The biggest challenge facing game audio and music is technology. The rapidly shifting landscape of software and middleware means that technical requirements are a central part of the creation process for both sound designers and composers.

In this module you will be working in the middleware FMOD, as well as taking a look at other topics such as Game Engines. You will also be learning about asset management, memory budgets, and version control.

The string section is the largest and most important section of the orchestra. String instruments are also amongst the most flexible, with a vast range, both in terms of pitch and articulations. The woodwind section is perhaps the most dexterous of all the orchestral ensembles. Instruments have the ability to play incredibly fast runs and make huge leaps in pitch.

There are many technical challenges to consider when writing for a string or woodwind instrument or ensemble, making them a very technical area of orchestration. In this module you will explore how best to write for these instruments, and their function within a larger ensemble.

The first step to becoming adept with game music and audio is understanding its non-linear nature, and the implications this holds to composers and sound designers.

In this module, we will be discussing some of the fundamental techniques you will be expected to master. From creating seamless loops, writing to a brief, and field recording. You will also discuss game direction and management, storytelling and narrative, level design and game workflows. Specifically, the focus will be on handheld and mobile gaming.

Both professional and academic research gathers relevant information from a wide range of sources before analysing, evaluating, synthesizing and drawing reasonable conclusions on the basis of that information. Your research will be evaluated on the basis of its originality, depth of insight, and the quality of the supporting argument.

Research can constitute examining the practical work of industry professionals, as well as studying theoretical and historical academic research of the topic.

As part of your degree, you will be given two opportunities to further your studies with a selection of elective modules. With a range of choices and more being added as time goes on, you can choose what is best for you to progress your career.

The elective modules are:

Basic Pro Tools
Sampling Technology
Wwise
Musical Sound Design
Work and Money
Audio Post Production
Career Development for Sound Designers

Here you will start down the road of integration and exploring the possibilities of creating adaptive music assets in video games. We will be walking you through the technical and creative challenges with professional sound designer’s and composers.

You will be introduced to using Unity as a game engine, navigating projects, implementing FMOD events and creating adaptive music.

Furthering your work in adaptive music, you’ll start tackling branching, and developing compositional skills to allow you to move from passage to passage, according to the needs of the game.

You will be using FMOD to Unity integration to test your work in game to enable you to experiment with your music and how it’s constructed.

This module explores brass, harp and percussion writing and how classical orchestration techniques are adapted to fit the needs of cinematic orchestration. All three present significant technical challenges to the orchestrator, challenges which those in the forefront of the professional have met with skill and ingenuity.

Both brass and percussion writing in film, games and television are very different from its classical counterpart and therefore, a detailed knowledge of how film composers and orchestrators have developed these sections is important. You will delve deeply into contemporary professional practice to develop a critical awareness of these issues and the innovative technical and creative solutions proposed by those at the forefront of the profession.

This module looks at the treatment of the whole orchestra by cinematic orchestrators and composers and the differences in approach between large and small ensembles. You will examine the different approaches to orchestration possible through specialized recording techniques such as split sessions and combining live and sampled instruments. We also deal with approaches to creating convincing mock-ups of large and small ensembles.

The journey from finished orchestration to final recording is a complicated one involving a combination of musical and technological skills. This module takes you through the complex process of taking a finished arrangement and preparing for the live recording session. This includes producing musician’s parts, conductor’s scores, preparing pre-records, click tracks and Pro Tools sessions. You will also learn about session planning and budgeting for live recordings.

This is your opportunity to put everything you have learned so far and take it to a truly professional level.

One of the biggest challenges a composer can face is writing for live musicians, and tackling an orchestral recording session. In this module you will follow Guy as he takes an idea from drafts in his DAW, to a full orchestral session at Warner Brothers, showing you everything from writing the first melody, to sitting down with an orchestrator and tackling the practicalities of real-life players.

This is your second elective module. These available modules are the same as you were given in Elective 1, with the added option of continuing your previous module by studying Advanced Game Music 2.

The elective modules are:

Basic Pro Tools
Sampling Technology
Wwise
CinematicSound Design
Work and Money
Audio Post Production
Advanced Sibelius

The final major project is a major piece of work that will take 12 weeks to complete. Either picking from the provided projects or delivering their own functional project, that has been approved by the course manager. This is a substantially longer piece of work than any other so far. It requires both solid technical skills and a much broader and deeper creative insight into the source material.

Students will be expected to research their chosen topic, developing a critical awareness of creative and technical problems faced by sound designers at the forefront of professional practice. Students will be supported by a formative assessment from their tutor at points throughout the dissertation. If students decide to deliver their own project, they are responsible for its functionality and the delivery of the project.

If instead of the Final Major Project you would prefer to produce a piece of written work that reflects your accumulated knowledge, then you can choose to submit a dissertation. The dissertation will represent your research into an area of sound intended for media consumption. It is an extended piece of scholarly written work and you will still have the same 12 weeks to complete it as you would if you were completing the practical Final Major Project. It is intended to represent the culmination of your academic, analytical and research skills, as well as taking advantage of your practical experience. This module will cultivate your intellectual and scholarly independence as a specialist in this area.

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in any subject. There is no entry by Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for our MFA courses. If you do not have an undergraduate degree, you might be eligible to join one of our MA programmes instead.

Whilst you will primarily be graded on your music and sound design, will be expected to provide commentaries alongside your practical assignments. Your ‘Research and Critical Reflection’ module will include a 5000-word report, and your Final Major Project will include a 2000-word report. You will be marked on these reports.

We expect you to have a good, solid knowledge of one computer based DAW like Logic, Cubase, ProTools, Ableton or Reaper. You should be able to complete tasks quickly and to a deadline within these softwares and be comfortable doing new tasks inside them. Your demos should be of good quality and we are happy to listen to your work and give you an opinion on this before you apply. A high-level audio production standard is what we are looking for. You don’t need to be creating sound effects already, but should have demonstrable experiences with audio, whether through music, radio/podcasting, live audio or other audio production activities.

You should be comfortable learning new softwares and troubleshooting problems. Becoming a Sound Designer is as much being a developer as it is about creating assets.

We assume that most musicians who use a DAW will have the skills required to record and process sound effects too, but a good understanding of the basic skills required to record and edit digital audio is important.

A high level of music theory is a big advantage but we appreciate there are many different ways to create a great score and you will be judged principally on the potential shown in your portfolio.

Throughout the course, you will be required to read books and listen to recordings. These are not included in the course price. You should expect to have to source and purchase, rent or borrow a fair amount of recordings and printed material, a full list of which will be available in the course handbooks.

Yes. If your internet connection is not particularly stable, you do have the option of downloading the course materials for offline viewing. We are unable to send out physical copies of our course text and videos. To take part in webinars a stable internet connection of 3Mbps download and 1.5Mbps upload is recommended.

The latest Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) capable of importing video files. We are able to provide extensive support for:

• Cubase 8 (or newer)
• Logic Pro X
• Pro Tools 11

Game Software:
You need to have a copy of the following programs but we do not expect you to know how to use them. The exact version number of this software is important, and the version we support may change. Full information on the current approved course software version is available when on the course. Both Unity and Fmod are able to be downloaded for free.

• Unity
• Fmod

Recommended Additional Software:

• iZotope RX
• Sound Forge
• Audio database software such as Mutant or Sound Miner.

For queries about any other platforms, please contact the Course Manager.

Sample Libraries:
There are literally thousands of libraries, many of them capable of creating outstanding quality demos and we could have chosen any number. Most of the libraries listed below are available at a significant educational discount.

Here are some sample library suppliers that we recommend:

• East West
• Vienna
• Spitfire Audio
• 8Dio
• Heavyocity
• Native Instruments

For our base orchestral libraries, we suggest:

• East West Quantum Leap – Symphonic Orchestra Gold
• VSL Special Edition – Woodwinds
• 8Dio – Adagietto
• Heavyocity – Damage
• Soundiron – Emotional Piano

You must also have a reasonable to top performance computer (Mac or PC) as well as at least a basic orchestral virtual instrument library (we can advise you if you’re not sure about your setup).

PC:
Minimum Spec:
Intel/AMD Quad Core Processor 2.6GHz
8/16GB RAM

However we would recommend:
Intel i7 Quad Core 3.2GHz (equivalent or higher)
32GB RAM

Mac:
Minimum Spec:
Intel Processor Quad Core 2.6GHz
8/16GB RAM

However we would recommend:
Intel i7 Quad Core 3.2GHz (equivalent or higher)
32GB RAM

You will also need:
Monitoring headphones and/or speakers

We also recommend:
External audio interface
MIDI Keyboard

On successful completion of your course, you will be awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Chichester. All UK degrees, including those gained through ThinkSpace Education, are recognised worldwide. The qualification is fully accredited in the UK and subject to regular quality control, review, and external invigilation to ensure the highest academic standards are maintained.

The graduation ceremony takes place in Chichester each year where you will receive your degree alongside your fellow students and the rest of the university’s graduates. If you cannot attend the ceremony in the UK, we can send your certification to you through the post.