Issue: Audio - September 2007

STEPHEN ARNOLD LAUNCHES GAME AUDIO DIVISION

DALLAS - Stephen Arnold Music (www.stephenarnoldmusic.com) officially launched its Earwig Game Audio Division with the completion of two Nintendo DS titles.The studio delivered original music packages to Barking Lizards for the Zoey 101: Field Trip Fiasco and Bratz 4 Real games, which hit stores this month. 

“We developed the Earwig Game Audio Division knowing that there was a tremendous synergy for our original music and sound design in the video game industry,” explains Stephen Arnold, founder and president of the studio. “The two projects we just completed were not only fun, but really gave us the opportunity to tune into our inner gamers and translate that experience into music.”

For Zoey 101: Field Trip Fiasco, which is based on the Nickelodeon television series, Stephen Arnold Music wrote four pieces - a :60 track for the main scene and three :30 supporting tracks. Each was designed to set the mood for a particular aspect of the game and all were written and produced to loop seamlessly using live musicians in the Stephen Arnold Music studio. Since the show’s audience is comprised mainly of teens and ‘tweens, the music had to match the program’s overall feel. The resulting score has an indie pop feel, with young, upbeat and guitar-driven tracks. There is also a sense of eeriness for when characters encounter scary situations. 

The studio also created four tracks (one :60 and three :30s) for Bratz 4 Real. And while they too are designed to appeal to a young audience, Stephen Arnold Music gave them urban feel, even incorporating hip-hop into one of them. 

Both music packages were developed by Chad Cook, creative director; Paul West, chief engineer; and Clay Lorance, editing, post-production.