David Lieberman, Anigraphical.com

Julian Kwasneski, Bay Area Sound

Damian Kastbauer, Bay Area Sound

Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Why do we need an education resource for game audio?
Developing a Game Audio Education Resource
Funding Resources for Educators
List of Schools Offering Courses or Programs in Game Audio
List of Available Resources (publications & websites)
List of Available Resources (organizations)
Game Audio Skillsets Matrix with Job Descriptions

Executive Summary
The skills required for game audio are varied and combine soft skills/attributes with technical skills. There is a lack of available information on what skills are required, how and where to obtain these skills, how to teach these skills, and how to ensure your employees have these skills. The information that is available is scattered and requires both consolidating and marketing as an updatable resource.

Why do we need an education resource for game audio?
Many of us working in game audio and/or education are asked regularly, “How do I get into game audio?” In answering this question, we need to explore the following related questions:

• What are the roles and jobs available for audio professionals now and in the future?
• What skills are required by game audio professionals, and how do we teach these skills?
• Where can someone obtain the skills required?
• Where can instructors obtain the resources needed to teach these skills?
• Outside of schools, how do we train people for these skills?
• What is the market size for jobs?
• What should a game audio curriculum look like?
• What are the student deliverables—documentation of skills?
• How do we check to ensure new professionals have these skills?
• What non game-audio skills do game audio professionals need to know?

There have been several on-going attempts to consolidate information, develop curricula, and create resources to answer these questions, including those of the IAsig, Project BBQ, and the Game Audio Network Guild (GANG). Thus far, however, the centralization of resources has been poorly implemented.  Some information is completely absent, while the information that is available lacks detail and requires a procedure for on-going maintenance and adequate marketing.

Developing a Game Audio Education Resource
We propose to first collect and aggregate the information required in the form of a series of lists. These include a list of resources (publications and online sources of information), a list of schools with their existing curricula, a list of roles and job descriptions, a list of tools, a list of funding and grants available to train students and interns, and a list of available hands-on opportunities (internships, mentoring, apprenticeships).  We will also collate stories of potential paths into game audio to illustrate the many different backgrounds and paths to positions. In addition, we will provide a comprehensive matrix of skills and job tasks that will help students pursue their desired career path and match their skills to potential jobs.
We can use existing infrastructure, specifically the IAsig wiki, the Project BBQ website, and the GANG website, to provide access to these lists of information. On-going maintenance will be helped by the marketing itself. Once the information is available in a functional format and is used by a large group of people, maintenance will be simplified. We propose to induct students who would like to get involved in the IAsig/GANG and have them update the information to share their needs, experiences, etc.
Marketing or sharing this information is a key part of our solution. Having the information in place is only useful if this information is being used and updated. In regards to marketing, we will create a downloadable flyer that schools with game audio in their curricula can print off and share on their recruitment boards. We will also propose a GDC talk and have this information provided in attendee packets at conferences, inform the IGDA, IAsig, and GANG, as well as major game online/offline magazines such as Gamasutra and Game Developer. We will also inform schools of the existence of this information, asking them to update contact information, and so on.

Funding Resources for Educators
Funding for the development of new educational programs is often a necessary part of developing new curricula.  Funding resources are, of course, largely nationally based. As such, we have at this time chosen to select a few key resources for North American sources.

Government sources: USA
There is a large list of sources available on the Foundation for Independent Higher Education website: http://www.fihe.org/
There are also some programs available through the National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=her
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/fipse/index.html
Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Programs Service (specific to programs enabling disadvantaged students): http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/index.html
For vocational-based programs, contact:
Vocational training: H1-B Technology Skills Training  Grants for Workforce Development
U.S. Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov

Private sources: USA
Hewlett Packard: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/higher_ed_main.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN 
Sony USA Foundation Inc. 550 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10022-3211
Att: Communications and Public Affairs Department
Sony Pictures Entertainment's Corporate Philanthropy:  Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232, Att: Janice Pober, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility
IBM:  http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/index.shtml
Microsoft: Partners in learning grants program
Verizon Foundation:  http://www.verizon.com/foundation

Canada
Some of the corporate sponsors in USA may fund in Canada also.
Canadian Foundation for Innovation: http://www.innovation.ca

List of Schools Offering Courses or Programs in Game Audio

Canadian Schools
Vancouver Film School, www.vfs.com

American Schools

List of Available Resources (publications and websites)
(see IAsig WIKI) http://www.iasig.org/wiki/

List of Available Resources (organizations)
Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): Http://www.audiogang.org  
International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA) Education Special Interest Group: http://www.igda.org/education/
Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IAsig): http://www.iasig.org
Game Audio Pro List on Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gameaudiopro)

Sound Design Discussion List on Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sound_design)

Sound Article List on Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sound-article-list)

Game Audio Skillsets Matrix with Job Descriptions
The matrix ranks the importance of various soft and technical skills for each job task/type.  The ranking legend identifies that a “3” represents a required skill, a “2” represents a desirable skill, a “1” represents an unimportant skill, and a “-1” represents a skill that could be a hindrance.

Game Audio Skillsets Matrix (PDF)

section 6

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select a section:
1. Introduction  2. Speakers  3. Executive Summary  
4. Wrap It Up -- Creating a New Middleware Marketplace for Digital Entertainment Platforms
5. The EduMusiTainers™
6. So you want to work in game audio?
7. Smart Ambient Sound Sensor
8. New Creators and New Creative Tools – Understanding the New Ways to Make Music
9. Working as a Creative Professional in a Corporate Environment
10. "PRAGMA" Rebooted (pet rocks and game music alliance) A Project Bar-B-Q 2008 rogue group updating a Project Bar-B-Q 2004 rogue group
11. Schedule & Sponsors