Musical Disagreement Leads to Positive Results

Over the next month, we'll have a handful of fun music-related anecdotes from George Oldziey as he recounts what life was like composing the music for Wing Commander. While many developers have fond memories from their time in the business, it's also very common for the stress to grate on people's nerves and for exhaustion to take its toll. Here's the story of how George created the soundtrack for Blair's arrival at Axius. He got into a philosophical disagreement with Chris Roberts about how this particular tune should resolve - but there was a happy outcome in the end! This track is one of the orchestrations planned for Mr. Oldziey's project to create a new live album of WC music. You can back the campaign and secure your copy here!

I thought I would share a bit of WC history from behind the scenes. Those of you who played WC4 probably remember this scene deep into the game when it was revealed that Admiral Tolwyn was actually the leader of the genetically enhanced Black Lance. Blair had commandeered a Black Lance uniform in a previous scene and made his way up to this Nazi like rally featuring Tolwyn and Seether. At the end of Tolwyn's speech Seether spots Blair in the back of the room and sends his Storm Trooper-like soldiers to get him. BTW, this is one of the scenes I have orchestrated and is ready to record.

The reason I bring this one up is it was one of the FEW times Chris Roberts and I disagreed on a musical cue. I have to admit that one reason I was able to score so much music so quickly was that he rarely disagreed witih my approach.

I had originally scored this scene so that when Blair thought he was safe at the end, and the pursuers were running by, I had the music fade to nothing, just before the hand comes out and grabs him on the shoulder. When I first showed it to Chris he said, "no, have the music build up instead". I tried to plead my point that my instincts were if we fade it out the audience would think Blair was safe and the hand on the shoulder would be more startling without a musical hit. Chris said no.

Anyway, I went back to my studio and decided I was right and sent my original music out to EA in California to be mixed and rendered with the scene.

Some days went by, and Chris received the rendered audio with that scene. I was working late into the evening at Origin, composing a new cue. I heard steps coming down the hall, the door opens, and Chris looks at me, more like glaring, and says, "do it the way I want", and slams the door. So of course I do what he said and that's what ended up in the scene here.

A side note; I was so upset by the situation that the next day I just happened to be standing outside my studio office and muttered something to the effect that, "when this game is finished I'm outta here". I don't think I really meant it. It was just artistic frustration. But apparently it got heard and passed along to the chief financial officer who showed up to my office the next day with a new contract with a big raise! Not sure if there is a moral to this story, but I just remember it well!