GDC 2017 Flash Forward: Headlander Discovering Modern Methods in Sound via 70s SciFi

31 Jan 20172 min video

Transcript

hello we are Camden Stoddard and David Earl The Sound and Music team behind headlander brought to you by double fine Productions and Adult Swim we would like to invite you to our talk at GDC headlander discovering modern methods and sound via 70s SciFi what is headlander headlander is a retrofuturistic sidescrolling action adventure game it's set in a world inspired by 70 Science Fiction it's a Utopia gone wrong ruled by a deranged computer headlander was inspired by the science fiction movies and media of the 7s our approach to the sound and music of headlander was an attempt to mirror the sense of experimentation dark humor and Discovery in those stories to get the sound we wanted we found ourselves using archaic devices and techniques from the 70s we used mechanical gears vocoders guitar feedback and eight track machines for sound design we also de deeply into the realm of analog

synthesis with music inspired by the synth greates such as vanelis Jean Michelle jar and Wendy Carlos among many others while creating the Sonic pallet for headlander we came up with four main tenants these helped to create our own aesthetic for the atmosphere and story of the game we would like to share these techniques with you so that you might be inspired to incorporate them into your own creative process hope to see you there

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Key insights

5 takeaways · ~2 min read

01
Double Fine and Adult Swim utilized 1970s-inspired analog techniques and archaic hardware, including eight-track machines, vocoders, and mechanical gears, to define the retro-futuristic soundscape of Headlander.
02
The audio team established four core creative tenets to distill the aesthetic of 70s science fiction, focusing on experimentation, dark humor, and discovery to mirror the game's narrative.
03
Musical composition for the project drew direct inspiration from analog synthesis pioneers such as Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Wendy Carlos.
04
The development process prioritized early collaboration between the audio director and composer to ensure the sound design and music remained unified with the project team's vision.
05
The sound design workflow integrated subtractive synthesis and single-source sound design techniques to maintain a cohesive sonic palette throughout the game's world.