Cope with game audio layoffs - with Brian Schmidt Asbjoern Andersen


Working in game audio offers some fantastic opportunities and experiences, but game development is also a volatile industry where mass layoffs and sudden studio closures are all-too-frequent. This series is dedicated to helping you prepare for, cope with and bounce back from layoffs when working in audio.

We're looking at it from a game audio perspective, but the vast majority of advice in this series will apply to anyone working in audio:


By Jennifer Walden and Asbjoern Andersen
Please share:
 

In this installment, we talk to Brian Schmidt — creator of GameSoundCon (held this year from Oct. 29 – 30 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, CA). He’s also a frequent keynote speaker at other game industry and sound-related conferences, like Game Developers Conference, Montreal Interactive Games Summit, and the Audio Engineering Society Conference.

Schmidt has been in the game sound industry for over 30 years and has worked on over 140 titles. His clients include major game studios like Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Capcom, Namco, Zynga, and Sega to name a few. He’s even an inventor of audio and game technology, with about 20 patents to his name. Schmidt was the 2008 recipient of the Game Audio Network Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Here, Schmidt discusses ways to prepare for and power through a layoff in the game audio industry:
 

Should game audio pros automatically plan for a layoff, even if their job seems stable?
Brian Schmidt (BS): The video game industry can be volatile. Even large companies like Microsoft or Amazon can have layoffs in their game audio groups. Or new management decides to outsource work that was previously done by in-house employees. Or a small company discovers it’s burned through its capital faster than they thought and the hammer falls. So it definitely makes sense to always keep that in the back of your mind to be ready in case it happens.
 

What can they do to prepare ahead of time?
BS: 1) Stay informed: Keep in touch with what’s going on in the game industry overall, and in game audio in particular.

2) Stay current: Are you up on the latest tools and tech? If your studio is a hardcore Pro Tools + FMOD shop, see what the latest version of Wwise, Fabric, ADX or CRI has to offer.

3) Stay connected: It’s very easy to become disconnected with the community at large when you work in-house; you already have co-workers to keep you social, so don’t let the fact you have a great in-house position keep you from hitting the local audio meet-ups.

4) Get Visible: If you’re working in-house, especially on a reasonably well known title, don’t be afraid to parlay that cache to benefit your own personal brand. Apply to be a speaker at conferences (GDC, GameSoundCon, AES, etc.), and get to be known external to the company, especially if there are interesting or unique things you are doing.

[tweet_box]How to prepare for – and power through – a layoff in the game audio industry, with Brian Schmidt:[/tweet_box]  

When a layoff happens, what are some things to do immediately to help soften the blow? Do you have any strategies for finding a new position?
BS: There are obvious financial things you should take care of pretty quickly. Hopefully you had previously set aside an emergency fund to help soften the blow (for some great overall financial advice, I’m a big fan of Jill Schlesinger’s site and podcast). Or receive a bit of a severance package to help things.

Give yourself a few days to settle down, but I’d say within a week, start your new ‘job’ of ‘finding your new job.’

If the company is large enough, they may have resources to help you find employment elsewhere. Make use of them. That’s what they’re there for.

Give yourself a few days to settle down, but I’d say within a week, start your new ‘job’ of ‘finding your new job.’

Your job of finding your job can take several forms. For example:

• Update your demo reel: Make a great demo reel, showing off your most recent achievements and/or things you’re especially proud of.

• Block out some number of hours each day for skills improvement: Never played with Unity or Unreal? Go through the audio tutorials. Pick up a “Making Unity Games for Dummies” book and work through it. Set up that orchestral template you’ve been meaning to. Dive into parts of your DAW you haven’t before.

Kick the tires at video editing (videos can make demo reels). We have a great advantage that the tools needed for game audio are either free (Unity, Unreal, FMOD, Wwise, etc.) or reasonably priced (Reaper, Avid Media Composer First, etc.). Always been meaning to get Wwise certified? Now’s the perfect time to go through all their tutorials.

Or dive into the innards of Excel or Google Sheets (Yes, I know someone who got a gig partly because she was one of the only applicants to have successfully worked through the full Excel part of the sound design take home test she was given).

• Look for networking opportunities: Both anecdotally and more formal surveys seem to show that most game audio gigs are gotten through networking or referral. So check your local scene for both audio and game developer hangouts, meet-ups, conferences, seminars, etc. Get out there and be seen/heard.

• Look for actual job listings: Even using the right keywords in a source like Indeed can show a lot of openings. One of the best sites out there for audio job listings is www.soundlister.com, which is constantly being updated.

• If you don’t’ have a website, now’s the perfect time to create one: I’m partial to Wix, but I’ve also heard that Squarespace and Weebly are very easy to use.

One almost silly sounding recommendation while doing the above is: Get up in the morning. Get dressed and “go to work” (presumably in your home office or studio) with a reasonable, consistent schedule, putting in a full work-day

One almost silly sounding recommendation while doing the above is: Get up in the morning. Get dressed and “go to work” (presumably in your home office or studio) with a reasonable, consistent schedule, putting in a full work-day.
Not only can that make you more likely to follow-through, but it also means that when your workday is done, you can stop and not feel like you should still be looking for a gig.


Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Abandoned Oil Tank Play Track 327 sounds included $40

    On a recording trip to the smaller Danish port town Struer, I came across an abandoned empty oil tank. Inside I found two giant wires attached to the floor and the ceiling of the tank, almost like a huge 2 stringed double bass. I’m telling you the reverb in there was longer than the Eiffel Tower on a cloudless day !

    On the outside this was just an empty abandoned building, but it turned out it was not empty at all because it was full of sound and a few dead birds. I’m glad I was curious enough to go inside for a closer investigation and not just pass by.

    After several hours of concentrated recording, it was nice to get my ears back out in dry air. I’m happy there are no open sends to Valhalla in real life but experiencing the eternal resonance on the low frequencies from the wires was absolutely amazing.

    Abandoned Oil Tank was recorded with a LOM basic Ucho stereo pair, a Zoom H6 and the LOM Geofon. All files are in 96 kHz/24 bit and contain the original recordings.

    The result is a unique sound effect library including balloon pop impulse responses from a truly unique location that very recently became even more unique since word says that the oil tank is no more and has abandoned this world.

    327 individual sounds – all tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata.

    www.katrineamsler.com

    20 %
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    Ends 1713131999
  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

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  • Foley Sound Effects Pickups and Small Item Sounds Play Track 280 sounds included, 7 mins total $4.16

    Great Audio is Essential

    Essential Audio Pickups and Small Item Sounds contains 280 Foley sounds designed specifically for Video Game Sound Designers who need the usual Pick-Up sounds and SFX for common small items, including: Keys, Coins, Access Card, Pills/Health, Latches, Locks, Chains, Bags, and many many more!

    Features:

    •  280 sounds
    • Bags
    • Coins
    • Keys
    • Pill Bottle
    • Cable Ties
    • Camera
    • Lighter
    • Access Card
    • Chains
    • Locks
    • Clips and Clasps
    • Computer Mouse
    • Boxes
    • Papers
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    Number of Audio Waves: 280

    Sample rate / bit rate: 44,100 Hz / 16 bit

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Latest releases:

  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.

  • The physical version of Small Rantonen Kantele is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, still playable 5-string kanteles in the world, as it was made in 1770. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. We used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument. Strumming is a crucial part of playing the small kantele, so we kept that in the middle of the development from start to finish.

    Samples were recorded using different parts of the kantele, with resonance and without resonance, to give more options for the sound of the instrument. During the sampling the strings were tuned using a diatonic scale (CDEFG). With the virtual instrument it is possible to tune every string independently, so you can achieve the traditional D-tuning and many other tunings.

    We captured long, damped, and dead notes, and harmonics. In addition we recorded percussion with the strings and the body of the instrument. Many other delicious samples are also present, including the sounds of hand damping the strings!

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • The physical version of Large Rantonen Kantele is an old, large 30-string concert kantele made in 1902. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. As both hands are on the strings when playing a physical kantele, we used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument.

    We recorded long notes, damped notes, harmonics, and mallet hits. For the virtual instrument, we expanded these notes to cover the missing sharps and flats, and even more lower and higher notes. We also added a virtual damping board, two play modes, and a large number of options to help you to create your own sound and playing style.

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Human Sound Effects Zody Play Track 1243+ sounds included, 151 mins total $55

    With abounding character and a penchant for speaking their mind, these little folk always have a lot to say. Wonder and amazement naturally follows.

    Having the honor to be able to observe these tikes in their natural habitats, it became clear how babies share a great deal across their mannerisms as the grow. A longitudinal family of vocalizations and sounds that span the first year of life and maturity, the heart of this library, centers on those personalities and mannerisms changing and taking shape over that period of time. The little ones have been recorded at infancy, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. Each of these developmental milestones mark a significant step forward for all babies and at these stages their personalities and expressiveness grow remarkably. It is the constantly evolving language of exploration and examination; always learning. Each vocalization in this library, even within the same stage of development, is unique. From giggles to shouts, questioning to cries, babbles, cooing, and inventive phrases all the way around.

    Additionally, strollers, toys, diaper bags, bottles, pumps, swings, and more have been captured as compliments to represent all of those ubiquitous items in a baby’s world. The strollers were profiled on different surfaces and from different mechanical perspectives. The toys were recorded both in-play and as Foley. Bottles and diapers were used in their normal function and fashion, while other tools and devices of the dedicated and savvy parent were selected for their sound and utility.

    Joyfulness is easy to hear in this library.

Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


Do you feel that freelancing is a viable path forward?
BS: Freelancing is definitely a viable path. In fact, as a composer, it’s far more likely you get hired as a freelancer than a full-time employee (although that does occur, too). However, freelancing isn’t just working, but for multiple employers. You have to get yourself into an entrepreneurial mindset. Most of the successful freelancers I know either enjoy that aspect of being freelance (to a certain extent), or have partnered with someone who is.
 

More on bouncing back from a layoff – with Damian Kastbauer:

For the first installment in this series, game audio guru Damian Kastbauer was kind enough to share his thoughts on how to land on your feet after a layoff – you can read his insights here.
 

Any other advice you’d like to share on surviving a layoff?
BS: I keep thinking back to the first 2 questions — the best way to survive one is probably to have prepared for it. Perform at your current job with professionalism, integrity and by being a pleasure to work with. The industry’s not large, and people always want to work with people who are great to work with.

I keep thinking back to the first 2 questions — the best way to survive one is probably to have prepared for it

A layoff will no doubt be a stressful time, with a lot of factors that are highly personalized. Don’t be shy to avail yourself of any resources or support that are there for you, be they corporate/professional or personal and family.
 

A big thanks to Brian Schmidt for the insights! Find out more about him and GameSoundCon here.

 

Please share this:


 

 


 


Power Lists - essential audio resources and insights:

• The Sound Design Power List

• The Game Audio Power List

• The Film Sound Power List

 
  Succeed in sound:

• How to Set (and Get) the Right Price for Your Audio Work

• 10 Essential Tips for Game Audio Freelancers

• How to be a successful sound designer – with Scott Gershin

• How To Actually Live as an Audio Freelancer – by Melissa Pons

• How to set your sonic creativity free & overcome creative inhibitions – by Mark Kilborn

• 5 Useful Tips for Upcoming Sound Designers and Sound Editors

• Sound Opinions: How to get game audio pricing right

• Building a successful audio post studio – with Kate Finan and Jeff Shiffman

• Rebuilding your studio: Goals, tips and lessons learned

• Creating audio for games – with Martin Stig Andersen

• A life in sound: How to foster creativity and protect yourself from burning out – with Chance Thomas

• Better audio work habits: How a Wacom Tablet can help reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

• Better audio work habits: How a sit & standing desk can reduce your sedentary studio life

• Tips and thoughts on running your own audio post production house – with William McGuigan

• 30+ year audio veteran Andy Greenberg, on building client relationships in the advertising industry

• 7 Sound Alternatives to Working For Free

• Audio Outsourcing Success: Essential Tips, Thoughts and Working Practices from Adele Cutting

 
 
The sound success series:

• How to succeed in UI/UX Sound Design, ADR Recording, & Audio Programming

• How to succeed in sound design for Film, Documentaries, and Trailers

• How to succeed in sound design for Games, Animation, and Television

How to succeed in Field Recording, Foley, and Teaching Sound

• How to succeed in Audio Branding, Music Editing, and sound for VR

• How to succeed in Theater Sound Design, Podcast Sound Design, and Podcast Production

• How to succeed in Sound Editing, Sound for Advertising, and Production Sound

• How to succeed in Sound Editing, Sound for Advertising, and Production Sound

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Film – ft. Pinar Toprak, Nainita Desai, & Jonathan Snipes

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for TV – ft. Charlie Clouser, Sherri Chung, & Cindy O’Connor

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Theatre – ft. Elyssa Samsel, Kate Anderson, and Daniel Kluger

• The Composer Success Series: Composing for Games – ft. Inon Zur

 
Breaking into audio – guides and resources:

• The ‘Quit Aspiring’ book – by Adam Croft

• How to get hired in game audio – thoughts and insights from your potential employer’s perspective

• Why gear is not the ticket to entry in the game audio community

• 4 Effective Ways to Break into Game Audio

• Tips for Creating a Perfect Resume for Audio Industry Jobs

• Yet Another Game Audio Hiring Article – by Ariel Gross

• 5 Tips for Getting a Job in the Audio Industry

• Applying for a job in game audio – by Matthew Florianz

• Freelance Game Audio: Getting Started and finding work – by Ashton Morris

• How to get started (and make it) in game audio – 10+ fundamental questions answered by Akash Thakkar

• Courses: How to network and get paid for your work in the game industry – by Akash Thakkar

• How to Craft a Perfect Cover Letter for Audio Industry Jobs
 
 
Finding those audio jobs:

• Get the weekly Audio Jobs newsletter

• Join the Audio Jobs Facebook group
 
 
Showcasing your work:
 
• Get a free profile on Soundlister

• Upload your demos to Soundcloud

• Upload your demos to ReelCrafter
 
 
Networking:
 
• Find game audio community groups around the world

• Find interesting audio events around the world

• Find other audio pros around the world
 
 
Coping with a layoff - and how to bounce back:

• How to prepare for – and power through – a layoff in the game audio industry, with Brian Schmidt:

• How to Survive a Game Audio Layoff – insights from Damian Kastbauer

• What it’s like to be laid off from your video game studio

• What To Do Before and After Being Laid Off

• Facebook Group: Survival Skills for Creatives
 
 
Education and knowledge:
 
• Get an audio mentor at the Audio Mentoring Project

• How To Learn Game Audio Online – A talk with Game Audio Educator Leonard Paul

• Hear the very best podcasts about sound

• Read the 100s of sound stories and guides on the A Sound Effect blog (search for stories here)

• Browse Industry Data: Game Music and Sound Design Salary Survey Results

• Browse 100+ Sound Design Guides

• Find essential books about sound – for film, games and audio post production

• Get tips and ideas for making your own sound effects

• Use the Audio Events Calendar to find audio-related events around the globe

• Get a steady stream of great sound stories from the community

• Discover 1000s of sound libraries from the independent sound community

• Take online courses in Wwise, FMOD Studio, Unity, Pure Data & Unreal at the School of Video Game Audio
 
 
Getting into independent sound effects:
 
• DIY SFX libraries - Your guide to your first sound effects library

• Sound effects survey results: Here are 90+ ideas for new SFX libraries

• How to create an indie sound bundle

• The quick-start guide to adding sound FX library metadata
 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Abandoned Oil Tank Play Track 327 sounds included $40

    On a recording trip to the smaller Danish port town Struer, I came across an abandoned empty oil tank. Inside I found two giant wires attached to the floor and the ceiling of the tank, almost like a huge 2 stringed double bass. I’m telling you the reverb in there was longer than the Eiffel Tower on a cloudless day !

    On the outside this was just an empty abandoned building, but it turned out it was not empty at all because it was full of sound and a few dead birds. I’m glad I was curious enough to go inside for a closer investigation and not just pass by.

    After several hours of concentrated recording, it was nice to get my ears back out in dry air. I’m happy there are no open sends to Valhalla in real life but experiencing the eternal resonance on the low frequencies from the wires was absolutely amazing.

    Abandoned Oil Tank was recorded with a LOM basic Ucho stereo pair, a Zoom H6 and the LOM Geofon. All files are in 96 kHz/24 bit and contain the original recordings.

    The result is a unique sound effect library including balloon pop impulse responses from a truly unique location that very recently became even more unique since word says that the oil tank is no more and has abandoned this world.

    327 individual sounds – all tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata.

    www.katrineamsler.com

    20 %
    OFF
    Ends 1713131999
  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Magic and Spell Sounds Play Track 682 sounds included, 29 mins total $19

    Magic and Spell Sounds is a custom designed sound library covering many types of magic and spells. From shining in the light to bringing darkness.

    Elements: electricity, energy, fireballs, ice, vines, rock, wind and water. Covering actions such as: blasts, casting, conjuring, impacts, healing and more.

    682 total sounds (422 magic and spell sounds, 260 bonus sounds from Pro Sound Collection).

    ALL sounds from this library Magic and Spell Sounds are included in our full sound library Pro Sound Collection. So if you need more sounds be sure to check it out before purchase.

    24 %
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Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.

  • The physical version of Small Rantonen Kantele is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, still playable 5-string kanteles in the world, as it was made in 1770. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. We used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument. Strumming is a crucial part of playing the small kantele, so we kept that in the middle of the development from start to finish.

    Samples were recorded using different parts of the kantele, with resonance and without resonance, to give more options for the sound of the instrument. During the sampling the strings were tuned using a diatonic scale (CDEFG). With the virtual instrument it is possible to tune every string independently, so you can achieve the traditional D-tuning and many other tunings.

    We captured long, damped, and dead notes, and harmonics. In addition we recorded percussion with the strings and the body of the instrument. Many other delicious samples are also present, including the sounds of hand damping the strings!

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • The physical version of Large Rantonen Kantele is an old, large 30-string concert kantele made in 1902. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. As both hands are on the strings when playing a physical kantele, we used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument.

    We recorded long notes, damped notes, harmonics, and mallet hits. For the virtual instrument, we expanded these notes to cover the missing sharps and flats, and even more lower and higher notes. We also added a virtual damping board, two play modes, and a large number of options to help you to create your own sound and playing style.

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Human Sound Effects Zody Play Track 1243+ sounds included, 151 mins total $55

    With abounding character and a penchant for speaking their mind, these little folk always have a lot to say. Wonder and amazement naturally follows.

    Having the honor to be able to observe these tikes in their natural habitats, it became clear how babies share a great deal across their mannerisms as the grow. A longitudinal family of vocalizations and sounds that span the first year of life and maturity, the heart of this library, centers on those personalities and mannerisms changing and taking shape over that period of time. The little ones have been recorded at infancy, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. Each of these developmental milestones mark a significant step forward for all babies and at these stages their personalities and expressiveness grow remarkably. It is the constantly evolving language of exploration and examination; always learning. Each vocalization in this library, even within the same stage of development, is unique. From giggles to shouts, questioning to cries, babbles, cooing, and inventive phrases all the way around.

    Additionally, strollers, toys, diaper bags, bottles, pumps, swings, and more have been captured as compliments to represent all of those ubiquitous items in a baby’s world. The strollers were profiled on different surfaces and from different mechanical perspectives. The toys were recorded both in-play and as Foley. Bottles and diapers were used in their normal function and fashion, while other tools and devices of the dedicated and savvy parent were selected for their sound and utility.

    Joyfulness is easy to hear in this library.


   

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