PHOTOS: BEN BABBITT'S SOUND DESIGN WORKSHOP AT IULM UNIVERSITY

On February 15 2019, Ben Babbitt shared his insights on sound design in a compelling lecture open to the general public.

The talk was followed by a hands-on workshop.

It looked like this:

Ben Babbitt is an artist and musician based in Los Angeles. Since 2013, he has provided the music and sound design for the award-winning episodic videogame Kentucky Route Zero, and recently completed the score to Amanda Kramer’s debut feature film Paris Window. As one third of the game studio Cardboard Computer, his work has been exhibited at the V&A Museum in London, the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC, the EMP Museum in Seattle, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His approach to composition and sound design embraces both naturalistic acoustic sound sources and heavily processed digital synthesis as the two ends of a spectrum of possibility.

NEWS: CARDBOARD COMPUTER AND TALE OF TALES CONQUER LONDON

Cardboard Computer and Tale of Tales’s artworks are currently on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Kentucky Route Zero and The Graveyard took center stage at one of the most remarkable exhibitions about video games ever staged. Curated by Marie Foulston, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt celebrates the art, culture, and aesthetics of video games. Professors Jake Elliott (GAME WRITING), Tamas Kemenczy (GAME ART), and Ben Babbitt’s (GAME SOUND) Kentucky Route Zero occupies the second room, DESIGN, next to Auriea Harvey (GAME LAB) and Michael Samyn’s (GAME CRITIQUE) The Graveyard, alongside their REALTIME ART MANIFESTO.

This section showcases rarely seen design materials from the desks and hard drives of leading designers sit alongside specially commissioned multimedia installations that provide new perspectives and insights into the craftsmanship and inspiration behind a selection of groundbreaking contemporary videogames.

Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt will remain open until February 24 2019.

Cardboard Computer at Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt, 2019.

Tale of Tales at Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt, 2019.

Below are additional installation shots from the show, courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London:

Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Read more about Videogames. Design/Play/Disrupt.

EVENT: BEN BABBITT'S HOW TO LISTEN TO A CAVE

We are delighted to invite you to a free workshop on sound design led by acclaimed artist Ben Babbitt at IULM University.

The three hour workshop will take place on February 15 2019 in Aula Seminari (IULM 1, sixth floor) from 2 till 5 pm. Free and open to the public (please RSVP), the event is titled How to Listen to a Cave, The Sound and Music of Kentucky Route Zero.

DESCRIPTION

This extended workshop will focus on exploring and reflecting on the process of creating music and sound design for the recently completed episodic game Kentucky Route Zero. I will explore the ways in which my approach evolved across the nearly seven year development period and identify some of the inevitable challenges encountered throughout, while also highlighting some technical and creative strategies that evolved over the course of working on it while placing an emphasis on autodidactic learning and exploration through experimentation and trial and error. In addition, I will attempt to contextualize my approach to sound and music in KRZ within a broader cultural and historical framework that includes sound in film and other media.

BEN BABBITT

Ben Babbitt is an artist and musician based in Los Angeles. Since 2013, he has provided the music and sound design for the award-winning episodic videogame Kentucky Route Zero, and recently completed the score to Amanda Kramer’s debut feature film Paris Window. As one third of the game studio Cardboard Computer, his work has been exhibited at the V&A Museum in London, the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC, the EMP Museum in Seattle, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His approach to composition and sound design embraces both naturalistic acoustic sound sources and heavily processed digital synthesis as the two ends of a spectrum of possibility.

PLEASE RSVP

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Siamo felici di invitarvi a un workshop sul sound design videoludico curato dall’acclamato musicista Ben Babbitt che si terrà all’Università IULM.

Il workshop si terrà il 15 febbraio 2019 in Aula Seminari (IULM 1, sesto piano) dalle ore 14:00 alle 17:00. Gratuito e aperto al pubblico (previa registrazione), l’evento è intitolato How to Listen to a Cave, The Sound and Music of Kentucky Route Zero. Il workshop è in lingua inglese.

DESCRIZIONE

Hai mai sognato di creare la colonna sonora del tuo videogioco? Grazie a Ben Babbitt potrai finalmente apprendere tutte le tecniche necessarie per apprendere l'arte del sound design. Questo workshop intensivo guida gli studenti attraverso i processi di creazione e sviluppo della colonna sonora dei videogiochi, concentrandosi su uno studio di caso d'eccezione, l’acclamato capolavoro indie Kentucky Route Zero, attualmente esposto nell'ambito della mostra DESIGN/PLAY/DISRUPT del Victoria & Albert Museum di Londra. Ben Babbitt illustrerà le tecniche e le sfide creative legate al processo di sviluppo di ogni componente audio di un progetto di design, seguendo una logica comparativa che mette a confronto il videogioco ad altri media, come il cinema e la televisione.

BEN BABBITT

Ben Babbitt è artista e musicista. È l’autore della colonna sonora dell’acclamato videogioco episodico Kentucky Route Zero e del soundtrack del film di debutto di Amanda Kramer, Paris Window. Ben si è laureato alla School of the Art Institute di Chicago, dove ha incontrato Jake Elliott e Tamas Kemenczy, i fondatori dello studio indie Cardboard Computer. Le sue produzioni musicali, di genere ambient ed elettronica, hanno ottenuto numerosi premi e riconoscimenti e sono state presentate al Victoria & Albert Museum di Londra, il Museum of the Moving Image di New York, l’EMP Museum di Seattle e l’Art Institute of Chicago. Il suo approccio alla composizione musicale e al sound design privilegia tanto le sorgenti audio naturali quanto quelle elettroniche: questi due estremi caratterizzano la sua estetica sonora. Ben vive e lavora a Los Angeles, in California.

REGISTRATI GRATUITAMENTE PER PARTECIPARE

NEWS: INTRODUCING GAME SOUND

We are thrilled to announce that artist and musician Ben Babbitt has joined the Master of Arts in Game Design at IULM University.

This February, Ben will teach an elective workshop on sound design for video games. Titled GAME SOUND, the workshop is open not only to all students of the M.A. program but also to the general public as an à la carte module.

Here’s the full description:

Teacher: Ben Babbitt

Language: English only

Dates: February 8, February 11 and February 15 2019 (3 days)

Duration: 18 hours

Days/Times: Monday and Friday from 09.30 till 12.30 and from 14.00 till 17.00

Price: €590

Course Description

How to Listen to A Cave; the Sound and Music of Kentucky Route Zero

This extended workshop will focus on exploring and reflecting on the process of creating music and sound design for the recently completed episodic game Kentucky Route Zero. I will explore the ways in which my approach evolved across the nearly seven year development period and identify some of the inevitable challenges encountered throughout, while also highlighting some technical and creative strategies that evolved over the course of working on it while placing an emphasis on autodidactic learning and exploration through experimentation and trial and error. In addition, I will attempt to contextualize my approach to sound and music in KRZ within a broader cultural and historical framework that includes sound in film and other media.

Biography

Ben Babbitt is an artist and musician based in Los Angeles. Since 2013, he has provided the music and sound design for the award-winning episodic videogame Kentucky Route Zero, and recently completed the score to Amanda Kramer’s debut feature film Paris Window. As one third of the game studio Cardboard Computer, his work has been exhibited at the V&A Museum in London, the Museum of the Moving Image in NYC, the EMP Museum in Seattle, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His approach to composition and sound design embraces both naturalistic acoustic sound sources and heavily processed digital synthesis as the two ends of a spectrum of possibility.

Docente: Ben Babbitt

Lingua: Inglese

Periodo: 8 febbraio, 11 febbraio e 15 febbraio 2019

Durata: 18 ore

Giorni e orari: lunedì e venerdì dalle 09.30 alle 12.30 e dalle 14.00 alle 17.00

Costo: €590

Descrizione corso

Come ascoltare una caverna: Il suono e la musica di Kentucky Route Zero

Hai mai sognato di creare la colonna sonora del tuo videogioco? Grazie a GAME SOUND potrai finalmente apprendere tutte le tecniche necessarie per diventare un sound designer. Questo workshop intensivo guida gli studenti attraverso i processi di creazione e sviluppo della colonna sonora dei videogiochi, esaminando come studio di caso l’acclamato capolavoro indie Kentucky Route Zero. GAME SOUND illustra le tecniche e le sfide creative legate al processo di sviluppo di ogni componente audio di un progetto di design, seguendo una logica comparativa che mette a confronto il videogioco ad altri media, come il cinema e la televisione. Gli strumenti utilizzati nel corso sono Audacity, Ableton Live, Unity, e un registratore Zoom H4.

Biografia docente

Ben Babbitt è artista e musicista. È l’autore della colonna sonora dell’acclamato videogioco episodico Kentucky Route Zero e del soundtrack del film di debutto di Amanda Kramer, Paris Window. Terminata la scuola superiore, Ben si è iscritto alla School of the Art Institute di Chicago, Le sue produzioni musicali, di genere ambient ed elettronica, hanno ottenuto numerosi riconoscimenti e sono state presentate al V&A Museum di Londra, il Museum of the Moving Image di New York, l’EMP Museum di Seattle e l’Art Institute of Chicago. Il suo approccio alla composizione musicale e al sound design privilegia tanto le sorgenti audio naturali quanto quelle elettroniche. Ben vive e lavora a Los Angeles, in California.

Click here to read about our à la carte courses.