James Hannigan Talks Game Music
Classic FM, a UK radio station focusing entirely on classical music, did an extensive interview with videogame composer James Hannigan. His name may not sound familiar, but the titles he's worked on certainly will. Notable work includes Red Alert 3, RuneScape, Digital Anvil's Freelancer, Fifa 96, Theme Park, Beasts and Bumpkins, Space Hulk, and several tie-in games for major motion pictures. Hannigan spent several years as Electronic Arts' in-house composer, and during that time contributed to the music for Privateer 2. In the third part, the topic drifts to the role of music in videogame cinematics, and the Wing Commander series gets a nod:
Some older games even feature live action in them, such as those in the Wing Commander and Command and Conquer series, and I've been lucky enough to work on a few - including the likes of Privateer: The Darkening, with Christopher Walken and John Hurt among its cast.
Graphics, sound and music delivery have advanced considerably in the last decade or two, and where once cutscenes often looked and sounded like separate productions they are now more likely to share the look, sound and feel of the rest of the game.
Indeed, they are often so seamlessly interwoven with gameplay that the line between taking an active role in a game and exposition has become increasingly blurred, affecting approaches taken to music in the process.
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