Elliot Callighan Talks “Unlock Audio” and Sound Design for Media (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 059)

Elliot Callighan, composer and sound designer for media and adjunct professor at DePaul University, joins Cody to discuss his new project, Unlock Audio. It’s a tool for re-framing game audio to make it developer-centric from both a creative and business perspective. They also talk game design education, sound design, and — of course — what video games they’ve been playing lately! 10 tips for creating a stylish kid’s room on a budgetPaint. Painting remains one of the most affordable ways to decorate a space. Use stickers. Wall sticker art is one of the most popular ways to decorate a child’s room — and one of the easiest. Stick with twins. Try to DIY. Infuse color and texture. Add greenery. Repurpose and recycle. Add a mobile, click for more decorating tips.
Elliot is a classically trained violinist and pianist, metal guitarist and electronic music enthusiast with degrees in Music Composition and Sound Design for Cinema. Currently, Elliot is an independent Composer and Sound Designer, a Soundpost Co-Chair for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Overture Council as well as Adjunct Faculty in the Film & Game programs at DePaul University. His work has been featured in campaigns for United Airlines, The Chicago Advertising Federation, GMC, The Godrej Group, Chevrolet Motors, The Goodman Theatre as well as many independent films and games. In addition, he is an Officer and Platoon Leader in the Illinois Army National Guard.
Show Notes:

* Elliot Callighan discusses:

* How he got into composing and sound design for media, including video games.
* Why anyone who’s interested in working on video games should participate in a game jam.
* His new project, Unlock Audio: “I think we’re on the cusp of how game audio is done professionally, just because it’s a lot more straight-forward and simple and easy for everyone.”
* Video games that feature the U.S. military or are actually used by the military, and why he’s thinking about audio as part of his role in the Illinois Army National Guard.
* Where voice acting falls into the “sound design” umbrella, and what it’s like working with voice actors when working on audio for video games and related media.
* The way students are approaching video game development and sound design differently than they did just a few years ago.
* Nerding out over Heroes of the Storm and an indie game called The Cursed Forest.


* Visit Elliot Callighan’s website, RamovaMusic.com
* Check out his new project at UnlockAudio.com
* Elliot’s DePaul University faculty bio
* Hear Cody’s 2017 interview with Elliot on the Curiosity Podcast: “21st Century Composing: Scoring Music For Film And Video Games”
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with