Game Changers: What’s the Difference?

WITH

Composers

NAINITA DESAI

NIMA FAKHRARA

RICH VREELAND

MODERATED BY KATE REMINGTON (Music Respawn – NPR)

YouTube Live Stream Q&A 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2

12:00-2:00pm PT // 3:00-5:00pm ET

Ever wonder what the major differences and similarities are between scoring for video games versus film and television, how score works in interactive environments, and the technical processes composers utilize scoring for game development? Join Nainita Desai, Nima Fakhrara, and Lorne Balfe – three composers who have done it all, as they explore all these questions and more, and explain what’s the difference.

Rich Vreeland ties the name Disasterpeace to the things he sends into the sonic ether. Disasterpeace has over 50 albums to its credit, in addition to having designed, scored and programmed sound and music related things in a number of mediums including games, film, and beyond.

Nainita Desai is an Ivor Novello nominee and RTS award-winning composer who is the World Soundtrack Awards 2021 winner for Discovery of the Year. A double BIFA and Cinema Eye Honors nominee; and BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, Nainita was described by Empire magazine as one of the top 5 composers to watch for 2022 and included in leading UK film critic Mark Kermode’s Top 3 Film Scores of 2021. Amongst various BAFTA, Oscar and Emmy acclaimed productions, Nainita’s recent projects include the hit Netflix documentary 14 Peaks, for which her score earned Emmy, HMMA, and ASCAP Composer Choice nominations; feature Body Parts premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the narrative video game Immortality – expected to release summer 2022.

Desai’s recent credits include Oscar 2020 nominated and BAFTA & Cannes winning feature doc For Sama, Sundance and multi-award-winning feature The Reason I Jump, an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity for which her score was nominated for a BIFA, Cinema Eye Honors, and Ascap Composer Choice awards. Other recent projects include BBC dramas Unprecedented, BAFTA nominated American Murder, ITV crime drama series The Tower, as well as Kevin Macdonald’s The Story Of Us, and the acclaimed Interactive film/video game Telling Lies.

Upcoming drama series include BBC1 action thriller Crossfire, SKY drama Funny Woman, a major drama series for Disney+, landmark series Earthsounds, Predators, a game for Electronic Arts, and the forthcoming political thriller The Teacher. 

Nima Fakhrara is the founder of Zoo Creatives and The Farm, with studios in Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, and Madrid. His credits include Sick, Becky, Detroit Become Human, Eclipse, Crypto, The Girl In The Photographs (the final film executive produced by Wes Craven), the Los Angeles Film Festival selection Consumed, the Sundance Film Festival selection The Signal, Gatchaman, a live-action take on the anime series Battle Of The Planets, The Pyramid, and Exists. His international credits include the Japanese TV show called Tantei No Tantei and the SXSW selection I Am A Hero. His video game credits include Resident Evil: Revelations 2 and the 2016 release 1979 Revolution.

Nima’s first experience with music was listening to his uncle play the santur. Influenced by this, he studied that instrument and became well versed in Persian classical music. After moving to the United States, Nima continued his musical studies and attended California State University Northridge where he obtained his degree in composition studies. However, his interest in music was not limited to composition and performance. He studied ethnomusicology, anthropology, and how to construct instruments. Classically trained with both traditional western and non-western sounds, Nima often samples instruments from around the world. If he hasn’t found the right sound, he invents new instruments to create the textures and timbres in his mind.

Kate Remington is the Music Director at WSHU Public Radio in Fairfield, Connecticut. Originally from Madison, WI, Kate attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an eye toward becoming a conductor, but the lure of radio was just too much fun. Kate combines her love of classical music and passion for video games in her podcast Music Respawn, which has an international following and gives game composers a space to dive deep into their process of creating a unique soundtrack for each project.

*** IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ ***

FREE for current SCL members (click HERE to check membership status).

Attendees will be emailed a Screening Link upon Registration and a Q&A YouTube Live Stream link on Tuesday, August 2, 10 minutes before Q&A start.

Attendees can ask questions on YouTube chat, and the SCL Host will pass them on to the Moderator. The SCL Member Code of Conduct applies to online Q&As.

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