INTERVIEW WITH TOMMY TALLARICO
What's your background? Did you study composition? How did you get into video game writing?
I've been playing piano since I was three and composing music since I was a teenager. I grew up on video games, but never thought to put my two greatest loves together until I moved out to California when I turned 21. I moved out in 1991 with no money, no place to stay, no friends or family, no job...nothing. I was literally homeless and sleeping under the pier at Huntington Beach. The first day I was in California, I picked up a newspaper and got a job selling keyboards at Guitar Center. I started the next day and the first customer to walk in the store was a producer at a new video game company called Virgin Mastertronic (which later turned into Virgin Games). I was wearing a TurboGrafx-16 t-shirt and we struck up a conversation about games. I went down to the studio and was hired the next day as the very first games tester. It was then that I decided what my career was going to be. I wanted to help change the way people thought and felt about video game music. I didn't want it to be associated with child-like bleeps and bloops; our generation had grown up and we were still playing games. I wanted to create thematic film score music, rock, blues, electronica and all the music I would normally listen to. At the time, you had to be a computer programmer in order to do music for games. I barely knew anything about programming, so I had programmers build me systems in which I could play my MIDI keyboard into the actual game systems. I then convinced the programmers and bosses to give me an unheard-of amount of cartridge space so I could use samples and other tricks to create the best possible audio experience. It all worked out great for my career and the games I worked on. Titles like Global Gladiators, Cool Spot, The Terminator, Aladdin and the Earthworm Jim series were all getting lots of attention for their audio, which helped me prove my theory that game audio should be taken a lot more seriously.
Isn't video game music just a constantly repeating loop of blips and bleeps? How can this be a full-time job?
This is actually a huge misconception among people who haven't played a game in awhile. The reality is that when I first got involved in the game industry over 18 years ago a lot of the music was short repetitive bleeps & bloops. This was because the technology at the time didn't allow for real music and live musicians. It was always my intention as a composer and a fan of video games to help change that perception. It was actually one of our biggest goals in creating Video Games Live... to show the world how artistic and culturally significant video games have become. In the mid 90's DVD's became a viable storage medium for games. Once this happened, composers and musicians could now use real instruments to create game music. It was an exciting time because no one had ever hear their video games make these kinds of sounds before. I remember when I was working on the Terminator video game and we were recording the very first live guitar for a game and some people were so shocked to hear real music that it took a little convincing on my part for them to let me keep it in the game. Their response was... "But it doesn't sound like the video game music we normally hear!?!?" My response... "Exactly!!"
Currently, most games being worked on are using massive orchestras and choirs with sometimes over 100 people on the recording stage. It may sometimes take 1 or 2 years to complete the score on a current video game depending on the project and the amount of gameplay hours needed to score for.
How does the process of writing for a game differ from writing, say, a movie soundtrack or even a symphony?
There are a few differences. The two biggest are the ability to have an interactive score and the ability to really drive the experience more. For example, I may be asked to write for a scene that can be played out in a number of different ways. So, just like the scene the musical score needs to be written in a number of different ways as well. And because of the technology I'm able to seamlessly transition at any time thereby creating a unique end-user experience each time.
Movie music is considered "background music" for the most part because in films, most of the story revolves around dialogue and the music becomes background music. In games, music DRIVES the action and sets the tone for the entire experience! I like to call what we do "FOREGROUND music". In films there are maybe 2 or 3 action scenes and a title & credits screen. In games (for the most part) EVERYTHING is action and everything is exciting.
In the video game industry we are not limited by the linear media of films. We don’t have to make the music swell at 45 seconds because the bad guy is coming through the door and then at 52 seconds have a big percussion hit because the planet just blew up. For the most part we are given total control and freedom in regards to creating music. For us, a designer may say something like…"Okay, there are 100 enemies on horseback with swords all coming to kick your butt! Write me a 2 minute piece of music!" As you can see, we can let our imagination go wide at that point and are rarely limited creatively.
It is for all of these reasons that I always say (and believe) that if Beethoven were alive today... He would be a video game composer!
How many games have been involved with so far? Does this make you the person to have worked on the most videogames? (Please give examples of titles)
I've been involved in the production of 266 video games since 1991. I believe this may be a world record because I've never met or heard of anyone who has worked on that many (or even close to that amount). You can view all the games I've worked on here: http://www.tallarico.com/index.php?s=credits (the link includes box art and credits for each game)
What's your favourite composition (that you've written)? Who's your favourite video game composer? And favourite regular composer?
I'd have to say that it's a toss up between Earthworm Jim and Advent Rising. Earthworm Jim because it was so much fun to work on and to create such a unique character and gaming experience. The music was very whimsical and the goal was humor. In Advent Rising it is a more serious work where I wrote the score like an Italian Opera. I used a 72 piece union orchestra in Hollywood (the same players that most movie scores use) and a 60 piece men, woman & children chorus in Salt Lake City. Many of which were members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
My favorite video game composer would be Nobuo Uematsu who is the composer behind most of the Final Fantasy series of games.
My favorite composer of all time is Ludwig von Beethoven. I don't believe the world will ever have a person who could command and draw so much power and emotion from music.
What, for you, is the best example of game and music? The epitome of video game soundtrack? (Yours, if different from previous question, or someone else's)
The interactivity and mood that any of the Mario games and music have provided have always stood out to me. When people hear that famous medley it takes you back to your childhood and evokes many positive feelings and emotions. It's magical. Other recent games that stand out that I really thought the music added to the overall experience would be Beyond Good & Evil and God of War.
When and why did you conceive of Video Games Live? What are the aims of VGL? What kind of reception have you had? Achievements you're particularly proud of?
Myself and fellow video game composer (and Video Games Live conductor) Jack Wall conceived Video Games Live because we wanted the world to know just how far video games and their music have come. We created a show for non-gamers as well as casual and hardcores to show just how culturally significant and artistic games have become. It's also been a very positive way to introduce a whole new generation of people to a symphonic performance.
The reception at the shows has been incredible all over the world. The orchestras and musicians we play with in each region always tell us that they have never received the kind of ovations and applause that they experience during our show. Most orchestra performances are thought of as quiet events and "something old people do". This is why it has been important for us to create a show with synchronized video, synchronized rock-n-roll lighting, stage show production, special fx, interactivity with the crowd, etc. Our goal was to break that old musty view of the symphony world and bring it into the 21st century for a generation of people who grew up on things like video games and using computers in their daily life.
Aside from ushering in a whole new generation of people to see a symphony and educating the non-gaming masses about the creativity of games... I would say some of our biggest accomplishments have been things like putting on our very first show ever at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. People told us we were crazy to even attempt such a stunt. "No one starts out at the Bowl" they told us. But we really wanted to make an impact and show everyone that games have become a serious form of entertainment around the world. Other achievements include constantly selling out shows to thousands of people in places like Brazil & Spain which most people don't associate with the video game world. We were also the very first show to sell out the Royal Festival Hall in London since it's refurbishing. We also sold out two shows at the Kennedy Center (a national monument) in Washington D.C. with the National Symphony Orchestra which they told us is extremely rare.
It's been quite a ride over the past 5 years and we still have many more goals to accomplish.
What do see happening next in the video game industry? Any big developments in terms of technology or gameplay? Or even in game music?
I think you'll see gaming continue to evolve into our culture. All of us who grew up on gaming are now having children... but we've never stopped playing games. Within the next 10 to 15 years there will be a Prime Minister or President who plays video games. It's taking time... but eventually everyone will understand how important gaming is to the fabric of our entertainment and culture.
In terms of gameplay and technology I'm most looking forward to better artificial intelligence routines. Each year a handful of top games get closer and closer to bringing a more realistic personality and environment to the overall experience. It's going to be a very interesting decade!
I think the music element will continue to grow outside the industry as more game soundtracks and things like Video Games Live start to become more popular in the mainstream and outside of your typical hardcore gamer. The music has the strength, power and emotion to stand on it's own as a piece of art. It's our job to help make sure that the world is aware of that.
Anything else you'd like us to ask? Or anything you'd like to plug/mention?
Please go to www.videogameslive.com and sign up to the mailing list to find out more about the tour, when we'll be in your area and what games you would like to hear us perform. If you don't see your area listed please e-mail us and let us know so we can look into booking a date around you.
If anyone is interesting in finding out more information about my career and the projects I've worked on please visit www.tallarico.com
Thanks!
Tommy Tallarico