the news,technology,art,design &...
TRANSCRIPT
THENEWS,TECHNOLOGY,ART,DESIGN & CULTUREOF FULL SAIL REAL WORLD EDUCATION
Inside
VOL. 2
MADDEN ‘05
GRADS IN REALITY TV
MADONNA ON TOUR
MOTION GRAPHICS
CAREERS IN AUDIO
STUDENT ARTWORK
ODDWORLD STRANGER’S WRATH
THE MIX PALACE
Full Sail Real World Education3300 University Blvd.Winter Park, FL 32792
800.226.7625fullsail.com
Accredited College, ACCSCT
04FULL SAIL’S ARTIST SERIESA sampling of the musicians, fi lmmakers, and digital artists that have recently visited Full Sail.
03STUDENT Q&AFull Sail students talk about how they got where they are, and where they’re planning on ending up.
06GAME DAY with Michael BenfordA Full Sail Digital Media grad shows us a day at work on the sidelines with the Atlanta Falcons.
10TIBURON/EA SPORTS-MADDEN 2005Grads talk about helping to create the latest edition of gaming’s biggest sports franchise.
05THE REALITY OF IT ALLA look at reality television and the people who are making it happen behind the scenes.
09ART MOVEMENT: Motion GraphicsGraphic design that moves. We take a look at why this design industry is blowing up.
12STUDENT GALLERYA look at some of the best student artwork from the Computer Animation and Digital Media Degree Programs.
14LAURIE BRUGGER: London CallingThis Computer Animation grad is living in London and working on an upcoming Disney/Vanguard Animation feature fi lm.
15ODDWORLD Stanger’s WrathGame Design & Development grad Jameson Durall works on the latest Oddworld installment.
16LISTEN: Careers in the Audio WorldSound is everywhere... and so are compelling careers in audio. Take a look at just a few of the jobs that give our world a soundtrack.
18ON THE ROAD WITH MADONNA Recording Arts grad Sean Spuehler takes his Pro Tools show on the road for Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour.
19ENTREPRENEURS Three Full Sail grads talk about the challenges and rewards of being your own boss.
22LIGHT IT UP: Cirque du Soleil Sarah Mooney is loving life under the big top in Orlando, Florida.
24AUDIO LAB: Session Recording It’s all about the details. Step inside Studio A at Full Sail and take a look at what makes a recording session go.
Table Of Contents
20STUDIO FEATURE: Mix PalaceA look inside one of the newest additions to Full Sail’s professional recording facilities, designed to provide a one-on-one studio experience for Recording Arts students.
Melanie GatesFilm
What got you into fi lm?“I’ve always been interested in fi lm because when I was about eight years old my cousin was an AD [Assistant Director] on a movie and I went and visited her and got to see what she did. And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s so cool.”
Stacy CorneliusDigital Media
Why Digital Media?“I took digital media as an elective in high school and I loved it and that was it.”
What are your career plans?“I want to do packaging design. I want to work for a fragrance, cosmetic, or fashion company doing print work.”
Fabio AnthonyGame Design & Development
How did you get interested in game design?“The interesting things about games is that [they’re] actually a fusion of different entertainment media and that’s what interests me. There’s a movie element, there’s an educational element – it’s a microcosm. I played games all my life – from soccer to board games – because I am a very playful person. Video game-wise, everything started with the Commodore 64 and the Sharp MC 700.”
What are your career plans?“The short term [plan] is just to make some industry connections and fi nd my niche. In the long term, I really want to make a game – I would like to make a simulation game where people can actually learn something about life as they play through it... that’s really important for me.”
Troy OtteRecording Arts
What do you want to do after you graduate?“Work in the studio. I’m planning on moving to Chicago and trying to work for Electrical Audio or Chicago Recording Company. I want to be an engineer and eventually be able to freelance.”
How did you get interested in recording arts?“When I was thirteen I begged my parents for a guitar and they gave it to me and I’ve spent then until now playing in bands. My brother and I had a little project studio and I enjoyed that so I knew that I defi nitely wanted to make a career in music.”
What was the last concert youwent to?Sam Rivers
Adam McBrideDigital Media
How did you get into digital media?“It was October 12, 1995 – I got a copy of Aldus Styler 2.0, which later became Photoshop. From that point on I was really into graphics, digital media, and the whole fi eld. The Internet was starting to become something at the point, so I got myself an AOL account and started publishing my own webpages – there wasn’t much to know at the time so it was really easy to learn. Since then I’ve been teaching myself, and I got to an impasse ... so I decided if I was going to pursue this career seriously I needed to get a degree.”
What are your career plans?“I would like to do website development, specifi cally front-end Flash design. Print layout isn’t outside the bounds of my interest, but mostly web design, graphic design, and web layout.”
What are your favorite websites?www.designiskinkycomwww.2advanced.comwww.theonion.com
David WilliamsDigital Media
What got you interested in digital media?“Before I came here I was a traditional art major and I always had an interest in Photoshop and Illustrator, so I wanted to continue my art studies.”
What are your career plans?“Eventually I want to become a freelance artist. I have smaller milestones though, like I’d like to do skateboard decks, do something for a band, and also do an advertisement series for a larger company, print and television... a lot of things really.”
What’s your favorite album?Sublime “Forty Ounces to Freedom”
What’s your favorite video game?Halo 2
Rebecca LoreShow Production & Touring
What made you want to go into show production?Ever since I was little, I played instruments in the orchestra, and when I went to college I played the keyboard and the bass guitar. Music has always infl uenced me. I love going to concerts and shows, so to be a part of that would be amazing. To know that I could be a part of the experience... I want to be able to infl uence people’s experiences.”
What are your career plans?“I would love to do lighting. [Being a] monitor engineer would be awesome too... or tour management – but my fi rst pick is lighting designer.”
What’s your favorite movie?The United States of Leland
What’s your favorite album?Saves the Day “Stay What You Are”
Megan KerrShow Production & Touring
How did you get interested in show production?“I saw my fi rst concert when I was about eight years old and from then on I was like, ‘I could do this for a living!’”
What are your career plans?“I want to do lighting and rigging. Lighting is fun and I love heights – I love to climb around, and it’s an adrenaline rush every single time. Desk jobs aren’t for me.”
What was your favorite concert experience?“My favorite concert was my fi rst one. It was local, nothing real special about it, but it was good people, lots of fun, and it was the fi rst one.”
Interviews and Photos by Bridget Deenihan
GAME DESIGN& DEVELOPMENT
FILM
DIGITAL MEDIA
RECORDINGARTS
COMPUTERANIMATION
ENTERTAINMENTBUSINESS
SHOWPRODUCTION& TOURING
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Tom Savini’s work on Friday the 13th, Dawn of the Dead, and Creepshow completely rewrote the rules of modern horror make-up effects. A two-time Artist Series guest, Savini always brings his unique brand of insight and humor to Full Sail.
“If you want to work in the movies, it’s great to be good at more than one thing. The more you do, the more you get to do. My goal was to use special make-up effects to get my foot in the door as an actor.” Tom Savini
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By James Gregory
You come into class, take a seat near the front, and pull your notebook out. The lights dim, and in through the door walks funk legend George Clinton to talk to you about the music industry. His fi rst hit of sage advice? “Always do the best you can, then after that, funk it!” Not your typical day of school, but who said Full Sail ever did anything by the book?
Guest lectures like this are a regular occurrence at Full Sail, thanks to the Artist Series. This continually evolving program welcomes musicians, fi lmmakers, game developers, and digital artists of all stripes to campus to share their passion and insight
with students. Events have included on-stage interviews, performances, fi lm screenings, and in-depth Q&A sessions.From stories by game designer Mark Danks on how he was able to adapt The Lord of The Rings to the world of video games, to advice from Nile Rodgers about getting your start in the music industry, Artist Series guests have provided students with the kind of insider knowledge that you just can’t get in a traditional school setting.
If you’ve ever dreamed about meeting an acclaimed fi lm director
Having created some of the most acclaimed horror fi lms in cinema history, including Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, director George A. Romero had plenty of movie industry wisdom to share during an unforgettable visit to Full Sail’s campus.
“The best way to distinguish yourself in this business is to basically be reliable and care about what you’re doing. If you go and do a good job as a PA on something, you’ll get called back. You’ll get noticed – that’s the way it works. I think anybody who has been through the process will tell you, people are just looking for reliable good people that are not too ambitious or too aggressive. It sounds very simple, but it’s the honest truth.”George Romero
There’s only one George Clinton, and Full Sail was fortunate enough to have him stop by campus for an unprecedented Artist Series event. During an interview that drew a packed house, students were ecstatic to come face to face with a true music legend.
“I’m still a student. You never stop learning in this business. It does feel good to know that you’ve been an infl uence, but the joy really is in being able to express yourself through music and keep on evolving. That’s what has kept me going my entire career.”
“There was nothing like this when I went to school. You better watch out or I’m liable to move in here!”George Clinton
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With such genre-defi ning hits as “We Are Family,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Le Freak” among his credits, Nile Rodgers has proved himself a musical visionary for over 30 years. His enduring passion for his craft offered an inspiring message for Full Sail’s student body.
“In your own world and in your own heart you just have to look for that thing, that spark that you just tap into that’s going to make you love this industry. If you’re lucky you’ll be successful, have fun, and have a career that may have an impact on others – but you’ll also have one that, more importantly, has an impact on you.”Niles Rodgers
and asking how he got his start, or talking with the guitarist of a band about their latest hit album, then you have an idea what Full Sail students experience throughout the school year. Things like that don’t happen very often, at least for most of us, but at Full Sail it’s just another school day.
Jason HendersonGame WriterFrom Deus Ex 2: Invisible War to Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2, game writer Jason Henderson has put his literary stamp on a number of critically acclaimed titles. His stop at the Full Sail Artist Series opened up one of the most unique areas of the gaming industry to students.
“Everyone has something unique to say about themselves. Your job is to fi nd out what it is about you and the way you do things that stands out and is different than everyone else.”Jason Henderson
Sheri Graner-Ray Game Designer Sheri Graner-Ray has worked in the professional gaming industry for over ten years and has left her unique stamp on a number of popular titles, including the landmark Ultima series. She is currently a senior game designer for Sony Online Entertainment, and continues to do extensive work to help shape the role of women in game development.
“Yes, I am a woman. Most importantly though, I am a hardcore gamer. I spend over twenty hours per week gaming, and this is the only industry where I could put fi fteen years of writing D&D games on my resume as legitimate experience.”Sheri Graner-Ray
Billy CainGame Developer Critical Mass’ Billy Cain came to Full Sail armed with years of insider knowledge on the gaming industry. With credits like Wing Commander: Prophecy under his belt, students were eager to pick the brain of this gaming veteran.
“It’s really up to you to challenge yourself every day and make strong relationships with those you work with at school. Just being able to make a lasting impression and stick in someone’s memory is so important in this industry, and it often comes back to help you in the future. You never know, the guy sitting next to you in class might be giving you a job a year down the road!”Billy Cain
Over the past fi ve years or so, some of the most popular television shows have also been part of TV’s newest genre – Reality TV. A heady blend of game show, human drama, and horrifying fascination make the best examples of the genre impossible to resist, which results in reality TV shows like Survivor, The Apprentice, and American Idol being some of the most popular and highest rated programs on the dial.
Full Sail grads are building their careers on some of the most popular shows on TV today.
What this new frontier of television means – in addition to a startling increase in highly public backstabbing and people fl oating in tanks of snake-infested water – is that there’s been an incredible boom in TV production careers. Every TV program needs a crew, and the explosion of the reality genre has created a whole new world of production jobs revolving around this fast-moving and demanding fi eld. And whether they’re working as camera operators, audio production specialists, editors, or any number of other positions, many Full Sail grads are building their careers on some of the most popular shows on TV today.
By Chris Rediske
Jeremy Habig : Audio Mixer“Every day of life working on a reality show is an experience! You name it I’ve seen it and
done it.”
Troy Devolld : Story Editor“On the fi rst season fi nale of the Surreal Life, following Cory Feldman’s wedding (for which
I’d luckily worn a tuxedo), the cast had a lavish gourmet dinner prepared for them at the
house. There was an issue about the server not wanting to appear on television or some
such compilation, and I wound up quietly serving dinner to the cast. Thankfully, the editors
were able to cut around me, so you never know it’s me in the scene. The cast had no idea
I was a story editor, and Vince Neil was surprised to meet me after taping had wrapped for
the show. “Hey,” he said, “You’re the waiter guy!”
“One of the funniest experiences I’ve ever had working on a reality series was on The
Osbournes, which had a number of well-established comedy writers working in their story
department. One of them had an extreme dislike for a popular talk-show personality, and
I can remember one of the editors inserting a single frame of the offending celeb into a
rough cut as a joke. From behind the closed door (as the episode was being reviewed for
notes), we could hear, “What the...GAH!!!” That’s what I call a good eye.”
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with Michael BenfordFull Sail Digital Media GraduateAtlanta Falcons Media Coordinator
By Michael Barfi eld
Photos by Chip Simons
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Michael Benford was a free agent signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Often credited as a player who has helped defi ne the team’s identity, his impact on the Falcons was immediate. And lucky for him, he doesn’t even have to wear shoulder pads. In his second season as the Falcons’ creative services coordinator, Benford is helping to defi ne the visual identity of the team, with his fi ngerprints on just about every piece of media the Falcons produce.
Benford uses a diverse skill set to manage a job that spans the spectrum of the Falcons’ media efforts. “I actually service just about every department in the Falcons organization. Any graphic you see on the website, I do. Any advertisement… or any print collateral we put out, like invitations to events, ads, or certifi cates, I do.” Benford also coordinates his time with the public relations staff to produce a 600-page guide for media support and a season summary book for season ticket holders.
The job is a dream come true for a football fan, as many of Benford’s responsibilities require him to be on the scene for each week’s game. “I travel with the team,” he says. “The fi rst half, I get to watch a lot because there’s not a lot going on yet. At halftime, I go down to the fi eld to grab these fl ash cards from
our team photographer, then I go back up in the press box and put together a fi rst half photo gallery on the website. Then after the game I stream the post game press conference to the web. Once it’s over, I break things down … I usually have 20 to 40 minutes to put the photo gallery together, pulling the photos I’m going to post and running some actions to put them up on the site.”
Monday mornings, back in Atlanta, it’s time to tie up loose ends. “Usually when I get in, we’ll add a second half photo gallery,” Benford says. “Then at 1:00 p.m., we have a postgame follow-up press conference with the head coach. When that’s over, I have to take the video upstairs and encode it for the web.”
Benford loves his job, but it isn’t all cake. “You’re defi nitely under a lot of pressure to make sure things are up and going right,” he says. “You’re in a business where you can’t have any mistakes. It’s a huge media
market. But once you’re in season, it isn’t really as bad. Mondays and Wednesdays you have your press conferences. They’re crazy. Game day is a little crazy. But a lot of the stuff that leads up to the season – getting the media guide together in time for training camp – is what really gets intense.”
“I actually service just about every department in the Falcons organization. Any graphic you see on the website, I do.” Michael Benford - Full Sail Digital Media Graduate
But it’s a gratifying position, and one where he can truly see the results of his work. “Every Sunday, when I see all the signage that’s hanging around the dome – lots of it is my design. Even what the 50-yard line and end zones look like, that’s my work… all these different things that I never thought I would have a part in playing. We’ve got these huge monster trailer trucks,
a museum truck and a merchandising truck. Getting to design details on a 30 foot trailer is pretty cool.”
The contacts Benford made while at Full Sail were crucial to his success. Before his current position, Benford worked at Sportsvision in Chicago with another Full Sail grad, Brandon House. “I wouldn’t have had the job at Sportvision if I hadn’t met Brandon in school. From that job, it got me contacts with the Falcons. When I look back at it, it’s the people I met at Full Sail that pretty much put me where I am today.”
Five years down the road, Michael says he’d still “love to be in the NFL. Get myself a Super Bowl ring. That probably has to be the number one goal. That would be a killer.”
“You defi nitely have to love doing this,” Benford says of his job. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours. If you aren’t enjoying it, you aren’t going to make it through.”
“It takes its toll on you, but when I start to feel a little down about it, I think, ‘I could be doing this for a realtor. But I’m working in the NFL.’” And then he’s back on track.
For a closer look at Michael Benford’s work with the Falcons, please visit the team website at:
http://www.atlantafalcons.com
Over the past decade, the use of computer graphics to deliver the visual messages in our entertainment media has become commonplace. From TV shows with graphic intros and sports broadcasts with stats and replays flying across the screen every other play, to detailed and creative movie title sequences and intricate intro animations for websites, it’s become much easier to find a piece of visual entertainment that’s been enhanced in some way by digital graphics than one that hasn’t.
At the helm of this exciting digital revolution is the motion graphics artist, who seamlessly blends together various forms of media in order to create original and compelling visual art. Through the integration of music, animation, photography, typography, and 3D graphics, motion graphics artists are able to craft the cutting-edge visuals that fly, bounce, and scroll across our televison sets, movie screens, and computer monitors each day. Over the past several years, Full Sail Digital Media graduates Jayson Whitmore and Manny Bernardez have been immersed in the entertainment industry, making names for themselves in this emerging career field.
Like the content they produce, the career of a motion graphics artist is multi-layered. As a freelancer whose credits include work for ABC, the Food Network and Madonna’s recent Re-invention Tour, Whitmore has been able to use his talents across multiple forms of entertainment media. “I’ve always been connected to
the moving image, and how you can communicate with graphics, but it wasn’t until I got my first motion graphics job that I realized how many different parts of the entertainment industry you can actually work in,” Jayson explains. “One of the major factors that drew me to this field is that you’re not limited to one medium. You have the opportunity to design and animate for television, film, fine art, concert graphics, kiosks – anything. It’s limitless … and that’s what continues to inspire me.”
Meanwhile, Manny Bernardez is finding an outlet for his inspiration at Nike, where he puts his creative vision into designing their cutting-edge promotional films. Even in the corporate world, the use of digital graphics has become one of the dominant tools for creating a lasting impression on consumers.
“Every day you see more and more graphics needed in all areas of our lives, not just entertainment,” Manny shares. “Consumers are conditioned to expect really high quality graphics in everything they see these days, so many companies have had to step up the kind of commercial spots they produce. With so much digital content being used in advertising you are now seeing companies that used to primarily be design firms become like mini-Pixars, where they are telling full stories with stylized 3D animation. It’s gotten to a point where advertisers and graphic design firms have even been pushing the envelope beyond Hollywood.”
Like any industry dependent upon technology, the motion graphics field has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. With the era of High Definition (HD) television looming ahead, Whitmore is already seeing the need for fresh talent as the industry prepares for yet another technological evolution. “HD is on the horizon, and … it’s going to present a brand new palate for artists to design with,” he says. “Within the next few years we’ll see a lot more companies utilizing it. There’s going to be graphics that need to be designed and animated across different forms of media, whether it’s menu systems for cable set-top boxes or actual broadcast graphics. Five years down the road, when the technology becomes cheaper and the average person has one in their home, there’s going to be a huge demand for more artists. It’s definitely a very exciting time to become involved in this industry!”
Careers in the motion graphics industry are booming, and as more and more companies ready their content for the advent of high definition, the future looks to become even brighter. “The industry is growing and the demand for talent is greater than the talent available on a global basis right now,” Bernardez explains. “There are tons of jobs out there, and there is a lot of room to grow. I’m here and I’m happy to have maintained my creative freedom and to help shape up the future of the industry. This job allows me to be a kid every day, and that’s more of a payoff to me than anything else.”
DESIGNING MOTION GRAPHICS
Full Sail Digital Media Graduate
MANNYBERNARDEZ
Full Sail Digital Media Graduate
JAYSONWHITMORE
“One of the major factors that drew me to this field is that you’re not limited to one medium. You have the opportunity to design and animate for television, film, fine art, concert graphics, kiosks – anything... “
“The industry is growing and the demand for talent is greater than the talent available on a global basis right now.”
By James Gregory
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If you know video games, chances are you know John Madden Football. Since it debuted on home computers in 1989, the hit series has sold nearly 37-million copies worldwide and become a cornerstone of the entertainment industry. The Madden revolution continues to this day, as the current developer of the series, Orlando-based Electronic Art’s Tiburon Studios, strives to unleash a bigger, faster, and better version of the venerable sports franchise each year.
With 2005 marking the 15th anniversary of Madden’s debut, we recently dropped in on Full Sail alumni and current Tiburon employees Jason Danahy, Jay Juneau, and Miguel Molinari. They were basking in the afterglow of a job well done, as they had just put
the finishing touches on this year’s iteration of the series, Madden NFL 2005. “It’s pretty surreal actually,” says character animator Jason Danahy. “I’ve loved this game for a very long time, and before I came to work here, [I] built one perspective of it in [my] mind. You gain a whole new level of respect once you learn what goes on behind the scenes.”
Production on each edition of Madden starts off with a huge brainstorming marathon. “What we do every year is come up with a huge list of new features we’d like to include,” explains Miguel Molinari, one of the game’s programmers. “Everything from new graphics, to new modes of play, to new ideas for online competitions – a little bit of everything. Then we choose the 3 or 4 most impressive features and work full steam on those. We need to have something original and interesting that is going to grab people’s attention. And every year we don’t think it can get any better, but we have some amazing producers at Tiburon, and they always come up with fresh ideas to keep people coming back to the game.”
For Madden Producer Jeremy Strauser, living up to gamers’ expectations is also one of his top priorities. “I think not only about the expectations of the millions of people who play it,” Strauser says, “but we also have our own expectations, and also people like John Madden and the NFL players who take the game pretty seriously. Our game has a lot to live up to, and there’s definitely some pressure there, but it’s good pressure. We’re always challenged and we’re always working with the best and the brightest. You have to constantly be on top of it and carefully manage your time though, because it moves so fast that if you don’t make sure you know what you’re doing every step of the way it can get away from you.”
Time is an enormous factor in Madden’s development process, as the group typically has only a 9-month period in which to create the new title – since Madden’s release has to coincide with the start of
football season every August, the team doesn’t have the luxury of being able to push back its release date. “I really don’t know how we fit so much work into a 9 month development span,” Molinari laughs. “We can’t move the shipping date back... It’s not like other games where they can say ‘It’s done when it’s done’ and then take 3 or 4 years to complete their game. We can’t add any extra time to our schedule... It’s just amazing to me how hard the whole team works for the good of the project.”
But when Madden finally launches, the thrill of seeing all their hard work being devoured by so many gamers is worth all the extra time and work. “It’s a pretty incredible feeling,” exclaims character animator Jay Juneau. “This year I went to a game store the day before the game was going to come out ... and the place was crowded with people asking ... what time in the morning should they get in line to pick up Madden? It’s really cool, because when people ask you what you do, everybody knows Madden. Even people who don’t play games, they know what Madden is.”
“I started playing Madden with my best friend in 1991, and I’ve been following the game ever since. You’re going to laugh, but I still go home and play Madden every day – I’m in year three of my franchise right now! Basically, I get paid to do what I love.”Miguel Molinari - Full Sail Computer Animation Graduate
By James Gregory
Screenshots courtesy of EA/Tiburon Looking back on the past year of work, Danahy feels like the animation team was really able to deliver with Madden NFL 2005. “This year we probably replaced around a quarter to a third of all the animations that were in the game, and then added a lot of new components on top of that,” he explains. “What’s so great is, it’s not like ‘Oh, let’s put out another Madden.’ It’s ‘We want to put out the best thing ever, and we want to make it so good that nobody even thinks about buying another football game.’ Everybody really cares about what they’re doing, they really want to make the absolute best thing they can. It’s just infectious, and it shows in our work.”
So the game ships in August and the team presumably gets a nice long break? Nope – in order to get Maddenout on time every year, the team starts production on the next iteration of the game almost immediately after the last one is out the door. “We have kind of an overlapping process,” explains Jeremy Strauser. “We actually do the early planning as we’re wrapping up the other one, and then we’re pretty much full bore on the next [version] immediately after we’re done. There’s unfortunately not much down time. As a result, the game is still fresh in everyone’s minds and we can jump right in on all the improvements we weren’t able to devote time to in the previous version. It can be a challenging process, but that’s how focused we are on maintaining quality.”
As the team looks back on their year working on Madden NFL 2005, there’s a definite sense of pride.
“I’ve loved this game for a very long time, and before I came to work here, [I] built one perspective of it in [my] mind. You gain a whole new level of respect once you learn what goes on behind the scenes.”Jason Danahy - Full Sail Computer Animation Graduate
“It’s very exciting to see some of my input in the game, a game that I have loved for the past 15 years,” Molinari shares. “I started playing Madden with my best friend in 1991, and I’ve been following the game ever since. You’re going to laugh, but I still go home and play Madden every day – I’m in year three of my franchise right now! Basically, I get paid to do what I love.”
“It’s something that day to day I don’t really think about a lot,” Danahy adds, “but then you’re watching a TV show or movie and they just start talking about Madden. That’s when it really hits you that the game is just part of the culture now. It’s really exciting to know that while you’re working on something, there are millions of people that just can’t wait to get their hands on it.”
“I think the root of it is the people who work on it,” Jeremy Strauser maintains. “You start with great staff here, including some great folks from Full Sail, some of the best and brightest people I’ve ever worked with in any industry. On top of that you also have really passionate fans motivating you to do your best work. So you get talented people and passionate fans together ... that makes for a great game.”
Screenshots courtesy of EA/Tiburon
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STUDENT GALLERY.
Bryant CastroProgram: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe Illustrator
INTERFACE DESIGNBenjamin Thompson
Chris Jara
Computer Animation & Digital Media Degree Program
Program: Digital MediaCourse: Interactive Media DesignSoftware: Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop
FOR MORE FULL SAIL STUDENT WORK CHECK OUT THE STUDENT GALLERY @ www.fullsail.com
MOTION GRAPHICSRobert SattlerProgram: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe After Effects
Michael Edelnant Program: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe Illustrator
Edilberto Gil
ILLUSTRATION
Christopher MonaccioProgram: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe Illustrator
Andre GordonProgram: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe Illustrator
Banning StuckeyProgram: Digital MediaCourse: Computer GraphicsSoftware: Adobe Illustrator
01. Joseph Hart
02. Barrett Brooks
03. Scott Denton
04. Shawn Brack
05. Brian Hayfield
06. Andrew Hwang
07. Patrick Dickerson
08. Eric Pina
09. Reed Casey
10. Felipe Alcalde
11. Scott Denton
12. Tyler Dykstra
13. Bill Spradlin
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3-D ARTWORKOBJECT. ENVIRONMENT. CHARACTER.
Program: Computer AnimationCourses: Artwork created in various courses throughout the Computer Animation Program.
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Jameson Durall is adding his own skewed vision to the latest entry in the series – Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath By James Gregory
If you’ve spent any time with the Oddworld video games, you might imagine that the studio responsible for them is helmed by a very creative (and/or disturbed) group of people. Filled with twisted humor, strange worlds, devious puzzles, and, well... alien cannibalism, the Oddworld games have not only come to defi ne some of the most unique and intelligently crafted titles on the market, they have also garnered a loyal following of players who crave their totally original and offbeat gameplay.
As a game designer at Oddworld Inhabitants, the studio responsible for the best-selling games, Full Sail Game Design & Development graduate
Jameson Durall is adding his own skewed vision to the latest entry in the series – Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath – and he took time out of his hectic production schedule to give us the scoop on the upcoming game, and his part in the process.
For the past year, Durall and the rest of the design team have been working hard on the upcoming Xbox release, dreaming up bigger, better, and more surreal environments. With a January 2005 release date quickly approaching, and plenty of new gameplay surprises under the hood, Durall is looking forward to getting the game onto store shelves and into the hands of eager fans.
“Oddworld fans are unique in that they’re very very loyal, so it will be interesting to see how they react to the new game,” Durall says. “People have come to know one particular type of Oddworld game, and this one is radically different. The previous games have been very puzzle oriented, and
this one’s much more of an action game. The core gameplay is also an entire innovation in itself, and completely different than anything Oddworld has done before. The fans are defi nitely in for a surprise with this one!”
Oddworld fans are used to having a wildly creative story that keeps them glued to their controllers for hours on end, but according to Durall, Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath offers one of the oddest video game plots in recent memory. “For this game we started completely from scratch with the story,” he explains. “You start off as a guy known only as Stranger, and you fi nd out early on that you need an operation. So in order to gather money for this life saving procedure, you hunt outlaws as a bounty hunter! The places you visit have bounties that you can accept. Outlaws are worth more dead than alive, so when you bring them back, you can redeem them for money...”
Another bizarre innovation of Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath is the way the game’s weapons work. “Probably the most unique thing about the gameplay is that we use a live ammo system, where you basically you pick up animals you fi nd throughout the world as your ammunition to fi re off of a crossbow,” Durall says with more than a hint of a smile. “It’s a dual fi re crossbow, and each ammo does a particular type of thing, so besides the humor involved in shooting live animals at your enemies, it can also lead to some interesting strategies!” Like, for example, the skunk bomb – which knocks out enemies with a cloud of foul air.
With all the tweaks to the classic Oddworld experience, Durall assures us that while many of the mechanics of Stranger’s Wrath will take some getting used to, fans will soon feel at home as they delve into the strange alien environments that await them. “You have to keep people’s expectations in mind,” he allows, “But at the same time it’s important to go with your gut and just create what you think is the best product, and do what you can to produce the best gaming experience possible. We have a lot of new things in this game, and a lot of it is going to be very new to people, but the feel, the types of characters, and the environment is defi nitely classic Oddworld.”
Jameson Durall is at the top of his game at Oddworld Inhabitants. He loves the role he has carved out as a game designer, and feels incredibly lucky to have his vision nurtured at one of the most unique gaming studios in the industry. “Game design is defi nitely a creative process where you’re really allowed to fl ourish, and Oddworld is the perfect environment for that,” he shares. “It is the most amazing place I’ve ever worked. They have a lot of faith in their people, and they show it. You have a lot of creative freedom and a lot of ability to speak your mind. You can do whatever it is you need to do to be productive, and it’s encouraged. I’m defi nitely in no hurry to go anywhere else!”
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“It is the most amazing place I’ve ever worked. They have a lot of faith in their people, and they show it. You have a lot of creative freedom and a lot of ability to speak your mind.Jameson Durall - Full Sail Game Design & Development Graduate
Stranger’sWrath
Set during WWII, Valiant is the tale of a humble wood pigeon aspiring to become a messenger in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service. The computer animated fi lm features the voice talents of Ewan McGregor, Tim Curry, Ricky Gervais, and John Cleese; and is being produced by John Williams (Shrek) and Vanguard Animation, which is where Full Sail grad Laurie Brugger enters the story. She’s one of the members of the talented CGI team absorbed in the process of making Valiant soar.
It’s a dream job for Brugger. Her makeshift title is character engineer, which has her concentrating on character modeling, facial setup, and rigging. “I’ve been [working] on this project for over two years,” she says. “At fi rst I was doing tests for it, little animation tests where I built the character. [Then Valiant] got the green light, so at the beginning … I was character modeling, doing a lot of blend shapes, and preparing facials. Doing a little research and development for general facial pipeline stuff. Pretty much everything I’ve done for this movie has to do with the characters.”
Not only does Laurie have a dream job, but it’s in a dream city: London. “I could be here awhile, and I’m excited about that,” she says. “I like it here. London’s a cool place for this industry, a really small community. All the people in London who have worked longer than a day in this industry know each other already. Everyone has this thing of going to the pubs on Friday night. If you go to the right pubs you can meet everyone.”
London has been Laurie’s home since September 2003, and depending on how things go, she could end up in the
UK for the indefi nite future. “[Vanguard Animation] has a deal with Disney to distribute four movies,” she explains. “It all depends on how well they like the fi rst movie. If it goes well, we’ll end up getting options [for more].”
“I don’t know how much happier I can be! I got to do a ton of things on the characters. When I see them on the screen, I mean… I built them. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”Laurie has always had a fascination with animation, starting, appropriately enough, with Disney. “I love Disney’s movies. I love art, cartoons, and illustration. I got into animation because that seemed the way to go.” Shortly after high school, she took a tour of Full Sail and was hooked on the idea of a career in animation. Despite knowing almost nothing about computers, she enrolled in the Computer Animation program with high hopes.
After graduation, Laurie continued to network with the students she met while at Full Sail. Through that network, she was invited to check out a job opening at MetroLight – a visual effects house located in L.A. “It was Friday,” she recalls. “I packed my stuff, jumped on a plane, and was there two days later.”
She decided to make L.A. home and stayed with MetroLight for about four months, where she worked on
the Dimension Films feature My Boss’s Daughter, starring That ‘70s Show ’s Ashton Kutcher. Her next move was to a small effects house called MenaceFx. “They were doing music videos, some commercials, and a few feature fi lms, but mainly compositing. I’m still affi liated with the company, because MenaceFx ended up merging with Vanguard Productions to form Vanguard Animation. I was actually Vanguard’s fi rst employee.” Soon afterward, the Valiant project moved to Ealing Studios in London, bringing Laurie overseas to work on the project full time.
While Laurie loves the work, she’s anxious to see Valiant complete and showing in theaters. “I don’t know how much happier I can be! I got to do a ton of things on the characters. When I see them on the screen, I mean… I built them. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
LONDONCalling
Full Sail grad is working on Disney’s latest computer animated feature.
“I love Disney’s movies. I love art , cartoons, and
i l lustration . I got into animation because that
seemed the way to go . ”
- L
aurie Brugger
Full Sail Computer Animation grad
Photos by Eric O’Connell
Screenshots courtesy of Oddworld Inhabitants
Laurie Brugger’s
By Michael Barfield
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L is t e nFILM
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CAREERS IN THE AUDIO WORLD
PRODUCTIONAudio Mixer (Production Mixer) – Gathers production audio on set or on location.
Boom Operator – In charge of proper microphone placement, the Boom Op uses a boom microphone (the one with the long handle and the fuzzy top) to gather audio for a fi lm, video, or television production.
Audio Utility – The workhorse of production sound. Sets up audio in the a.m., lays cable, connects signal fl ow, calibrates recordingdevices, and brings wireless mics on and off talent.
POST PRODUCTION ADR Mixer – Re-records any dialogue that was not captured during fi lming due to poor quality production audio.
Re-Recording Mixer – Uses a dubbing stage to blend all the sonic elements for a picture including the score, soundtrack, dialogue, and foley tracks.
Foley Artist – If a tree falls in the forest and doesn’t make a sound, don’t worry – the foley artist can fake it. Recreates, mimics, and creates sound to match fi lm images, using a variety of props.
Foley Mixer – Works closely with foley artist, records sounds and mixes levels to match picture.
Buzz Term: FX – Any sound that wasn’t captured in production.
Buzz Term: Foley – Creating sound effects for fi lms or television – from footsteps to car engines to slamming doors.
IN STUDIOAssistant Engineer – The right arm (not literally, though) of a recording or mixing engineer. Provides technical support for the second engineer, also known as the two.
Mastering Engineer – Assembles a group of fi nal mixes for a full-length CD or DVD and ensures that the product has consistent volume and tone quality throughout.
Mixing Engineer – Takes all the material captured during recording and blends the sounds together to create the fi nal mix of a song.
Producer – In charge of creative direction for a project.
Programmer – Using synthesizers and audio samples, creates and/or edits MIDI sequences.
Recording Engineer – Captures an artist’s performance on tape or digital audio workstation using studio equipment.
Workstation Operator – Responsible for operating the computer-based digital audio workstation in a recording studio.
ON SCREENDialogue Editor – Assembles dialogue for a television show, fi lm, or video game by selecting and editing the best audio.
Sound Designer – Adds realism to feature fi lms, television programs, and video games by creating sounds using various electronic gear. May work alone or with the Foley (sound effects) team.
Recordist – Operates the many recording and playback devices used on a dubbing stage.
Buzz Term: MIDI – Stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Allows for computer control and storage of musical instruments and devices.
Buzz Term: Dubbing Stage – Specialized movie theater designed for mixing sound to picture.
CONCERTSFront of House Engineer – Responsible for creating the live house mix that an audience hears.
Monitor Engineer – Creates individual mixes for each member of a band.
Instrument Technician (Guitar/Percussion/
Keyboard) – In charge of basic instrument maintenance including tuning and some repairs.
TOURING SUPPORTSystem Technician/Engineer – Handles system set up and maintenance. Expert in audio system tuning and system interfacing.
Sound System Technician – All around support for the sound crew. Flies speaker systems, runs snake cables, loads in and out... you name it – they’ll do it.
SPORTS BROADCASTINGSports Audio (A-1) Mixer – Determines correct microphone placement and patches them into the mobile unit. Also mixes audio signal from microphones, tape decks, digicarts, the house feed, and the public address system during production.
Sports Audio (A-2) Assistant – Answers to the A-1. Places microphones according to instruction and troubleshoots audio problems during production. May operate microphones on the fi eld of play.
CONSULTINGAcoustical Design Consultant – Knows how to work a room better than anyone. Exhibits expertise in the areas of sound design, sound system alignment, acoustic modeling, and consulting. Can work in theatre, concert touring, house of worship, nightclub, restaurant, cruise ship, education, and recording & broadcast facilities.
BROADWAY/VEGAS PRODUCTIONSSound Designer – Responsible for design of permanent install during the preproduction phase.
Front of House Engineer – Controls the ever-changing sound needs of a Broadway-style production.
Monitor Engineer – Works with elaborate wireless systems while providing both ambient and in-ear mixes for the talent.
Buzz Term: FOH – Stands for Front of House. The “house” is where the audience is located.
Buzz Term: Monitor – Any piece of equipment, whether in-ear or on stage, that allows the talent to hear performance audio in real time.
Sound Designer – Creates all the sound effects, gunshots, environmental sounds, and other audio for a video game. May work within a team at a large company.
Programmer – Implements sound effects and music into games through coding.
Composer – Creates music for a game, including ambient soundscapes and soundtracks. Sometimes does double duty as a sound designer.
LISTEN... it takes hard work to make the world sound great. From the in-ear mix that keeps rock stars on cue during a concert to the sound effects, music, and voices you hear while fi ghting your opponents in a video game – audio specialists are working behind the scenes, creating the sound to make our media experiences come alive. The fact is, for almost every facet of entertainment media, there’s a career in audio to go with it.
Audio professionals are in sound trucks at sporting events, recording production audio on movie sets, and laying down tracks in recording studios. And whether a Full Sail grad fi nds a home in front of a movie screen designing the score for the next blockbuster, or at the front of house position mixing sound for a Broadway
musical, a Full Sail degree helped to open the door to that professional audio career.
Full Sail’s Show Production & Touring and Recording Arts programs are carefully designed to give students a comprehensive and detailed education in every aspect of production audio, and graduates from these programs are working with an incredible array of artists, directors, and performers, creating best-selling albums, hit feature fi lms, and captivating stage shows.
Take a deeper look at the many careers the world of audio has to offer.
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FULL SAIL’S DUBBING STAGE
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About five years ago, fresh out of Full Sail’s Film and Digital Media programs, Will Weyer decided that he had had enough of bosses, and was ready to put his own ideas into play. So he got together with a couple of friends and started Wiretree – now a successful creative boutique located in Atlanta, GA that specializes in building high-end web applications. Today, as Wiretree’s director of design (and his own boss), Weyer understands the drive and passion – the entrepreneurial spirit – that it takes to strike out on your own. “Starting your own company isn’t something that just comes along,” he says. “You have to make a conscious decision to go for it and then spend all your energy working towards it.”
But who are these people – the ones who want to run the show? Of the thousands of students traversing Full Sail’s campus on any given day, many are planning to make their mark on the entertainment media industry creating amazing visuals for Pixar or ILM, recording world-class bands at the Record Plant, or building compelling games with Rockstar, Bungie, or Valve. But among their numbers are others who will take the training and experience of their degree and begin their own business, putting them in the enviable position of being able to run their own schedule, decide what projects they’ll take on, and maybe even hire some Full Sail grads of their own some day.
These entrepreneurs have a wide variety of motivations and methods for reaching independence. For Steve Baker, a Film graduate and freelance producer, director, and videographer, the autonomy of being his own boss is what inspired him to strike out on his own. “I like the idea of picking and choosing the jobs that I do and the people that I’m going to work with,” explains Baker. And of course, as a freelancer who works from his home, the route to his office cannot be topped. “My commute is great. It’s from my bathroom to my [home] office,” he says, laughing.
Meanwhile, Devon Kirkpatrick was motivated both by his family and his music. Kirkpatrick, a Recording Arts grad and the owner, studio manager, and head engineer of Sockit Studio in Baton Rouge, LA, has been working in the recording arts field for many years - from traveling around the world doing audio gigs on cruise ships to working at Sony Studios in New York City. But at the end of the day, what he wants the most is to see his daughter, and business ownership gives him the freedom to do just that. “I have more control over my career and my personal life,” says Kirkpatrick, “plus, I get to take my ideas and move them to the next level. It’s exciting.”
To get to that next level, Weyer advises budding entrepreneurs that it’s important to think ahead – way ahead. “Make as many contacts as you can while you’re in school, working for another company, or just talking shop with someone,” he advises. “Contacts you meet now can later become clients or great sources of information.” And Baker says that persistence and willingness are just as important in building a career and a strong client base. “Be willing to do anything and be flexible by taking on whatever role needs to filled and be happy about it.”
Each of these entrepreneurs enjoy the best of all possible worlds – they’ve created successful businesses in a competitive industry, giving themselves the creative and financial freedom to work on projects they care about, in an environment they control. And while their success takes nothing away from the thousands of grads who are working for companies like Pixar and Electronic Arts, they represent a growing number of creative, driven Full Sail graduates who are determined to show the world what they can do, without the assistance or support of major corporations.
Will Weyer explains it best when he says, “I’ve created something that I am proud to be a part of, and I’m making a living doing what I love.”
CURRICULUM INFOWith so many graduates taking the road less traveled and building their own successful entertainment media enterprises, Full Sail recognized a need for specific training that addressed the unique challenges of entrepreneurship. With this in mind, 2004 saw the introduction of Full Sail’s Entertainment Business Bachelor of Science Degree Program. In addition to providing essential training to students who are planning on starting their own businesses, the Entertainment Business program provides a solid grounding in important business essentials, with courses in accounting, marketing and strategic planning, entertainment law and contract negotiations, intellectual property, and product and artist management. When combined with any of Full Sail’s other degree offerings, the Entertainment Business Bachelor’s Degree Program provides the perfect starting point for budding entrepreneurs.
Who are these people who want to run the show?
Graduate EntrepreneursFor much of 2004, Recording Arts grad Sean Spuehler has been on the road with Madonna, traveling across the United States and abroad on the much anticipated, very successful, and highly acclaimed Re-Invention Tour. However, his role in the tour (and, in fact, in Madonna’s career… but more on that later) began long before the tour buses began their trek across the country.
In preparation for the demanding and high-energy show, Sean and the tour’s musical director spent many nights in the studio remixing the songs for Madonna’s band and preparing each track for the live format. Then when everything was prepared, they hit the road and Sean settled into his main role on the Re-Invention Tour – as Madonna’s personal monitor engineer. “I make sure her voice sounds the way she wants it to – I’m in charge of her personal sound,” he says.
During a Re-Invention performance, Sean mans his Yamaha PM1D console in a position that’s rather unusual for a monitor engineer. While most tour veterans are used to seeing monitor engineers stage left or right and out of the sightline of the audience, Madonna wanted Sean front and center – close enough for an accidental rendezvous with some Material Girl sweat.
“I’ve got the best seat in the house,” he says. “She’s right there so we can give each other signals. I’m situated right in front of the stage so if she doesn’t like something I know it right away.” Sean is reveling in the experience of being a major part of Madonna’s show. “It’s so much fun for me to be right next to her crazy fans. One time after a show this man offered me ten thousand dollars to meet her,” he reveals. Needless to say, he turned it down…. But, “I told her about it later and she said, ‘Make it a million and we’ll split it.”
Before he started work on the Re-Invention Tour, Sean’s expertise was limited mainly to the studio. But when Madonna’s producer, Mirwais Ahmadzai, and main engineer Mark “Spike” Stent requested that he come aboard for the live shows, he was more than willing to adapt. As a Pro Tools expert whose skills have landed him in the studio with the likes of No Doubt, Beck, Dido, and Blur, making his debut in the live production world has provided Sean with an interesting career change. “This is my first tour and it’s a pretty incredible one to start on,” says Sean. “They wanted me to come along because we have a great relationship and they thought I could do the job.” He began that great relationship more than seven years ago, when William Orbit was looking for a Pro Tools engineer to help out on sessions for Madonna’s 1998 album Ray of Light, as well as its 2000 follow-up, Music. More recently, he’s helped out with the promotional tour for American Life in New York, London, and Paris, the GAP commercial featuring Madonna and Missy Elliot, and Madonna’s famous lip locking performance with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera that launched a thousand gasps at 2004’s MTV Music Video Awards.
It took years of dedicating his life to music for Sean to get where he is today. But the two things that helped ensure his continued success were his personality and his adaptability. One of the pieces of advice that he picked up at Full Sail is that attitude really does equal altitude. “It’s kind of cheesy,” he admits, “but it’s so true. The people that are cool to be around are the ones that keep ascending.”
“I’ve got the best seat in the house,” he says. “Madonna is right there so we can give each other signals. I’m situated right in front of the stage so if she doesn’t like something I know it right away.”Sean Spuehler - Full Sail Recording Arts grad
ICONO N T H E R O A D W I T H SEAN SPUEHLER
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“I’ve created something that I am proud to be a part of, and I’m making a living doing what I love.”Will Weyer - Full Sail Digital Media Gaduate
By Michael Barfi eld
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“What’s better than having your own control room, packed with killer gear to practice the art and science of engineering?”Bill Smith - Full Sail’s Program Director for Recording Arts
Whether students are building a soundscape for a motion picture or blending sounds for an album, the Mix Palace is a great place for them to hone their skills in an environment that is designed to emulate a full size recording studio in every way. Smith sums up the Mix Palace experience best: “What’s better than having your own control room, packed with killer gear to practice the art and science of engineering?”
12Twelve of the stations in the Mix Palace boast a Sony DMX-R100 console and a Digidesign Pro Tools HD system as their centerpiece, plus outboard equipment from Manley, Summit, Focusrite, Universal Audio, TC Electronic, Lexicon, Yamaha, Drawmer, Aphex, and dbx. These suites are specifi cally designed for the Session Recording course and provide the ideal atmosphere for tweaking music projects to perfection.
This brand new space features twenty four “mini studios” – built to professional recording studio standards and tailored to provide students with an immersive solo journey during the fi nal stages of the Recording Arts Degree Program.
Each private control room is networked to a Unity media server and hosts a stunning array of gear as well as isolated fl oors, multi-layered ceilings, airtight doors, and an intricate acoustical treatment for optimum sound quality.
Bill Smith, Full Sail’s Program Director for Recording Arts, explains that the Mix Palace offers students the kind of hands-on experience that helps build the confi dence needed to succeed in the competitive audio industry. “To be able to fi nish their projects this way – in a well-equipped studio rather than at a lab station via headphones or as a group effort in a shared control room – is phenomenal.”
24MINISTUDIOS
Photos by Chip Simons
MIX Palace
12The twelve remaining rooms are tailored for the Audio Post course and feature Digidesign Pro Control digital work surfaces made complete by an Edit Pack and AVXL options to drive the Pro Tools HD systems housed within. A myriad of plug-ins from SRS, Waves, Synchro Arts, and many more team up with multiple sound effects libraries, a calibrated JBL 6-channel surround system, and a large plasma display to round out this all inclusive environment for refi ning post skills.
by Bridget Deenihan
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Light It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It Up
Light It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It Light It UpLight It UpLight It UpLight It UpSara MooneySara MooneyLight It UpShow Production grad is working the lights on Cirque du Soleil’s Orlando show, La Nouba.
In case you don’t speak the language, La Nouba is French for “live it up.” It’s also the title of the Cirque du Soleil show that makes its permanent home in Orlando, Florida. It’s here that Full Sail grad Sara Mooney has lashed her career to this image of billowing big-top spires, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, and dramatic theatrical sets and stages, all spun together by a dazzling light show and mesmerizing orchestral arrangements… and Mooney is living it up.
While a college student in Pennsylvania, Sara discovered her love for show production when a friend convinced her to join the school’s theatre club. “The first time there, they had me stuck up in the scaffolding hanging lights,” she remembers, “and I loved it.” Later, an instructor suggested she check out Full Sail. “I was planning to go into the Recording Arts program there,” she says, “but once I found out [about] Show Production, I swapped programs.
“Full Sail was a very good experience. I was very happy with the instructors, especially since I got to know them on a personal level. They gave me a lot of opportunities to learn and increase what I knew by
either practicing or finding extra time. They also gave me the opportunity to work on the Full Sail Live crew. It gave me a wide variety of experiences, from lighting to sound. I felt like I was really prepared when I got out of school – that I could handle anything that was thrown at me.”
“Although it’s a set show, there are quite often things that will happen where you have to make a split second decision.”That preparation comes in handy for Sara’s position as a lighting tech on Orlando’s version of the popular French Canadian circus. During the shows, Sara is usually responsible for handling a particular spotlight, but any given night can find her with a variety of responsibilities. “Depending on which [spotlight] I run, I may have a lot of cues or I may not,” she says. “So operating a follow spot, I’m actually sitting there manually pulling the light. If I’m not running a spot, I’m a backup main console operator who will be running
the majority of the show. In that case I have a lot to do during the show.”
Sara says she loves the creative outlet her job offers. “Although it’s a set show, there are quite often things that will happen where you have to make a split second decision. You have to pick somebody up with the spot, and you have to decide if it should be at a higher intensity or lower intensity, or if you need to pick them up at all because of something else that’s going on the stage. Literally in an instant.”
Cirque du Soleil has been a great fit for Sara. In contrast to the time and travel demands of working on the road, she gets to go home every night, and work in a permanent installation. “And I’m fortunate to work with an extremely good crew that’s understanding and works well together,” Mooney says. “I take it one day at a time. My measure of when to leave [a job] is when the good days are outweighed by the bad. That’s when it’s time to move on.” And for now, the good days are plentiful at Cirque du Soleil.
with Sara Mooney
Cirque du Soleil has been a great fit for Sara. In contrast to the time and travel demands of working on the road, she gets to go home every night, and work in a permanent installation. “And I’m fortunate to work with an extremely good crew that’s understanding and works well together.”Sara Mooney - Full Sail Show Production & Touring Grad
In case you don’t speak the language, La Nouba is French for “live it up.”
By Michael Barfi eld
Photos by Chip Simons
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unhindered
By Bridget Deenihan
guitar. The session begins with Barrett recording a scratch track – a rough take of the song with vocals for the rest of the band to work from – while the student engineers add a click track to keep the timing solid and on the beat.
Next, the students create a headphone mix for each artist by feeding them each different levels of vocals, click track, and guitar; once that’s done, everyone gets down to business. For Collins, Unhindered’s bassist, this is the best part of the process – actually creating the song. “My favorite part of the day is after I track what I play in the song, and come back in … to listen to it.” Of course, he’s not taking into account the grief he gets from the other band members when he heads back into the control room. “What are we, Blink 182 or something?” “I don’t think that note was in the song, dude!” But Collins holds his own, and pretty soon Rich announces, “Now it’s a session! Musicians have to fight before it’s a session!”
On the other side of the recording console, the students are just excited to be in the studio, helping to bring the band’s vision for their music to life. “After learning it all,” Luke says, “being able to do everything ourselves and put it all together is what I like the most.” For Demo, a nativeFloridian, it’s the teamwork that makes the experience
really worthwhile. “Everybody works together as a team – group members and band members – and it’s just a great time,” remarked Demo.
On the second day in the studio, everyone has settled into the groove. The students have grown increasingly confident as the session wears on, and it shows in the band’s relaxed attitude about the proceedings. “The [band] was acting goofy, and if they’re acting goofy then they’re probably pretty comfortable,” says John, and his instructor agreed, noting that making the band feel at home in the studio is one of the most important jobs for a recording engineer. “One of the things we say is that the studio can be burning down, but the engineer still has to be the calm person in the room,” explains Rich. “The
students are doing what they came to do and making these artists comfortable.”
Overdubbing is as important to the recording process as the initial tracking – this is when the band will add vocal, keyboard, guitar, and percussion layers to give the song the shape and sound that it needs to be ready for mixing and mastering. After overdubbing, the lab group will edit the song as a group; then each student will take those tracks and create their own individual mix, working at a professional quality digital mixing console. After that, they’ll move on to mastering, where final adjustments to levels and compression make the song radio-ready.
Throughout the afternoon Barrett records guitar and backup vocal tracks, while Smith lays down keyboards and lead vocals. Getting it perfect the first time is a rarity in the studio, and Smith’s vocal takes are no exception. At one point he stops singing because the microphone is so sensitive that he can hear everything around him – specifically, he says, the sound of his hand slapping his own backside. Now it’s everyone’s turn to make fun of him, although he quickly explains that he merely brushedit with his hand accidentally. “That is the coolest mic I’veever used,” he says, trying to recover. “It picks up every
little thing.” Everyone just nods and smiles.
As a matter of fact, as the band puts the finishing touches on their song and the overdubbing session comes to an end, there seems to be a lot of nodding and smiling going on. If there’s one common indicator of a successful session, it may be something as simple as a subtle nod between an artist and an engineer. Each layer added to the recording in process raises the level of camaraderie between these engineers in training and the band they’re working with, and as the song is played over and over again, eyes inevitably close and heads nod as they all feel the music. In the recording studio, these are the silent and powerful signs of a job well done.
“Everybody works together as a team – group members and band members – and it’s just a great time.” Demo Kotsonis - Full Sail Recording Arts Student
ONETRACKINGday
TWOOVERDUBBINGday
Five Full Sail students learn what it takes to make a
band sound great in the studio.
On a Friday afternoon in Full Sail’s Studio B, Rich Ott, Lab Instructor for Session Recording, crouches behind a drum kit and says, “That ringy snare has a lot of attack in here, so the more you give it a little breathing room the more you’re going to get bulk.” Right. It’s a good thing the five students listening to him – Luke Lovett, Demo Kotsonis, Dan Pence, John Mitch, and Malcolm James – understand what he’s talking about, as they prepare the studio for a recording session and soak up the hints and tips their instructor has to offer.
Professional studio recording is the centerpiece of the Recording Arts program, and the students involved in this session know that it’s important to work hard and pay attention to every task. As Luke Lovett, a student from Lufkin, TX puts it, “Each of us knows what needs to be done, so we’ll rotate duties so we can practice on each aspect of the session.” And since these sessions provide the background tracks for day two’s overdubbing session, teamwork, efficiency, and speed are of the essence.
Their attention trained on the first task of the day, the students get down to microphone placement, a process that requires patience, foresight, and finesse. It may be time-intensive, but as Rich explains to the students, the placement of the microphones is a crucial part of the tracking stage. “Some engineers will use an entire day or more just to mic their instruments,” he says. “Moving a microphone even slightly can make a world of difference.”
As the students finish setting up microphones for the drums, bass, and guitars, the band members enter the studio for the first time and introduce themselves. Their band is called Unhindered, they already have one album under their belt, and they’re currently working on the follow up; the tracks they record at Full Sail will help the band to flesh out ideas and decide what songs will make it onto the album.
Unhindered consists of four guys – Ben Smith, Pat Barrett, Christian Pascall, and J.R. Collins – who originally hail from Atlanta, and still all reside in Georgia; they made the drive down for this recording session. Pascall says that recording in Full Sail’s studios is a good way for them to work on new songs with great gear in a professional environment. “Right now we’re doing this whole preproduction process … This is a great way for us to get in a studio with an engineer and see how things go down, and it’s free,” he says enthusiastically.
With the microphones in place and the studio ready for the band to start, Dan and Malcolm man the console while John builds a session in Pro Tools – the digital audio workstation where all the tracks will be recorded. The three students check the microphone levels on each of the instruments, and soon Barrett is positioned in thecorner of the control room with a mic and an acoustic
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