New immersive technologies have blurred of the lines between the film & gaming industries, not only in the the way stories are developed, produced and told, but also to a lesser degree the interactivity of their respective audiences. The greatest benefit of this kind of cross-over is the creation of new job opportunities for those who work in what were once traditionally ‘film only’ crew roles, particularly post production.
One of those new opportunities is the Audio Mentoring Project (AMP) which officially launched online this week bringing mentorship to the video game audio industry. This kind of mentorship program is a rare opportunity in the gaming industry, let alone its audio production side.
The AMP’s goal is to encourage the learning & development of the next generation of game audio designers, by providing them with an extensive network of industry-leading professionals in the hopes of forming not only mutually-beneficial relationships, but life-long friendships.
Program Creator Ariel Gross said, “This project exists because we want to leave our field, our industry, and indeed the world as a better place than it was when we came along. It’s a quest to connect great people to each other so that they can learn and grow together, to form awesome new relationships that may never have happened without a little help. Imagine what amazing stuff could come of it!”
Mentorships are offered as a one-on-one basis and tailored to suit the needs of the applicant. The program is designed as a series of four phone calls with the option of an additional project that the applicant works on under the guidance and collaboration of their mentor.
A series of interviews will also take place between the mentor & mentee which will then be released as podcasts on SoundCloud to help potential applicants be inspired by the process and to show what can be achieved through participation in the project.
The volunteer council is led and staffed by a group of Game Audio professionals, including:
Ariel Gross – Producer, QC Games (US)
Becky Allen – Audio Director, Popcap (US)
Corina Bello – Assoc. Sound Designer, High Moon Studios (US)
Damian Kastbauer – Technical Audio Lead, Popcap (US)
Dren McDonald – Director, nerdtracks.com (US)
Kenny Young – Audio Director, AudBod (UK)
Mark Kilborn – Audio Director, Call of Duty (US)
Sally Kellaway – Creative Director, Ossic Studios (US)
If you’re interested in applying to the mentorship program, or if you’re an industry audio professional, wishing to have an active role in the AMP, than check out the website, HERE.
