Anthony Putson Interview: Freelance Videogame Composer Tells All

by Patrick Steen on February 5, 2008 at 5:53 pm

Ripten is lucky enough to be joined by Anthony Putson, a freelance video game composer who is part of a company with over 30 years of experience in producing game audio, amalgamating into one of the largest portfolios in gaming history. Their output includes Driver 1 and 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, the Duel Masters trilogy, Micro Machines, Xaolin Showdown, Clive Barker’s Jericho and many more.

We discuss every part of creating video game music, from how a freelance composer makes his way in the industry, to how you can get your work noticed. Join us after the link.

Duel Masters Trilogy (Nintendo DS)

Patrick: Hello Anth. Thank you for joining us for this interview. To start off, how did you get into writing video game music?

Anth: Hello Patrick, my pleasure. It was back in the early Nineties when I started playing around with a music program called Protracker on the Amiga, just for fun of course. But as time went by, a lot of people were commenting on how good they thought my music was and suggested I send demos to various software companies (I still have the replies).

One thing led to another and in 1994 I was asked to write my first game, which was Pinball Dreams 2 on the PC. And yes, I s**t myself! In the end I decided I didn’t have the balls to write everything, so a few other musicians came on board. I’m feeling much better now!

Patrick: Do you compose for any other mediums, or is video game music your preferred profession. If so, why?

Anth: I’m open to absolutely anything to be honest, but at this moment in time video game audio takes up all my time and just so happens to pay the bills! In the long term, writing for film or TV would be a natural progression I guess and is something I’m keen to sink my teeth into.

Patrick: How do you feel the game music industry has changed since you entered the profession?

Anth: The difference is really night and day! Technology is of course the biggest change, which also applies to all areas of game development to be honest. What we can do now compared to back then is really quite staggering, but all this technology comes at a cost.

Audio budgets for games has increased at a high rate for quite a number of years but so has the expenditure needed to stay competitive and ahead of your competitors. Long gone are the days when a single computer in your bedroom would suffice!

Patrick: Have you always been a freelance musician? In what way is this preferable to being in-house?

Anth: Yes I’ve always worked freelance, though a few offers of full time employment have come my way down the years. I think I’m more relaxed working at home, working when I want to work, and potentially the earnings can be more beneficial than going in-house.

I usually work on lots of games throughout the year which always keeps me busy. I think I’d get bored or lose focus working in-house on maybe 2 or 3 games a year. At the very least I can’t get fired!

Micro Machines V4 (Nintendo DS)

Patrick: How much control do you have over your work?

Anth: At the end of the day we are working to the requirements of the developers/publishers/licensors, but if we feel the desired direction is a bit wayward then of course we can make suggestions.

I think it’s all about getting a good balance between what they want and what we think is best for the game. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and you’re given the key to the city so to speak!

Patrick: How do developers work with you? Do they provide themes and artwork, or do you work very closely with game footage?

Anth: Every developer is different in this matter. We can receive any number of things, such as music examples, screenshots (though I think today they are called bullshots!), concept art, video footage etc. Really depends on when our involvement starts. All useful of course as we build up an idea of what the game is and where the game is heading.

Patrick: At what stage of development do you join a project?

Anth: 80% of the time I would say within the last month or so of development. This is ample time with handheld work, as usually the amount of material needed is considerably less than console or PC related projects. The earlier the better of course as no one like to rush things.

Patrick: How many games have you composed music for, and for which platforms?

Anth: I think personally I’m approaching 80 or so. My longtime colleague Allister Brimble is at over 250! (I’m still playing catch-up!). Allister started back in 1987 on the Spectrum and C64, and as I said earlier I arrived to the party in 1994. We have written for nigh on every system released since 1987! Which is a….few to say the least!

Most of our work today revolves around the DS which is a really great system to work on, though does have its share of technological pitfalls! We are licensed Wii developers which again is a great system to work on, and we have experience on PS2, PS3 and 360. So I think all bases are covered.

Clive Barker’s Jericho (PS3/Xbox 360/PC)

Patrick: In what ways does your approach differ when you produce music for a Nintendo DS game compared to an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 game?

Anth: We approach whatever format we write for in exactly the same way to be honest. At the end of the day the goal is still the same.

Patrick: What was the last project you worked on and what are you working on now?

Anth: We are working on a number of projects on a variety of platforms. Recently we completed work for Atari, Konami and Codemasters. Two projects of which we are pretty excited about. Retro heads out there should be interested!

Patrick: How influential has the technology of consoles/handhelds influenced your work and composition style?

Anth: All of the consoles/handhelds have strings attached, so your style needs to be adjusted to take these limitations into account beforehand. It could be something like…a reduced memory budget for example, so you’re limited to how many sounds you use, or which sample rate to use. You always fight your corner to get a bit more memory (every little bit helps!)

Patrick: In which generation did you feel you could do whatever you wanted technically and musically?

Anth: Musically I would have to say this generation of course. I just think publishers/developers are more open to a wider array of musical styles compared to when I first started. Part of this, I guess, is that we have a much broader array of games available.

Technically I would choose this generation without hesitation. The technology available today is just mind-boggling to where we were 10 or even 5 years ago. The only limitations nowadays I think is actually yourself! With all this technology available, if you still can’t compose a decent tune, then I think you’re in the wrong job.

Patrick: What have been your favourite game consoles to produce music for?

Anth: I still have fond memories of my time on the Amiga of course, but I think working on the DS is really a favourite, though challenging from time to time due to the sometimes restricted memory limitations.

Patrick: Which video game/film composers do you admire the most?

Anth: As far as film composers goes there are quite a few! I’ve studied their work and methods for many years. If you want to be the best then you learn from the best.

So in no particular order; John Williams, James Horner, Basil Poledouris, Jerry Goldsmith, Howard Shore, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, Trevor Jones, David Newman, Danny Elfman, Harry Gregson Williams, Patrick Doyle, John Powell and Bill Conti to name but 16!

To be honest, I don’t really follow what other game composers are doing, aside from my friends. I just make sure I do the best I can possibly achieve. Of course I play games when my schedule allows, of which I have favourites; the Final Fantasy series, Ridge Racer series, and this last year I thought Greg Edmondson did a great job on the PS3 game Uncharted.

Patrick: Is there a soundtrack/tune you wish was your own?

Anth: I would rather worry about making my music something I’m proud of.

Patrick: How do you feel about the current trend of film composers moving to video games, such as John Debney and Lair?

Anth: I think it’s great, I really do. Though there’s not actually that many involved when you look around. I think John’s the most high profile thus far alongside Harry Gregson Williams. Danny Elfman had a small role on Fable a few years back of course.

A lot of music nowadays has more of a cinematic/film like nature and so there’s no better people on the planet than these guys. Though they do come at a cost, which is why you will only see them in big budget projects.

Xaolin Showdown (Nintendo DS)

Patrick: Did you ever release a piece of music that you knew was substandard?

Anth: Well, you always try your best with the time given to you. Usually if you’re given a shorter deadline, chances are the quality will suffer somewhat. If I’m being honest with you, I’d say there have been occasions where I wasn’t happy with what I’d written only because of the time available. But I guess they can’t have been that bad if they were approved!

Patrick: In your opinion, what were the best game soundtracks of 2007?

Anth: Aside from Uncharted, I thought Halo 3 had quite a unique sound to it which I quite enjoyed and Jesper Kyd did a cool job on Assassin’s Creed.

Patrick: Do you only write music during a game’s development process, or do you create songs first to offer developers to include in their game?

Anth: Well I never stop writing even during the quieter times of the year, mostly for personal pleasure of course and just to keep fresh until the next project arrives. Usually some of the tracks make their way to our website.

If a developer approaches us and asks for a specific demo before they commit to hire, then of course we oblige, though mostly in our case contracts are signed before any material is written. A good reputation goes a long way in this business I think!

Driver 2 (Playstation 1)

Patrick: Since you are freelance, have you had any problems with game publishers/developers in the past regarding pay, deadlines or misunderstandings of what type of music they want?

Anth: Getting paid is the worst part of it! No one likes chasing money or being chased for money, but in the end it sometimes has to be done. We haven’t quite gone down the legal action route yet, but you never know!

Getting the music style right is number one priority in our book, and is usually the first thing we agree on. It is the most important aspect after all.

Patrick: How realistic are developers when giving you deadlines? Do they generally understand how long it takes to compose and produce music?

Anth: Every developer is different to be honest, some will give you plenty of time, some will give you 3 days for example. Most are aware these things CAN take time, especially if any revisions are needed. If they don’t get it right first time, they usually get it right second.

Patrick: For aspiring game musicians, what advice can you give them in the steps they should follow to get their music considered by developers and/or publishers?

Anth: Originality is the key for any budding musician out there. Your tracks need to stand out from the crowd. Try and write alternative music to one of your favourite games for example, explaining why you chose that particular style. And write in as many styles as possible so developers/publishers can see how flexible you are.

Patrick: Thanks for your time Anth and good luck on your future projects.

Anth: Thanks Patrick.

To hear examples of Orchestral Media Development’s work, please visit their website here.

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