jtr7 on 17/1/2010 at 10:38
Hahahaha! Yep. I'm glad somebody dealt with it. :cheeky:
His (
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=4037863&authToken=U3q7&authType=NAME_SEARCH&locale=en_US&srchindex=34&pvs=ps&goback=.fps_*1_weir_paul_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_Y_*1_*1_*1_false_4_R_true_G%2CN%2CI%2CCC%2CPC%2CED%2CFG%2CL%2CDR_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2_*2)
LinkedIn profile:
Quote:
Paul WeirComposer and Sound Designer, Earcom Ltd
Location[INDENT]Harrow, United Kingdom [/INDENT]
Industry[INDENT]Music [/INDENT]
Current[INDENT]* Director at Perfectly Normal Productions Ltd
* Owner at Earcom Ltd[/INDENT]
Past[INDENT]* Sound Designer at Future Acoustic
* Composer/Sound Designer at Bits Studios
* Composer/Sound Designer at Sick Puppies
* Lecturer at London College of Music
* Sound Designer / Composer at Perfect Entertainment[/INDENT]
Education[INDENT]* University of Leeds[/INDENT]
Websites[INDENT]* Earcom Ltd
* (
http://www.perfectlynormal.net/)
Perfectly Normal Productions---(
http://www.perfectlynormal.net/about.html)
Who They Are[/INDENT]
Public Profile[INDENT]
(http://uk.linkedin.com/in/earcom)[/INDENT]
Quote:
SummaryAs a sound designer, composer and voice director, I have worked on over thirty games as well as film, television, radio, installation work and I regularly lecture in sound design for interactive entertainment.
As a composer I work across a very large range of genres, from orchestral to hip hop as well as sound a-likes but specialising in deeply atmospheric sound. As a sound designer I specialise in original creative sound design adding a distinctive identity to the sound design projects that I have worked on. Working across sound design, music and voice production, I have an excellent perspective on the overall relationship between sound and visual image and the role that interactivity plays.
I have worked on all the major game platforms including PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, 360, Xbox, PC, mobile phones and and custom technologies.
Recent work includes the film Book of Blood and the games Lego Batman, Pure, Guinness World Records, Pipemania and Juiced 2. This covers a large range of skills, from 5.1 sound to intricate FMOD design. Other recent work includes Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Warner Breaks TV campaign, Tiscali TV idents, the films Stagknight and An American Haunting.
I have extensive experience with interactive and generative music systems in games, such as Ghost Master, which featured a custom interactive music system and have helped design and provide audio content for John Romero's new MMO. I am also the leading commercial generative soundscape composer having created in-store music for organisations such as BAA, Tesco and Intercontinental Hotels.
Other work includes additional sound design for the final three series of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Crime Life, Ghost Master, Ghost Rider, Constantine, Discworld Noir, etc. Just finishing The Adventures of Sexton Blake for BBC Radio 2.
I also regularly lecture in game audio and have run everything from diploma course modules to full post-graduate courses.
Specialties
Sound effects production, music production, speech recording and directing, mixing, editing, business development, lecturing.
Guvnor_P on 17/1/2010 at 16:32
Yup, sorry for the typo, easily done though, particularly given my surname (i before e isn't *always* true, that's English for you).
I'll very gladly talk about any aspect of the audio once we're further in development and I appreciate the responsibility and challenge I have to deliver something that matches, and I hope surpasses, the original games.
Just in case there's concern about the audio being outsourced, it's actually much more like running a satellite Eidos studio in that I'm very much fully integrated into the team, it's just that for various reasons, the actual audio creation side is being done in London.
I apologise that I can't talk more about the game, but when the time is deemed right I hope you'll be impressed by the work that's revealed.
PaulW
jtr7 on 17/1/2010 at 16:47
Well that was refreshing! :D
Welcome and thanks for stopping by. As I'm sure you know, Eric B's abstract atmospherics, and non-scoring style are considered a high-watermark for the Thief games, and going conventional and kewl are not. Regardless of how great the work is, if it's not familar and Thiefy, it'll get a thumbs-down for inappropriateness. Although, you automatically get respect for having big shoes to fill, for a project that is considered audacious in the industry. You're the only one working on the title that's written on the boards, and our cynicism is pretty high after getting burned badly before, so I appreciate your saying something even though there will be a lot of skepticism and cruelty.
For most of us, the TDS soundtrack, nice as it was, with general favorites--The House of Widow Moira is most popular--was not akin to the first titles. I personally appreciated the themes that hearkened to the older titles, but the direction taken overall was one that we were disappointed to hear for a Thief game. Eric's major shift was in suddenly embracing the common belief that the soundtrack shouldn't be noticed if it's doing its job. For the first titles of Thief and System Shock 2, this wasn't true. Thief celebrates breaking many common rules of thumb and gets away with it. I sincerely hope you can surpass the originals, and look forward to that, but as we know, it's subjective. Personally, I preferred hearing, feeling, and being able to remember the tracks of the older titles, and I liked taking my time in areas to enjoy the sounds as they mixed and looped and made me feel I was in another world.
Guvnor_P on 17/1/2010 at 16:59
All I'll say is that 'Kewl' isn't me, indeed I'm proud to belong to the Mr. Super-Not-Cool gang. Eric's music is exactly the kind of music I also like and if it isn't broke...
Right, better not post any more in case I get told off.
jtr7 on 17/1/2010 at 17:00
Great answer! Makin' points already! :cool:
After all is said and done, I hope the soundtrack would be available for download somewhere after the game's released--especially if it includes unused or extended materials.
T-Smith on 17/1/2010 at 23:24
*Listens to Thief 3's soundtrack again*
Wait, people didn't like this? I agree it's different than the previous games, but I never thought of it in a bad way. On the contrary, I loved most of the ambient themes in Thief 3. Southquarter, Auldale, Shalebridge Cradle, The House of Widow Moira. I'm hard pressed to find one I didn't enjoy.
jtr7 on 17/1/2010 at 23:33
It's fine in and of itself, but there's not much that's signature. This is how it is with most of all TDS. It's fine by itself, but falls outside what Thief was to a disappointing extent. I don't remember much of it from in the game, in the gaming experience, except for Moira's. But then, I'm repeating myself as usual, not saying what the reaction claims at all.
T-Smith on 17/1/2010 at 23:40
I guess I can understand that. As you mentioned, it can be said for the whole game. It's not that Thief 3 was bad. It's just that it doesn't stand out against the crowd as a whole like the previous titles. No huge advancements in gameplay/graphics/sound to stick to memory (except the Cradle).
That said, even a disappointing Thief game is better than 95% of what's out there (which says a lot for the state of gaming).
Anywho Guvnor, I'll get to work downloading some of the demos on the site and see what I make of them. It's probably too early to make any judgment calls anyways - at least until we've seen a demo of Thief 4 in action. Congrats on getting the job though!
Lytha on 18/1/2010 at 01:50
Not Eric Brosius?
Bad omen indeed.
Namdrol on 18/1/2010 at 08:48
Guvnor_P, thanks so much for such a quick reponse.
The news of your appointment is the first thing we've heard in 9 months and it's very much appreciated that you saw fit to come and talk to us.
Automatically you have gained respect and credit by taking the time and making the effort to reach out to the community.
Thanks and good luck.
