Interview by Samantha H., staff writer, Inside AX- Anime Expo
Inside AX-Anime Expo recently got a chance to interview professional freelance video game composer and sound designer Laura Shighara whose previous works have included Plants vs. Zombies, Ghost Harvest and Minesweeper. We are very grateful for Laura taking some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us.
Tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your job for those who may not know who you are or what you do.
Hi everyone^^ For those who are not familiar with my work, I am a professional video game composer and sound designer. I also write, produce, and perform my own songs. I’ve created music and sound for about 25 published video game titles, perhaps the most well-known being Plants vs. Zombies. I’m half-Japanese and half-European; I think being exposed to different cultures growing up influenced my music a lot. I’ve been a gamer most of my life, and video game music has been a passion of mine since the early NES days… So I absolutely love my job, and I’m very thankful that I’m able to do this for a living Also, I love tea.
Is there any particular reason as to why you became interested in producing music?
I think it’s just always been something that was a big part of me. I was classically trained on the piano for 11 years, but what I really loved was improvising. I would spend so much time sitting at the piano playing random pieces of music that came into my mind; it was very cathartic for me. I became interested in the production side of things during college; my friend gave me a piece of music software (an old version of Cakewalk), and I spent countless hours remixing old video game music and creating my own compositions. I learned so much from just this process.
I never actually thought I could have a career related to music though, because I grew up in an area that was very rigid about “acceptable careers.” We were brainwashed into thinking that you had to go to a 4-year college and become an engineer, doctor, or lawyer… So I just never thought it was possible until my friend submitted my music to record labels in Japan (without even telling me) and I was offered a couple record contracts there for singing. I ended up turning them down for personal reasons, but the whole experience really made me think that I should be pursuing a music-related career because of how passionate I was about it.
If you could collaborate with any musician who would you pick?
I would love to work with Nobuo Uematsu or Yasunori Mitsuda; I’d be especially honored to be able to sing on one of their songs. Their music has so much emotion; it’s really very beautiful.
What is the usual process that you go through to create your music? Has there been any particular piece of music that has given you a hard time?
It depends… Sometimes (if I’m lucky), I’ll get the entire arrangement in my head all at once. Then it just becomes a challenge to get all of that music out of my head and into Sonar (the music software I use) before it leaves my mind. Other times I’ll just improvise on the piano; if I come up with a chord progression or melody that I like, I’ll record it onto my iPhone and build it out on the computer. My best work is the music that forms very quickly; if I have to spend too much time iterating on the core of the piece (the chord progression, melody, etc.), it usually won’t be as good as the ones that materialize all at once. I still spend a lot of time iterating on the production and instrumentation… but the core has to be there first. Given that, the music I have the most trouble with is the music that happens to be missing part of its core (perhaps the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus will be there… but I can’t for the life of me think of a bridge that I like). I’m currently writing a song about the character Rexxar (from the Warcraft universe), and I’m having a lot of trouble coming up with a good chord progression for the verses.
Many people have played Plants vs. Zombies and greatly enjoy “Zombies on your Lawn.” What was the inspiration behind the song? How do you feel about the Sunflower pet’s inclusion in World of Warcraft?
PopCap actually never asked me to write a song; I just wrote it towards the end of the game’s development for fun because I thought it would be a cool addition to the ending credits. I wanted it to be a dialogue between the Sunflower and the zombies. I also thought it was a good way to express the Sunflower’s character^^ I was very happy about the Singing Sunflower pet in World of Warcraft… I felt so honored to be able to provide the vocals for her, and I had a lot of fun with it. It’s surreal walking through Orgrimmar and hearing my own voice in the auction house whenever someone summons her, haha^^
I’ve seen a few of your videos on your youtube channel “supershigi”, what made you decide to upload videos? Do you enjoy making videos?
The first video I uploaded was a trailer for the game I’m developing. I entered it into a contest, and since most of the participants submitted youtube trailers, I figured I should try to make one as well. For a long time, that was the only video I had uploaded… But after PvZ was released, I started uploading piano versions of the in-game music because I had received a lot requests for it. I also started uploading piano improvisations of music from video games that I enjoyed as a kid (Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Megaman 5, etc.); I loved this music and wanted to share it with others. I enjoy making videos, but I think that my current setup is somewhat limited (I’m still using Windows Movie Maker and a simple webcam). Perhaps in the future I will try to upgrade my workstation, hehe^^
I know that you are currently working on Melolune by yourself. What elements of Melolune do you think sets it apart from other indie games out there?
For the most part, Melolune’s gameplay is very similar to a turn-based jrpg (talking to NPCs, leveling up, buying equipment, etc.). But the game revolves heavily around music (even the central story involves a world where people collect silent melodies and assemble them into songs to keep their world alive). There are about 70 tracks of music, and there are certain areas where the player has to collect fragments of a musical arrangement and properly assemble them into a full song in order to receive battle abilities or progress through a dungeon. Though this isn’t a central part of the game, I included it because I wanted to share with players the part of composition that I personally love. I’ve always been fascinated by how completely different melodies can combine with one another in creative ways to produce something very beautiful. It’s almost like a puzzle to me, and I wanted to share that feeling.
As a person who has worked in the music industry and interacted in the game industry is there any advice you want to give for those who want to work in the same field?
Never stop creating! I think with each project, you learn something new. If you don’t have a whole lot of experience with composing, here are two really great exercises that you can do: 1.) Pick a song that you really like and try to re-create it from scratch. It might be tough at first, but you will learn so much about which chord progressions evoke certain emotions, how to form good melodic patterns, production and mixing techniques, etc. And since you’re applying everything as you learn, it sticks longer. 2.) Pick a game that you like and try to re-create the soundtrack (or at least 1-2 tracks from it). As you’re composing, test our your music with the gameplay to make sure it fits. Not only are you getting experience composing music specifically for gameplay, you’re also creating something that you can show developers later. Developers look for composers who specifically understand the skillset of matching audio to gameplay.
There are also plenty of resources online for aspiring game composers. Independent game development forums are a great place to start (tigsource, indiegamer, game maker software forums like RPG Maker and Adventure Game Studio, etc.). At these places you can look for projects to work on with other people just for the purpose of getting experience and building your portfolio (mods, freeware, contests, etc.). There are also specific sections for posting your resume and looking for work. One caveat: try to become a member of the community first before just jumping in and advertising your work. Introduce yourself, go to developer’s game threads, play their games, and leave some nice feedback, etc. If you do this, there’s a much better chance folks will check out your work and want to work with you.
Attend conferences like the Game Developer’s Conference, and be prepared when you go. There are several sites online where you can make business cards for free (Vistaprint, Overnight Prints, etc.), as well as blog services that allow you to create a nice looking website where you can post your work (WordPress and Blogspot are two nice ones). If you can’t afford to go to GDC, they have a wonderful volunteer program that allows you to experience the conference for free. Most of all… be a nice person with a good work ethic and an obvious passion for what you do. Good luck!
Lastly, I know you play World of Warcraft. What do you think of Cataclysm? Do you still want Blood Elf druids?
For the most part, I really like Cataclysm. I think they did some fantastic things to improve questing (The Paladin Pals, The Day Deathwing Came, etc.), and I really appreciate being able to fly all over Azeroth. I’m not a big fan of the new Orgrimmar layout though, and I don’t like how Zoram Strand (which was once this pristine black sand beach) now looks like a war zone. But overall, I am positive on the expansion.
Any messages to your fans and readers of Inside AX?
Hi everyone! Thank-you for your support, you’re awesome ^_^
To listen to some of her original compositions, please visit her official YouTube page or visit her Twitter account.
------Tags: interview, Laura Shigihara, Melolune, Plants vs. Zombies
