Scoring for Interactive Media

This course features applied approaches to scoring for video games and continues the foundations learned in GAIM-271, Introduction to Game and Interactive Media Scoring. Building on the concepts of harmony and emotion, composers apply a combination of skills learned previously. It prepares students for entry-level work at a game development company or as a freelance game music professional and presents a solid compositional understanding of typical game music workflow and approaches to scoring video games. An introduction to middleware tools such as FMOD and/or Wwise further builds upon the composers’ understanding of interactive workflows. Basic use and understanding of common game engines such as Unity or Unreal help composers to better integrate with game development teams.

Instructors and peers offer constructive criticism and critiques to improve compositions through exercises in compositional theory, writing mechanics and modern approaches to interactive and adaptive scoring in video games. This intensive scoring course meets twice a week including weekly or biweekly scoring assignments, collaboration projects with other universities (when available), and recording sessions in the Berklee studios.