where voice actors of the modding community could join. A non-profit guild she could manage to help them make it into the industry.

Starcraft Ghost Sound Director, works with the vice-president of a Guild focused on Game industry.

Starcraft Ghost Sound Director is on few deadlines as he is working on 6 different games therefore the interview will be via email. The original intention was for him to be on IRC.

I will keep trying to find people in the industry that can support somehow Sound Editors in the modding community. Another interview I am looking forward is with ex-Blizzard Employee Andreas Pessino, programmer.

So far in confirmed interviews we got:
- Kerrigan Voice Actress
- Starcraft: Ghost Sound Director
- Richard A. Knaak, author of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon

Future possible interviews:
- Bill Roper
- Samwise
- Andrea Pessino
- Voice Actors of Warcraft III

Ah great that really clarifies stuff. Well I am in SAVAGE and hang around at wc3c. I do music and sound. So here comes a LONG list. :)

Starcraft: Ghost related

1. I assume you are involved in both voice sound editing, sound effects, and music from what I have heard. Are you backed up by more people? Or is this a solo job?

2. Did you use the exsisting voices from Starcraft and Broodwar a lot when designing protoss and zerg voices? Will we get to hear, a cerebrate for example, as we know it?

3. I was wondering this one when I looked upon that goliath model. How on earth did you go about getting sounds for something that huge? It is hard to "recreate" something I would think.

4. What did the creators of the game tell to you about what kind of music they wanted? How did they explain it?

5. How did you approach the music in SC: Ghost with those directions?

6. How long did the music take, or how long do you estimate it to take, to write?

7. How does it feel to do music for a blizzard/Nihilistic game? Like the best in the business.

8. Sneaky one. Can you spill any beans on any familiar characters you have edited? ;) Probably not I guess.

Equipment/Tools (Basically the same right?)

1. Voice acting, do you normally get a batch of wave files from the studio and they want you to work with those?

2. What hardware do you use for voice editing?

3. What hardware do you use for recording sounds? Do you actually go out in the wild and record stuff?

4. How much of sound effects is totally computer generated? And how do you go about that.

5. Music hardware, what do you use? I am dying to know.

Software

1. What do you use for sound editing, voice editing and music editing? (Software wise)

2. What do you use to create music? Do you get an orchestra? Or are you all computer? If so, what programs? Gigastudio? Giga libraries? Kontakt libraries? The likes.

3. Any other software worth mentioning?

Sound editor guilds

1. Are you in any sort of sound editor organisation?

Tips

1. Are there any tips for creating music you can give?

2. I think we would all die to know the exact specs of some of the blizzard voice effects. This is probablt restricted?

3. Are there any fun effects you could share with us?

4. How do you go about just cleaning up and preparing for use a simple humanoid voice?

5. How do you get realistic effects? I doubt you bang pots and pans together.

Info Sources

1. Are there any books you recommend reading on all 3 subjects? Ones that might have helped you a lot?

2. Any internet sites with forums that contain all you sound guys? Where you forge your evil sound plans?

Advice on how to make it into the industry

1. I hear that you did not have a specific education for this line of work. How exactly did you get in then?

2. If you could go back, how would you have changed your approach to getting into this industry?

3. Will recent technologies influence how to get noticed? Is internet a good way? Or mabye game developers hardly need sound engineers that are new anymore, cause they have all they need.

4. Any tips you can think off. :)

5. Do game designers find you, or do you find game designers in this phase of your career?

6. Have you ever considerd writing some tutorials on getting started in sound creation? The web is strangely silent on the topic.

Misc

1. Do you even have time for fun things with all this work. I hear 6 games at the moment!

2. Do you have a lot of competition in the business?

3. Why haven't movie directors contacted you? Any idea?

4. Have you ever done a voice yourself or played a role in a sound effect in wich you did something verbal? :)

5. Have you ever checked out the modding of games, and what do you think of the sound level?

6. What is your favourite game.

7. What is your favourite voice actor(ress).

8. What is your favourite soundtrack.

Geez, Maglok, Let other people add their own O_o
You ran the whole interview for them and me put together!

Good ones though

Sorry :( :)

It is fine Maglok. To any other interested in adding questions here is some of his personal achievements and what he does as Sound Director and Sound Designer.

He creates Games music, special effect sounds like star wars warp engine, Guns, music composing, live orchestra, dramatic orchestral music and any sound a game needs.

Read this past interview to find more:
http://gamecube.gamezone.com/news/09_23_03_08_50AM.htm

His Background:


Julian Kwasneski - Audio Director/Sound Designer

Julian Kwasneski started his career in game audio at LucasArts Entertainment Company, and is credited with sound design on over 40 leading titles. After leaving the company in 2000, he co-founded the Bay Area Sound Department with Clint Bajakian.

Julian has worked on many award-winning game titles, including: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Starcraft: Ghost, James Bond: Everything or Nothing, Star Trek: Bridge Commander, Star Wars: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and SOCOM: Navy Seals. His innovative sound design has been critically acclaimed by ign.com, epigamer.com, gamezone.com, Computer Gaming World, gamepro.com and others.

Julian attributes a lot of his success to the use of custom sound recordings: all of his projects begin with field recordings that ultimately give each game its unique sound. With the sheer volume of titles released each year, this is one of the most important factors in keeping a game sounding fresh and new.

Technically, Julian has developed a complete system for scoring games---a central production machine of databases, scripts and utilities, plus a myriad of audio hardware and software tools used by the full sound team. These tools allow them great flexibility and have contributed to the Bay Area Sound Department's ability to maintain high quality over numerous projects. From his experience on big titles, under strenuous schedules, and in many different production environments, Julian developed a work style that insists on keeping to the schedule while getting the most out of his creative team. In the end though, it is his personal dedication and his team's tight collaborative process that make a game sound great.

In addition to his game credits, Julian also has many independent film credits, including sound design for Big Love – Starring Sam Rockwell (Sundance 2000), The Upgrade – Starring Minnie Driver (Mill Valley Film Festival 2000), The Last Birthday Card, and Skate Warrior (Slamdance 1999). He has sound credits in several television commercials, most recently working on spots for Yu-Gi-Oh, Hamtaro and Robbie Williams. Julian has worked extensively with toy manufactures, wireless device hardware manufacturers and other similar platforms to bring quality audio to limited bandwidth applications.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of California at Davis.

Just ask like whats the best way for a budding composer to get the best sounds for low costs! as i am one of these poor students who longs for the sound of huge orchestras and its hard on a budget... and also what does he think of hans zimmer

Oh good one, indeed ask him that. :)