James Nelson
Game Designer & Composer
At Last
I worked as an Assistant Composer to Benjamin Speed on the film At Last - a large budget Chinese/Australian co-production.
I was contracted with initial development of demo cues for the film's musical score. I would establish the tone/theme of pieces, with alterations being made based on feedback/notes from the lead composer Benjamin.
I worked individually and collaboratively with Benjamin to create pieces/motifs that would set the tone for characters, scenes, and set pieces based on the director's creative vision - which went through some revision while we were working on the initial drafts of the score.
I used a lot of custom synthesis to develop the dark, brooding motifs for the film's antagonists, and the light and poppy pool party scenes. I developed a lot of rhythmic concepts for set piece scenes as well as loosely structured pieces to mimic actions seen on screen.
I worked remotely - with daily calls with Benjamin to discuss our workflows, what was required for the next sprint, and the goals to achieve each day. He entrusted me to develop high quality work in a relatively short time as we shared agile workflows to be able to adapt as quickly as possible based on the director's revisions/feedback.
Honours Major Project - BLOOM
Exegesis
Bloom is a nonlinear compositional tool and interactive performance system created over 1 year for my Honours Degree at the University of Adelaide whilst studying a Bachelor of Music (Sonic Arts).
Bloom organises indeterminate, loop based audio into zones, which are triggered using real-time gestural control and movement data tracking within an interactive space. It creates a unique framework for real-time arrangement, whilst providing a tool for performance, using real-time movement tracking and gestural control within an interactive space.
The project was developed using a Microsoft Kinect for body movement tracking in a 3D space, a Waves NX head track to track subtle head movements to simulate binaural sound, Ableton Live for Music Composition and FX proccessing, and Max 7 for programming the functionality of the project and the communication from physical hardware to auditory output.
Excerpt from my exegesis:
Bloom is a compositional tool and interactive performance system that is realised through the extensive research and application of a range of theoretical and practical methods.
The structure of the system is built on four foundational pillars; user movement and gestural control; locational zones; indeterminate loop based composition; and binaural processing.
Though each foundation is not unique in of itself, when combined they play a fundamental role in creating a unique musical experience that is relatively unexplored within Sonic Arts.
Bloom is designed with the intent of being operated as a tool for nonlinear compositional arrangement in addition to being an interactive performance tool.
Bloom is a solid foundation with the potential to be developed further in the future. Its core concepts are not exclusive to a definitive architecture and are flexible enough to be reapplied and significantly expanded upon within a variety of formats.
VR and augmented reality technologies are particularly suitable for expanding the connection between the body and overall experience are intuitively intertwined.
Future research would amount to further integration of interactive scenarios and possibilities for the performer that extend beyond basic movement and gestures to include more specific controls such as acceleration or repetitive motion.
Additionally, the inclusion of additional media to compliment the auditory and immersive experience would be explored. For example, repurposing Bloom’s framework in the context of video game design to create a first-person perspective VR title that would combine the explorative aims of the current system with puzzle systems to replicate the sequence of the original compositional arrangement.
Tarnanthi Indigenous Arts Festival
I concepted and wrote the initial draft of the piece over a 24 hour period. The piece was then passed along to my co-composer for final touches.
The piece was used in a variety of promotional videos and posts across social media through the 2018-2020 Tarnanthi Festival of Indigenous Arts.
The FXYZ – Aleatoric Gestural Control w/ Dynamic Effects Processing
The FXYZ is both a gestural performance controller and aleatoric compositional piece that uses the motion tracking capabilities of the Nintendo Wii Controller combined with the XY functionality of its Nunchuk Controller add-on.
Influence is taken from Terry Riley’s In C (1964) which comprises of 53 unique sequence points of different lengths that could be performed in any sequence within 2 or 3 phrases of each other. This process allows for each performance to develop uniquely while retaining its identity as a piece, which is the basis of the FXYZ’s compositional structure.
The FXYZ is played using gestures that are aesthetically similar to a conductor controlling a performance by waving the controller to trigger sound from 3 banks (XYZ), with further control being assigned to the Nunchuk for XY effect automation. Feedback is presented using auditory and visual communication such as the monitoring of button, XYZ and XY data in Max, and the monitoring of its effect and outcomes within Ableton Live.
Stems ranging from 1 to 8 bars were written to be processed using aleatoric randomisation in Ableton Live through the implementation of audio banks for each direction (X = Chords, Y = Leads, Z = Drums). Additionally, 4 FX chains (Bitcrush/Overdrive, Reverb, Delay, Filter) are also attached to the Master channel which have automation parameters assigned to the Nunchuk Controller (XY). Further, buttons are allocated to each specific component for further control over modulation and its compositional development.
The Sardonic Smile - Proof of Concept Trailer
I was contracted to create the Music/SFX for a concept trailer for SA Short Film A Sardonic Smile.
Foley for Silent Film - Nosferatu
Original foley was recorded using a portable zoom microphone and edited to be placed over a scene from the film Nosferatu.
I storyboarded the scene to document what sounds and tones would need to be recorded. I recorded footsteps over various materials, doors and cupboard handles, pots and pans that were then manipulated using Ableton Live to achieve the desired sonic result needed for the tone of the film.
I then edited/mixed the sounds to sync up to the events and composed a basic piece of music to play alongside to convey the tone of the film.
Sound Design Task - Original Piece from Assigned Stems
The goal of the project was to create an original piece of music that would be passed onto another person randomly. From there a 2nd original piece was developed using only elements from the assigned song stems.
I created original wavetables and synthesisers using the original stems via resampling in Ableton Live for maximum customisablility for sound design. This allowed me to create a completely new piece of music rather than a simple remix of existing stems.
The process for this was to take single waveform samples out of the complex waveform of each stem as my base layer to be used in and manipulated using Simpler. This allowed me to create a variety of soft synths that could be edited using traditional synthesis and be composed in MIDI format. Extensive FX were used to create the desired tone and atmosphere of the piece and further separate it from the original piece.
Sound Design Task - Piece Using Only Paper
Bonfire of the Vanities – Through the Mind of Girolamo Savonarola:
The source material for this piece was derived from paper samples. They were then manipulated using techniques such as Vector and Granular Synthesis, Playback Alterations as well as effects such as reverb, chorus/flanging and delay within Pure Data. The samples were then mixed and sequenced using Logic Pro 9.
The narrative is a look inside the mind of Girolamo Savonarola, as he rose as a Dominican priest responsible for The Bonfire of the Vanities’, and quickly fell to the even more corrupt politicians that surround him. We begin with Girolamo riding via carriage through the masses of bonfires in Renaissance Florence. He arrives at his church to celebrate his work, although the celebrations are short lived as Pope Alexander VI’s men apprehend him. He is tried and sentenced to death by hanging. He makes one final prayer before facing his doom.
Selected Music / Label Releases
An assortment of music released between 2013 and 2020. Released Independently and through record labels such as FiXT Music, Adapted Records, Philosophy Recordings, SectionZ Recordings, and Exertion Records.
My music has over 3 million streams across Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Apple Music and other music streaming platforms.
Genres showcased include: House, Trip-Hop, Chillout, EDM, Trap, Future Bass, Dubstep, Drum & Bass, Experimental, Garage and Ambient.