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July 2024 Featured Student:


Name: Parker Bert

Location: Montreal, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada / USA

Roles: Sound design, foley, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: As an audio storyteller, I set out to deepen my technical toolkit to better realize artistic goals like player immersion and world credibility. By taking the Wwise course, I gained a strong foundation in implementation and game audio conventions - the perfect jumping off point to pursue work I find meaningful and engaging.

Statement: A huge thank you to the SoVGA team! Your frequent and honest feedback, along with the well designed lessons, helped guide me toward a demo reel I'm proud to share. I was able to get my feet wet (literally) working toward a polished result with the support of Leonard, Jordan, Viviana, and fellow students. As I look to take the next step in my audio career, I'm incredibly grateful for the industry insight and personal connections I've made.


To hear more of Parker's work:

ParkerBert.com

May 2024 Featured Student:


Name: Kevin Lavitt

Location: Seattle, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound designer, music, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal is to be perpetually leveling up my skill set as a sound designer and technical problem solver by welcoming complex projects and getting impactful results. I feel that Unreal Engine 5 is the ideal platform to grow this new knowledge base to not only build immersive audio experiences, but to continue to be a valuable audio team member.

Statement: The whole SoVGA team was an invaluable resource for me as they readily answered all my questions and provided industry insight when it came time to finetune my demo reel. Having the ability to move through the coursework at my own pace allowed me to work at the speed of my own excitement which brought out my best work and created an ideal headspace to grasp complex concepts and incorporate new tools into my workflow.


To hear more of Kevin's work:

KevinLavitt.com

March 2024 Featured Student:


Name: Maksym Kokoiev

Location: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Sound designer, coder and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal is to enhance my skills as an interactive sound designer and build upon my technical software capabilities. I aim to excel in the game industry by creating immersive auditory experiences that bring game worlds to life for the players.

Statement: The school provided me with valuable tools, lessons, and materials that were easy to digest. It guided me through the process of creating a full audio landscape for an existing project, crafting a professional demoreel and enhancing my ability to deliver top-quality game audio.


To hear more of Maksym's work:

MaxKokoMusic.com

January 2024 Featured Student:


Name: Angelo Scogno

Location: Dublin, Ireland
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Sound designer, composer, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal was to expand my skills in sound design and learn how to use Wwise to work effectively in the industry.

Statement: I was provided with the tools and profound knowledge of Wwise and Sound Design. I was fortunate to have Leonard and his team of experts by my side, as they provided me with a well-structured course. Their guidance was impeccable, and they helped me navigate through every step of the course with ease. Their feedback proved to be invaluable in crafting a top-notch demo reel.


To hear more of Angelo's work:

sites.google.com/view/angeloscogno

November 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Aymeric Desmots

Location: Montpellier, France
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Sound designer and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal was to refine my Wwise and sound design skills and dive deeper into game audio implementation. I was also looking for professional guidance to confirm and demonstrate my abilities and join a great Audio Game Community.

Statement: The knowledge and the expertise provided by the school is very deep. Leonard and his instructor team knows how to guide you in the immensity of Wwise and Sound Design with a well structured course. They also provide great feedback and advice, to achieve a great Demo Reel and beyond if you have the passion for!


To hear more of Aymeric's work:

linkedin.com/in/aymeric-desmots-660475aa/

September 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Pedro Hertz

Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Legal to work in: Portugal, European Union, UK (Right to Work Visa)

Roles: Sound designer, composer and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to get hands on a project of some complexity with the guidance of experts in the field using an industry-standard toolset. My aim was to fine tune my skills to the game development needs.

Statement: I liked the way the course was organized with weekly tasks, raising in complexity until the final demo reel project. Once I got there, the experience from the previous weeks had cleared the way to focus on the creative aspects of the project, with minor technical obstacles in the way. I took this challenge as if this was a real job and the game had to be shipped, by following this approach, I maximized my learning from the course and ended with a polished final product. The feedback provided by the SoVGA team throughout the process was invaluable.


To hear more of Pedro's work:

PedroHertz.com

July 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Oscar Schlicht

Location: Melbourne, Australia
Legal to work in: Australia, UK, EU

Roles: Sound designer, composer, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: Ambitious to move into game audio from a background in electroacoustic music and editing sound effects and Foley for film, the SoVGA was the ideal introduction to the scene and way to learn how to effectively implement my sound design into games.

Statement: By going deep into implementation using Wwise, I’m now able to focus on the exciting challenge of designing engaging and emotionally impactful interactive audio. The guidance and feedback from the SoVGA team and community has given me a much better understanding of the industry in general, and how to best apply myself to keep moving forward.


To hear more of Oscar's work:

linkedin.com/in/oscar-schlicht-7793b5207

May 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Marina Prokic

Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Legal to work in: Serbia

Roles: Sound designer and game audio implementation

Course Goals: After learning a lot about audio implementation in Unreal Engine, i decided to join school of game audio to expand and diversify my knowledge and refine my sound design skills. As both sound and video games lover i am hoping to turn my passion into a career.

Statement: I definitely enjoyed my time with the school. The feedback and help from Leonard, Viviana and Jordan was amazing and it helped me gain confidence in my creative expression. I can only say - this adventure has only just begun! So, thank you SoVGA!


To hear more of Marina's work:

linkedin.com/in/marina-prokic-bb49a014/

March 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Vincenzo Bellanova

Location: Milan, Italy
Legal to work in: Italy / EU

Roles: Sound designer, composer, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to dive deeper into the engine and understand how to create immersive experiences with Unreal Engine 5.

Statement: I really enjoyed the course, especially exploring the engine with a hands on approach thanks to weekly project assignments.


To hear more of Vincenzo's work:

VincenzoBellanova.com

January 2023 Featured Student:


Name: Paul Shelley

Location: Birmingham, UK
Legal to work in: United Kingdom

Roles: Sound designer, instrument maker, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I'm always looking to upgrade my game audio implementation knowledge to be a skilled audio team member and find the more I learn, the more it reshapes how I approach game sound design. With all the exciting new developments in Unreal 5, I came to the course as I wanted to gain confidence and knowledge in its new tools for creating dynamism in the game environment.

Statement: As I'm working hard towards a career in game sound design, this being my second course now with the school, the courses have been incredibly valuable not just for developing my implementation skills but also for learning to structure and communicate the results too for demo reels and interviews. I’ve gained a lot of perspective and skills through the school and am constantly finding new angles thanks to Leonard’s wide experience and insightful feedback and always value having his perspective to learn from.


To hear more of Paul's work:

PaulShelleyAudio.com

November 2022 Featured Student:


Name: Alejandro Gay

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Sound designer, composer, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I joined the course to build upon my skills in audio so that I could design sound for video games and other immersive environments. Sound implementation is key to transform sound into an experience and I needed to build the tools and concepts to help me make that happen.

Statement: I really enjoyed my time with the school. They were great, answered all doubts and helped me navigate this new set of tools. The feedback from everyone was very helpful and it proved essential to create a solid reel.


To hear more of Alejandro's work:

MenuraStudio.com

September 2022 Featured Student:


Name: Fernando Espinosa Moreira

Location: Madrid, Spain
Legal to work in: European Union, willing to Relocate

Roles: Sound designer, game audio implementation, audio engineer, music production

Course Goals: As a music and video-games lover I decided to join the school to refine my 15+ years of audio skills in order to drive my career definitely towards the Game Audio industry. I began with the Wwise course willing to accelerate my learning in the area of game audio implementation and make a good reel that helps me in my path.

Statement: I enjoyed a lot my time during the course. The advice from Leonard, Viviana and Jordan and all the insights shared in the School’s Discord server and in the YouTube QA sessions helped me and inspired me a lot to get better results. I am certain that my choice to join the school was the right one. Thank you very much SoVGA!


To hear more of Fernando's work:

Spinosound.com

July 2022 Featured Student:
Katrine Amsler


Name: Katrine Amsler

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Sound design, instrument builder, composer and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I decided to join school of game audio to understand Wwise better and to refine my sound design and implementation skills.

Statement: SoVGA has been a great resource in providing me with a much better understanding of Wwise and how it is connected to games. I have improved my sound design skills and gained a lot more confidence in applying for future jobs in the industry. I have also expanded my network by far and since the start of the course till today I have seen an ascending curve of employers interested in my work. The feedback and help has been amazing!


To hear more of Katrine's work:

KatrineAmsler.com/

May 2022 Featured Student:
Mark Dawson


Name: Mark Dawson

Location: Merseyside, United Kingdon
Legal to work in: United Kingdom

Roles: Sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I have always wanted to get back to what I love, sound design for games. I felt like I needed to do this course soon as it's a now or never type situation!

Statement: SoVGA provided me with invaluable feedback throughout the course that has really helped focus my game audio skills. With everything I learnt at the school, along with my 15 years of sound recording experience, I hope to start my career as a sound designer in the game industry very soon!


To hear more of Mark's work:

DawsoAudio.com

March/April 2022 Featured Student:
Lorena González


Name: Lorena González

Location: Madrid, Spain
Legal to work in: Spain & willing to relocate

Roles: Sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I decided to join the school with 4+ years of professional game audio experience after finding the school's student reel online. My goal was to create a reel that would help me improve my technical audio skills and make me a better professional.

Statement: This course has made me realize how deep the world of audio implementation is, and the range of possibilities that opens up when the tools we have are explained well and with love for what you do. At the end of the Wwise course, I realized that this is really what I want to continue doing in the future and continue growing as a professional, in fact, I am already working on another personal project. Thank you very much SoVGA!!


To hear more of Lorena's work:

naku-sound.com

January/February 2022 Featured Student:
Nathan Moody


Name: Nathan Moody

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound design, mixing, mastering, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I decided to join the school with 10+ years of professional music and sound design experience after being referred to the school by my game industry contacts. My goal was to create a reel that would help me work on interactive and immersive audio experiences.

Statement: I have recently been hired by Skywalker Sound as an Interactive Audio Designer. It's no exaggeration that the School of Video Game Audio's Wwise demo reel class helped land me this gig. SoVGA was instrumental in getting me here, a thousand thanks!


To hear more of Nathan's work:

NoiseJockey.net

November/December 2021 Featured Student:
Mark Berg


Name: Mark Berg

Location: Victoria, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Sound design, music production, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I love working with fellow creatives so the idea of collaborating with game designers, vfx artists and other audio nerds got me excited to pivot towards a career as a sound designer. I already had a background in audio from producing my own music but was looking for a structured format where I could learn the new set of skills I would need to start pursuing this goal. When I came across the School of Video Game Audio it instantly stood out to me as being the obvious choice with how accessible it was so I immediately enrolled!

Statement: SoVGA not only helped me learn the technical skills needed but it opened my eyes to the infinite ways you can creatively implement audio into games. I had a blast learning alongside others with similar goals and really felt part of a community through the school's discord channel. Also getting immediate feedback on my work and having access to industry professionals such as Leonard Paul and Viviana Caro was invaluable.


To hear more of Mark's work:

markbergsound.com

September/October 2021 Featured Student:
Aileen Paron


Name: Aileen Paron

Location: Bellevue, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound design, scripting, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I come from a linear music/media background, and had taken some steps into working as a freelance composer and sound designer, but I was feeling limited in my progress because I was lacking some of the technical chops needed for the bigger opportunities I wanted to pursue. I found SoVGA and knew it would be the right thing to help me grow those skills.

Statement: After completing the Wwise implementation course, I’m really pleased and excited about the future. The structure and feedback provided by SoVGA really pushed me to level up my sound design and implementation skills, in a way and within a time frame that I wouldn't have achieved working on my own. I definitely learned a lot!


Hear more great work by Aileen:

derringdomusic.com

July/August 2021 Featured Student:
Dominic Caterina


Name: Dominic Caterina

Location: Montreal, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Sound design, scripting, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: Prior to being involved in the gaming industry, I worked as a post production sound designer and sound editor. Making the transition wasn’t easy, but after joining SoVGA I gained much more confidence in my knowledge of the tools and workflow. One important skill that I took from the courses, which proved to be extremely helpful in the hiring process at EA, was the ability to clearly explain and demonstrate my implementation. Leonard’s detailed feedback in the presentation of my work has been an invaluable resource and has ultimately helped me find work in the industry. Big thanks to Leonard, Viviana, and the team at SoVGA!

Statement: I have recently been hired by Electronic Arts to work at their Motive studio as a sound designer on the Dead Space remake. I am very excited to start this new journey and I have the School Of Video Game Audio to thank for that.


Hear more great work by Dom on his website:

https://www.dominiccaterina.com/

May/June 2021 Featured Student:
Anthony Turi


Name: Anthony Turi

Location: Miami, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I recently decided that I wanted to make a transition out of working in the music industry and into the growing field of interactive and spatial audio. Making this switch required me to develop an entirely different set of technical chops that weren't previously required for my linear media work so I chose to start pursuing my goal by joining the School of Video Game Audio. I'm happy to say that enrolling in the School of Video Game Audio has been one of my best decisions this year.

Statement: After completing my Wwise Implementation course I couldn't be more stoked about the future. Every other student, past or present that I’ve spoken to has been really enthusiastic about how the program has provided a sense of structure in our learning pursuits. Leonard Paul and Viviana Caro provided me with invaluable feedback throughout the course that I just wouldn't have had access to if I continued on with my independent studies.


Definitely make sure to hear more great work by Anthony on his sites:

https://linktr.ee/anthonyturi

March/April 2021 Featured Student:
Antoine Bouchard-Côtes


Name: Antoine Bouchard-Côtes

Location: Montréal, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: When I discovered SoVGA around half a year ago, I knew it was exactly what I needed. I wanted to learn more about Wwise by having a well structured course, and by having teachers that would guide me through my learning process. I can confirm that this is exactly what the school offers!

Statement: The final project required a lot of effort, but was so much fun to make! I can also say it was worth the hard work. I presented my demo reel to some people with game audio experience and they were blown away by how detailed and professional it was! After presenting my demo reel and other personal projects I made, I got a sound design job! Dreams do really come true! :)


Definitely make sure to hear more great work by Antoine on his website:

Antoine-BC.WixSite.com

January/February 2021 Featured Student:
James Giannoni


Name: James Giannoni

Location: Dallas, Texas, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound design, music composition, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: With a background in music performance and production, I had been searching for a way to gain knowledge in game audio and implementation. SoVGA provided both the course work and instruction I needed!

Statement: The school and instructors challenged me with projects, documentation, and the guidance that I needed to hone my skills in sound design, Wwise, and Unity. I've come out of it feeling confident that a career in game audio is no longer a dream, but a tangible goal.


Make sure to check out more of James's sound design, implementation, and music work on his website.

See additional examples of his work:

JamesGiannoni.com

November/December 2020 Featured Student:
Sebastian Vronski


Name: Sebastian Vronski

Location: Dubai, UAE
Legal to work in: UAE, UK, EU

Roles: Sound design, voice production, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: Coming from a long background in audio post and being a keen gamer all my life, I wanted to expand my skill set and learn how to implement audio into games using Wwise. My intention for this course was to get a good understanding of Wwise and the different approaches and techniques used in game audio design in order to be able to use my transferable skills to further my career into the games industry.

Statement: I thoroughly enjoyed taking the Wwise course and the fact that I could do it in my own time was invaluable to me. The course was very well structured with great tutorials and exercises. I loved the fact that the tutors are always there to answer any questions, give great constructive feedback and help me address problems. Thank you Leonard and SoVGA. I very much look forward to taking the FMOD course and wouldn't do it anywhere else.


He spent extra time working with professional actors to add an additional layer of polish to his reel's sound design and implementation to really help highlight his skills in the field.

See additional examples of his work:

www.music-jobs.com/uk/cv/Sebastian.Vronski

September/October 2020 Featured Student:
Tzvi Sherman


Name: Tzvi Sherman

Location: New York, New York
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound design, coding and game audio implementation

Course Goals: After learning game audio implementation piecemeal through the resources I could gather online, I was looking for something more structured and the School of Video Game Audio's Wwise course offered just that. Coming from a sound design background in film and television, this undertaking provided the perfect entry into making an industry transition.

Statement: I'm excited to build upon what I've learned in this course and continue to develop my sound design skill-set as well as game audio implementation knowledge. While the course material is well-presented and thoughtful, the real gem of the school is having unfettered access to Leonard Paul. He is a trove of valuable insight; from sound design feedback to industry advice, Leonard is candid and pragmatic.


Have a look at Tzvi's sound design, implementation, and coding work on his Wwise game audio reel.

See additional examples of his work:

Tzvi.audio/games

July/August 2020 Featured Student:
Patrizio Tamborriello


Name: Patrizio Tamborriello

Location: London, United Kingdom
Legal to work in: United Kingdom, EU

Roles: Sound design, music and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I joined the course following my passion for video games. After almost a decade in the music industry I wanted to learn new skills and joining the Wwise course was the right choice for me. Now I feel confident using the software and my gaming audio journey is ready to start.

Statement: The School matched perfectly my needs and the way the course is structured helped me to maintain the right focus during the learning process. Every doubts I had about Wwise were solved thanks to Leonard and Viviana. Working on the final Demo Reel was a huge effort and I'm so glad how it turned out. I'm sure it will help me to find a job in the industry.


Have a look at Patrizio's work on his Wwise game audio reel.

See additional examples of his work:

PatrizioTamborriello.com

May/June 2020 Featured Student:
Matthew Hodgetts


Name: Matthew Hodgetts

Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Legal to work in: United Kingdom

Roles: Sound design, music and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I joined the school because I wanted to learn more about Wwise and also guidance on how to create a show reel that demonstrates my abilities. Hopefully, this will improve the prospects of securing my dream job in the gaming industry as a Sound Designer.

Statement: I have always been fascinated with sound for any type of visual media. I have also been an avid video game fan all my life so I knew I wanted to combine these two areas for my career. I realised I needed a show reel to demonstrate my work and the school has helped me immensely to gain the skills I need to pursue a career in this exciting industry.


Have a look into how Matthew used Wwise to create his game audio reel.

See additional examples of his work:

Matthew's SoundCloud

March/April 2020 Featured Student:
Sabrina Foldi


Name: Sabrina Foldi

Location: Vancouver, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Sound design, music and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to work more with visual media and decided to expand my creative and technical abilities by making audio for games. With the FMOD course I decided I would put my music skills to good use and tried my hand at composing an interactive score for my demo reel.

Statement: The school gave me exactly what I was looking for. I learned how to write and implement interactive music that would enhance gameplay without masking the sound effects, and also how to showcase my music in a demo for the industry. It's been a very rewarding experience that has given me a whole new set of tools, and many more creative possibilities in game audio.


Have a look into how she used FMOD Studio to create her interactive game music score.

See additional examples of her work on her site:

https://SabrinaFoldi.com

January/February 2020 Featured Student:
Sabrina Foldi


Name: Sabrina Foldi

Location: Vancouver, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Sound design, music and game audio implementation

Course Goals: For many years, I’ve wanted to build on my skills in music and audio post so that I could design sound for video games and other immersive environments. I've always believed that although sound is essential in these art forms, it is usually meant to be perceived sub-consciously. Sound seems to be a modest little character, though a very, very important one in moving the audience’s perceptions. I wanted to learn Wwise so that I could do this, artistically and technically, and become a valuable part of the gaming and VR industry.

Statement: In this course, I not only learned how to use Wwise, but also gained important skills in troubleshooting techniques and foley work. Every step of the way, I was very impressed with the school's helpful feedback, especially the careful attention given to each detail in my sounds, implementation, and creative ideas. I can see how this made my work improve, and I can’t wait to learn more.


Make sure to see how she used Wwise with great results in her reel.

See more of her work here:

https://SabrinaFoldi.com

November/December 2019 Featured Student:
Zhenzhen Shao


Name: Zhenzhen Shao 邵真臻

Location: Shanghai, China
Legal to work in: China

Roles: Sound design, game audio coding/scripting and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal is to be a cool game audio technician so I wanted to learn as much as I could about being a technical sound designer and game audio coder. I enjoy working with audio and code so combining them helps me be a more valuable team member which is important to me.

Statement: The school was very good with guiding me as I was learning how to code C# in Unity using the Wwise integration. I really like this school and I enjoyed the whole experience of this course.


Zhenzhen added all the C# implementation needed to add Wwise to the 3D Game Kit and featured obstructions and interactive music in her technical game audio reel.

See more of her work here:

https://space.bilibili.com/2359635

September/October 2019 Featured Student:
Reed Benjamin


Name: Reed Benjamin

Location: Raleigh-Durham, NC, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Interactive composition, sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to learn the skills and strategies for implementing realistic, adaptive, and nuanced sound and music into video games and thought that learning these skills from the school would be a great complement to my existing skills in sound and music.

Statement: The school was very helpful with guiding me as I was learning more advanced topics in interactive audio with FMOD Studio. I'm looking forward to applying my new game audio skills as the school has opened a new set of creative audio possibilities for me.


Reed did some great work with creative sound design and music on his FMOD Studio demo reel.

See more of his work on his webpage:

http://www.reedbenjamin.com/

July/August 2019 Featured Student:
S. Elliot Perez


Name: S. Elliot Perez

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Legal to work in: Japan, possibly willing to relocate

Roles: Interactive sound design and composition

Course Goals: University courses in Composition and Electronic Music don't teach you what is the sonic counterpart of Realism in painting- synthesizing realistic sounds from scratch. I wanted a teacher to help me develop this skill because of the possibilities it offers for interactive media- where the player input directly transforms the sound. I also wanted to learn more about implementation, connecting the generative sound to object physics.

Statement: Leonard was very helpful and patient with my many questions. I learned a lot of techniques and a general approach to analyzing and working with the transformation of natural, noisy sounds.


Elliot has done some cutting-edge work with making his demo entirely using procedural audio techniques.

To play his interactive demo, click here and see more of his work on his webpage:

https://www.selliotp.com/

May/June 2019 Featured Student:
Phill Aelony


Name: Phill Aelony

Location: Dallas, USA
Legal to work in: USA & willing to relocate

Roles: Music composition, guitarist, sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: It has always been a dream of mine to do music and sound design for video games, but I never knew how to approach it. I wanted to learn Wwise to gain a better understanding of game audio and get a better idea of what it takes to work in this field. I also wanted a deeper understanding of sound design and how to capture and create the best sounds for each situation.

Statement: This school has given me a much greater understanding of game audio, sound design, and adaptive music. Leonard goes above and beyond in his instruction, and answers every question with the greatest of detail. Wwise is a very deep and complex program and I am so excited to continue working with it. I feel like I have just scratched the surface of what can be done with Wwise and adaptive music. By the time I completed my demo reel I found that I had sharpened a number of other skills as well such as voice acting, video editing, and working with virtual instruments.


Phill has a really original reel showing his skills in orchestral music, sound design, voice recording and implementation.

Hear more work by Phill on his webpage:

https://PhillAelony.com

Mar/Apr 2019 Featured Student:
Veronika Davies


Name: Veronika Davies

Location: Hamburg, Germany
Legal to work in: Germany / EU / UK

Roles: Music composition, sound design, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to become confident using Wwise and gain a better understanding of game audio and pursue work in the field.

Statement: The school made me very excited about working with adaptive music in Wwise and it introduced me to a whole new world of possibilities. Thanks to the school for all the help, quick responses and detailed feedback along the way!


Veronika put hard work in learning the details of Wwise and it shows in the quality of her reel.

Hear more work by Veronika on her SoundCloud:

https://soundcloud.com/veronika-davies

Jan/Feb 2019 Featured Student:
James Mello


Name: James Mello

Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Music composition, sound design, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: As an avid gamer myself, I wanted my demo reel to include many things that I would expect in a game that I would actually play such as dialogue & objectives, adaptive music, point source sounds, and 3D spatialized sound. I have performed live foley work in theater, composed music, and toured as a musician so I wanted to include as much of my own field recording and live sound design as possible and not rely too much on sound libraries. As I explored and learned Wwise, it was amazing to experience how this software tied in my sound design, music, and interactivity all together in game.

Statement: The School of Video Game Audio was crucial in order for me to learn Wwise with a complete and comprehensive understanding. Their guidance, constructive criticism, and feedback to my sound design, mix, and adaptive music was essential in completing my reel to its full potential. This course opened my mind to brand new possibilities of sound design, adaptive music, and audio mix in game. I can't wait to learn more and also jump into some coding!


James did great work with creating lots of original music and sound design for his demo reel.

Check out more work by James on his website:

JamesRMello.com

Nov/Dec 2018 Featured Student:
Brian Skeel


Name: Brian Skeel

Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Music composition, sound design, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I have been using FMOD Studio for over a year to implement sounds into a video game, but wanted to take this course in order to fill in any gaps in my self-taught application of the program.

Statement: Thanks to the School of Video Game Audio, I am extremely confident in my usage of FMOD Studio. The instructor feedback was excellent, and after publishing it to Youtube, I have received an overwhelmingly positive response to my demo reel.


Brian did great work creating a heavy adaptive music score and strong sound design for his demo reel.

Check out more of Brian's audio work on his website:

BrianSkeel.com

Sep/Oct 2018 Featured Student:
Lauri Koivisto


Name: Lauri Koivisto

Location: Helsinki, Finland
Legal to work in: European Union

Roles: Music composition, sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: When I started the Wwise course, I was working in a theatre as a sound designer and wanted to jump-start my career in game audio. With the school's help, I learned a lot about game audio and landed my first game gig just a week after finishing my demo reel!

Statement: The School of Video Game Audio gave me all the skills I needed to start in game audio and much more. I found the course to be focused and compact to help you learn what you need to know about game sound whether you're an amateur or a professional.


Not only did Lauri create some moving orchestral compositions for his demo reel but he did great sound design and implementation as well.

Hear more of Lauri's audio work online:

LauriKoivisto.com

Jul/Aug 2018 Featured Student:
Jack Thomson


Name: Jack Thomson

Location: Melbourne, Australia
Legal to work in: Australia

Roles: Sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: For this course I wanted to focus on effectively implementing audio using Unreal Engine without relying on middleware, whilst also learning about the features of the new audio engine. For the sound design my main goal was to create a believable sounding monster and dynamic ambience. I hope my reel will help me find more opportunities in game audio.

Statement: The School of Game Audio really helped with inspiration and encouragement, having a mentor who is prompt to respond and give detailed feedback made working far more productive. Instead of trying to work it out alone and relying on online forums and youtube and making little progress. Leonard was even happy to create example projects to help with my understanding of new ideas or methods.


Jack did some stellar sound design work utilising granulation and synthesis techniques while displaying some advanced implementation using the native audio engine in Unreal. Congrats to Jack on his great reel and we look forward to hearing more of his work in the future.

Hear more of Jack's audio work online:

www.audiojack.com.au

May/Jun 2018 Featured Student:
Marco Llano


Name: Marco Llano (マルコ ヤノ)

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Legal to work in: Japan, EU, USA

Roles: Music, sound design, and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to be able with Unreal Engine to create my own mini projects in order to have a more personal sound material to show to companies and possible customers. I also wanted to improve my Wwise implementation skills and get some advice about my sound design skills.

Statement: There are a lot of tutorials out there but it is priceless to receive personal feedback on something so complex as it can be the Unreal Engine audio system.


Marco's reel highlights his skills as level designer, audio programmer, composer and sound designer while displaying some advanced implementation using Wwise with Unreal. Congrats to Marco on his great work and we look forward to hearing more of his work in the future.

Hear more of Marco's audio work online:

marcollano.com

Mar/Apr 2018 Featured Student:
Martín Añón


Name: Martín Añón

Location: Toronto, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada and Argentina

Roles: Sound design, music and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to get a better understanding on sound design and integration for video games. To get game audio contracts I needed to learn how to create a competitive game audio portfolio.

Statement: Thank you again for all your advice and help! Your course helped me have a better understanding of the industry and gain confidence to jump aboard new projects.


Martín's reel highlights his skills as a composer and sound designer while displaying some advanced implementation using Wwise. Congrats to Martín on his great work and we look forward to hearing more of his work in the future.

Hear more of Martín's audio work online:

lapareddesonido.com

Jan/Feb 2018 Featured Student:
Anna Bertmark


Name: Anna Bertmark

Location: Brighton, United Kingdom
Legal to work in: United Kingdom and European Union

Roles: Sound design, scripting and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to learn more about the audio functionality and integration in Unity, and how to bring more subtle realism into experiences, mainly for VR projects.

Statement: Thank you again for all your advice and help! If it wasn't for your course, I wouldn't have had such confidence to jump on board the projects I've been asked to do and to easier explore how to bring detailed and realistic sound to VR experiences.


Anna's reel highlights her skills as a sound designer and demonstrates some advanced implementation and scripting in Unity. Congrats to Anna on her great work and look forward to hearing more of her work in the future.

Hear more of Anna's audio work online:

AtticSound.net

Nov/Dec 2017 Featured Student:
Paul van der Walt


Name: Paul van der Walt

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Legal to work in: South Africa

Roles: Music composition, sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to learn more about recording and designing foley and sound effects, but mainly how to implement my created sound and music using Wwise, so that I could expand my skills and services as a freelance composer and sound designer. I am also hoping that my reel will help in my goal of moving overseas and working abroad.

Statement: The school made me very excited about working in Wwise as it introduced me to a whole new world of possibilities within sound. I’m especially interested in delving deeper into adaptive music and to add a whole new level of depth and complexity to my composition. I thank the School of Video Game Audio for their help, inspiration and encouragement.


Paul's reel highlights his skills as a composer and sound designer plus demonstrating some great implementation in Wwise. Congrats to Paul on his great work and look forward to hearing more from him in the future.

Hear more of Paul's audio work online:

PaulvanderWalt.com

Sep/Oct 2017 Featured Student:
Ricardo Pujol


Name: Ricardo Pujol

Location: Santiago, Chile
Legal to work in: Chile

Roles: Game audio implementation, composition and sound design

Course Goals: My plans are to use my reels to get known in the indie and AAA scene while I'm traveling in Australia, and after that probably other countries. Luckily I can freelance in music from my computer so I can move around with relative freedom.

Statement: The school has opened my view and understanding on how can sound be approached in games, specifically regarding integration.


Ricardo's second featured demo reel is a great combination of extensive custom coding in Unity and impressive audio implementation including a procedural audio lightsaber done using Pure Data.

Hear more of Ricardo's audio work online:

RicardoPujol.audio

Jul/Aug 2017 Featured Student:
Lucía Violino


Name: Lucía Violino

Location: Malaga, Spain
Legal to work in: EU, Spain

Roles: Composer/Sound Designer/Implementation

Course Goals: When I started the course I wanted to learn all I could about sound design and implementation for game audio to improve my knowledge and the course has been really helpful.

Statement: I was also happy to be able to learn a bit about coding and implementation since it will help improve my chances with working within the industry. It was a pleasure for me to work with the School of Video Game Audio, if you have a question they always respond very quickly and efficiently. I learned a lot, thank you!


Lucía's demo reel features her skills in music composition, weapon sound design, creature effects and Wwise implementation. She even convinced some of her family to be actors in her reel and also demonstrates her skill as a talented violinist as well!

Hear more of Lucía's audio work online:

LuciaViolino.com

May/Jun 2017 Featured Student:
Sebastian Apolinario


Name: Sebastian Apolinario

Location: Los Angeles, USA
Legal to work in: USA, Peru

Roles: Audio Engineer/Sound Designer/Composer

Course Goals: I'm always looking to expand my audio skills and game audio was something that I've always felt attracted to. It is always hard to find the right mentor or institution that is worth the time and money.

Statement: I'm glad I came across your website, checking the final reels from previous students totally convinced me to take this course. Thanks to the School Of Video Game Audio I was able to achieve a very professional demo that will be usable for applying for jobs in the game audio industry. Thanks for all your support, I really appreciate it!


Sebastian's demo reel features his original adaptive music, monster sounds, mixing and implementation using Wwise.

Hear more of Sebastian's audio work online:

SebastianApolinario.com

Mar/Apr 2017 Featured Student:
Andrew Avitabile


Name: Andrew Avitabile

Location: Jacksonville, FL, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Audio Director, composer, sound designer, engineer and implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to get as familiar as I could with the Game Audio Industry with the hope of furthering my career in that direction.

Statement: I started this course with the feeling that Wwise was insanely complex and would require years of programming education. I was very happy with the support I received from the instructors, and within a very short span of time, I was on my way toward developing a rich understanding of the program and its capabilities. I recommend this course to anyone looking to further their understanding of video game audio.


Andrew's demo reel features his original adaptive music, experimental worldizing recordings for his monster sounds, mixing and implementation using Wwise.

Hear more of Andrew's audio work online:

AndrewAvitabile.wixsite.com/portfolio

Jan/Feb 2017 Featured Student:
Boris Nikiforov


Name: Boris Nikiforov

Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Legal to work in: Kazakhstan

Roles: Sound designer, mixing and game audio engineer

Course Goals: I'm hoping to transition from my current work in movies and ads into the game audio industry.

Statement: The Wwise demo reel course was very useful for me as I'm just getting started in the game industry. Along with the course program I discovered a lots of aspects about industry thanks to Leonard. I'll definitely take more another courses, and recommend it to others.


Boris's demo reel features his sound designer, mixing and implementation using Wwise.

Hear more of Boris's audio work online:

BorisNikiforov.com/

Nov/Dec 2016 Featured Student:
Emmanuel Daneau


Name: Emmanuel Daneau

Location: Montréal, Canada
Legal to work in: Canada

Roles: Music composition, sound design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goal with the course was to create a professional reel that would show my ability to work with Wwise. I wanted to take my knowledge of audio implementation to the next level to be able to confidently show my composition, sound design and implementation skills to indie developers and other potential employers.

Statement: Knowing that there is somebody out there available to answer to all your questions is invaluable. It's really reassuring to have a second opinion on your work and helps you move forward twice as fast. The School really helped me creating a reel and I would't have completed my demo reel without their advice and feedback. I am very grateful for taking the course and really excited to continue to explore the field of game audio!


Emmanuel's demo reel features his adaptive music composition, sound design and implementation skills using Wwise.

Hear more of Emmanuel's audio work online:

EmmanuelDaneau.com/

Sep/Oct 2016 Featured Student:
Emily E. Meo


Name: Emily E. Meo

Location: Austin, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Music composition, sound design, game audio implementation, and scripting

Course Goals: My ultimate goal was to equip myself with the knowledge necessary to create interactive soundscapes in Unity so I could better collaborate with my Unity-using colleagues whether it be for a game jam, a side project, or even for a paid gig. I've even experimented with making my own games in Unity, so knowing exactly how to implement my ideas is a huge priority for me.

Statement: This was actually my second class with the SoVGA-- I took the Wwise class a little over a year ago, and the resulting reel helped me get hired at my current job as an in-house audio designer. The SoVGA is an excellent resource, whether you're a beginner who wants to learn the basics of audio implementation, or a game audio professional who wants to add another skill to your resume. Plus, the demo reel you end up with at the end is invaluable if you're looking to show off your skills to potential clients and collaborators!


Emily's demo reel features her adaptive music composition, sound design, scripting and implementation skills in Unity.

Hear more of Emily's audio work online:

EmilyEMeo.com

Jul/Aug 2016 Featured Student:
Ashton Mills


Name: Ashton Mills

Location: Oxford, UK
Legal to work in: UK/EU

Roles: Game audio composer, implementation and sound design

Course Goals: Learning game audio is not just about learning to execute specific tasks, it's about learning to communicate, both with people who make games and with the games themselves. This course has been a priceless springboard into a very exciting world. My ultimate goal is to work alongside talented artists and developers to create innovative games that tell unique stories and kindle imaginations. My time at SoVGA has enabled me to become equipped to achieve this.

Statement: The School of Video Game Audio is worth every penny. As well as being incredibly knowledgeable, Leonard is extremely caring and supportive of his students, and you really get the feeling that he wants you to do well. Learning with the school has been both enjoyable and wonderfully beneficial, the amount one can learn here is endless!


Ashton's demo reel features his sound design, adaptive music and implementation skills.

Hear more of Ashton's audio work online:

Ashton-Mills.com

May/Jun 2016 Featured Student:
Owen Cooper


Name: Owen Cooper

Location: California, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music composition and sound design

Course Goals: I want to take my existing knowledge and skills with audio and make myself a viable candidate to work on game audio.

Statement: I believe SoVGA students' show reels are the result of the exact type of educational program that I need to help me get started in this field.


Owen's demo reel features his sound design and implementation skills.

Hear more of Owen's audio work online:

OwenCooper.com

Mar/Apr 2016 Featured Student:
Jake Basten


Name: Jake Basten

Location: Exeter, UK
Legal to work in: UK, EU

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music composition and sound design

Course Goals: I would like learn more about both sound design and implementation so that i can gain the knowledge i need to get a job as an in house audio designer.

Statement: The School has been really helpful and saved me hours of working stuff out on my own! I've had quick answers my questions, and always with the perfect answers that sorts the issue. I’ve ended up with a reel that at the start of the course I didn’t think I would be able to create anything of this standard so many, many thanks.


Jake's demo reel features his skills as a musician and composer as well as technical skills with implementation and extensive scripting.

Hear more of Jake's audio work online:

JakeBasten.co.uk/

Jan/Feb 2016 Featured Student:
Ricardo Pujol


Name: Ricardo Pujol

Location: Santiago, Chile
Legal to work in: Chile

Roles: Game audio implementation, composition and sound design

Course Goals: I'd like to be able to manage everything regarding sound on games. The less I depend on the developer the best.

Statement: I wanted to be able to integrate awesome sounds in an efficient and creative way into games, and also implement interactive music as intricately as possible. I'm very happy with the results of the course, it's good when you learn so much in so little time!


Ricardo's demo reel is an amazing showcase of his skills using extensively detailed adaptive music, a live vocalist, implementation, level editing, sound design and more.

Hear more of Ricardo's audio work online:

RicardoPujol.audio

Nov/Dec 2015 Featured Student:
Eric Houchin


Name: Eric Houchin

Location: Los Angeles, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music and sound design

Course Goals: It's my goal to be able to make a career move into the field of game audio. Therefore, I need to become as well rounded and valuable to the game audio market as reasonably possible. So my course goals are to maximize the learning potential being offered.

Statement: The best resource I can recommend is also how I learned. SoVGA offers a Pd course that covers everything you need to know to get Pd working with Unity. Plus Leonard himself is a great teacher and is always willing to go into the greatest level of detail (he was basically my Mr. Miyagi). He also provides you with an audio engine that he built in Pd that you can breakdown and see how it all works together.


Congrats to Eric for third featured grad award, demonstrating his skills in technical sound design and UnityScript coding!

Hear more of Eric's audio work online:

EricHouchin.com/

Sep/Oct 2015 Featured Student:
Matt Miller


Name: Matt Miller

Location: Toronto, Canada
Legal to work in: USA, Canada

Roles: Game audio implementation, Pure Data coding, music and sound design

Course Goals: I want to learn implementation using Audiokinetic’s Wwise so that I can apply my established skills as a composer and sound designer to make great game audio.

Statement: The SoVGA course not only taught me how to implement audio using Wwise, Leonard demonstrated how to transition from the linear way of designing audio towards thinking more abstractly in order to build immersive real-time audio environments. I now feel that I have the tools to bring my multidisciplinary approach to audio to the world of video games.


Congrats to Matt for his great work with analogue and digital synths, electroacoustic techniques, sound design, music and implementation!

Hear more of Matt's game audio work online:

MattMillerAudio.com

Jul/Aug 2015 Featured Student:
Eric Houchin


Name: Eric Houchin

Location: Los Angeles, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music and sound design

Course Goals: It's my goal to be able to make a career move into the field of game audio. Therefore, I need to become as well rounded and valuable to the game audio market as reasonably possible. So my course goals are to maximize the learning potential being offered.

Statement: The courses offered by the SoVGA have been invaluable to jump starting my knowledge in video game audio. This was my second course, and in 4 months I've learned what would have taken me over a year if I did the trail and error method on my own. I highly recommend these courses to anyone interested in game audio.


Congrats to Eric for being the first student to be awarded our featured grad twice for his sound design work, music and implementation!

Hear more of Eric's audio work online:

EricHouchin.com

May/Jun 2015 Featured Student:
Eric Houchin


Name: Eric Houchin

Location: Los Angeles, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music and sound design

Course Goals: It's my goal to be able to make a career move into the field of game audio. Therefore, I need to become as well rounded and valuable to the game audio market as reasonably possible. So my course goals are to maximize the learning potential being offered.

Statement: I'm continuing to study and expand my compositional and sound design expertise.


Congrats to Eric for his sound design work, music and implementation. He receives a rebate of half of his course fee.

Hear more of Eric's audio work online:

EricHouchin.com

Mar/Apr 2015 Featured Student:
Dan Mellins-Cohen


Name: Dan Mellins-Cohen

Location: Bristol, UK
Legal to work in: UK/EU

Roles: Game audio implementation, scripting, music and sound design

Course Goals: My intention for this course was to come out of it with solid scripting knowledge with an audio focus, so I can be more useful and employable to teams in the indie space than just a guy who makes sounds.

Statement: Literally the day I published my SoVGA demo, one of my contacts in the indie scene saw it and got in touch!


Congrats to Dan for his in-depth scripting, implementation, music and sound design with Unity. He receives a rebate of half of his course fee.

Hear more of Dan's audio work online:

DanMellins.com

Jan/Feb 2015 Featured Student:
Will Stowell


Name: Will Stowell

Location: Kent, WA, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound Design and game audio implementation

Course Goals: I need a professional demo reel. I have the audio equipment and passion to create one. Just need mentors. You guys!

Statement: Wish I'd taken your course sooner!


Congratulations to Will for his great sound design and implementation with FMOD Studio. He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Hear more of Will's audio work online:

WillOfSound.com

Nov/Dec 2014 Featured Student:
Raffaele Presciutti


Name: Raffaele Presciutti

Location: Rome, Italy
Legal to work in: Italy/EU

Roles: Sound Design, game audio implementation and mixer

Course Goals: I've worked for years in the film industry as sound designer, now I would like to enter the game audio world.

Statement: Definitely your course helped me, I completed the official Wwise course and certification test in just one day!


Congratulations to Raffaele for his great sound design and implementation with FMOD Studio. He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Hear more of Raffaele's audio work online:

RafPre.com

Sep/Oct 2014 Featured Student:
Suleman Hussain


Name: Suleman Hussain

Location: Cheshire, UK
Legal to work in: UK/EU

Roles: Sound Design, composer and game audio implementation

Course Goals: My goals are to learn as much as I can with audio implementation and apply for Junior Sound Design roles at game developers across the United Kingdom. My goal is to also work with Independent game developers and hobbyist projects.

Statement: One of the stand out advantages of taking a course with SoVGA is the fact there is a real instructor behind it all! After receiving so much advice and guidance from Leonard, I finished the course satisfied, and immediately received better responses from potential employers. The amount I learnt from the course could have easily taken me much longer if I decided not to enrol. I would highly recommend this SoVGA course to anyone interested in game audio.


Congratulations to Suleman for his great compositions, sound design and implementation with Wwise! He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

See more of Suleman's audio work online:

SHSoundDesign.com

Jul/Aug 2014 Featured Student:
Cole Verderber


Name: Cole Verderber

Location: Long Island, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound Designer, audio engineer, game audio implementation and composer

Course Goals: My goal with this course is to become fluent in using FMOD studio and confidently use these skills to work on smaller indie projects and eventually get myself into the game audio industry. I feel that taking this course will challenge me to create something for myself, and to push my audio engineering and sound design knowlege to the next level.

Statement: I am incredibly proud of the knowledge I gained while taking the course, and I feel I am ten times as prepared to get into working on games than I was only three months ago. I can honestly say this was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. I will be back as soon as I get the chance.


Congratulations to Cole for his great implementation and strong sound design with FMOD Studio! He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Hear some of Cole's music online:

RawPawsAudio.wordpress.com

May/Jun 2014 Featured Student:
Rahul Bhatt


Name: Rahul Bhatt

Location: Mumbai, India / Montreal, Canada
Legal to work in: India/Canada

Roles: Composer, Sound Designer and Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: My goal with the course was to further my skills in this domain by learning tools specific to this industry.

Statement: It has been a great experience learning Wwise under your mentorship and I look forward to the next one!


Congratulations to Rahul for his great use of adaptive music and strong sound design with Wwise! He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

See Rahul's many previous game audio credits and more on his site:

RahulBhatt.in

Mar/Apr 2014 Featured Student:
Fernando San Nicolás


Name: Fernando San Nicolás

Location: Madrid, Spain
Legal to work in: Spain/EU

Roles: Sound Designer, VO Designer and Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: My goal on taking the course is getting a fast start on innovative creation and implementation techniques on SFX and ambiences along with VO logic and AI systems.

Statement: Thanks a lot for your help and guidance on making it happen. It is something that I wanted to do since time ago and the school was a good push and motivator.


Congratulations to Fernando for his great work with Wwise! He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Make sure to hear more of Fernando's work on his site:

FSanNicolas.com

Jan/Feb 2014 Featured Student:
Jared Selter


Name: Jared Selter

Location: Los Angeles, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Composer, Sound Designer, Re-Recording Mixer and Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: I'd like to expand and diversify my skills in pro audio and sound design. I'm interested in the living sound design aspect of game audio and its applications as technology integrates into all aspects of our lives. I think my music is suited to the gaming world and I'd really like to open up my compositions to those possibilities.

Statement: Thanks for the great feedback and great learning experience.


Congrats to Jared for his great work with Wwise. He receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Be sure to see more of Jared's work on his site:

AudioTown.tumblr.com/

Nov/Dec 2013 Featured Student:
Renato Martinho


Name: Renato Martinho

Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Legal to work in: EU

Roles: Sound Designer, Game Audio Implementation, Composition, Sound Recordist, Editor and Dubbing Mixer

Course Goals: I'm really interested in learning more about game audio, specifically how to implement sounds with FMOD Studio.

Statement: The course was great and I look forward to working more with game audio in the future.


Congratulations to Renato for his excellent work with FMOD Studio. Renato receives a rebate on half of his course fee.

Make sure to see more of Renato's work on his site:

RenatoMartinho.com

Sep/Oct 2013 Featured Student:
David Stearns


Name: David Stearns

Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Sound designer and composer, with a background in audio engineering.

Course Goals: To expand my knowledge of sound design and music implementation in games, to develop my skills in Wwise, and to create an effective Wwise demo reel.

Statement: I’m passionate about games, audio, and the technology we use to create them. My goal is to work full time as a sound designer, and to continue to work on creative and technically challenging projects.


Congratulations to David for his excellent work featuring his approach to adaptive music using Wwise in his demo reel. For his hard work David receives a rebate on half of his course fee. Make sure to check out more of David's work on his site.

To contact David or listen to more of his work, please see his website at:

DavidStearns.co

Jul/Aug 2013 Featured Student:
Lee House


Name: Lee House

Location: Cardiff, UK
Legal to work in: UK / EU

Roles: Sound Designer & Composer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: I am hoping to gain a solid understanding of Wwise that I can demonstrate with my reel.

Statement: By taking this course I wanted to build off my background as a lead sound engineer and learn game audio implementation in-depth so that I can work in the industry.


Congratulations to Lee on being our seventh featured student! We look forward to hearing more of Lee's work in game audio in the future and he receives a rebate on half of his course fee as a financial reward for his great work.

To contact Lee or hear more of his work, please see his website at:

LeeHouseMusic.co.uk

May/Jun 2013 Featured Student:
Paolo Armao


Name: Paolo Armao

Location: Turin, Italy
Legal to work in: Italy / EU

Roles: Sound Designer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: I want to know more about sound design techniques for video games: assets creation and optimization, integration and, where possible, implementation. I'm curious to know more about game audio coding in order to support and expand my vision and to become a better team player.

Statement: I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to attend the SoVGA course, and I'm sure that my professional future will be strongly influenced by all the things that I learnt spending hours implementing audio, as well as by the comments and feedback on my works.


Congratulations to Paolo on being our first featured grad from Italy! He receives a rebate on half of his course fee as a reward for his amazing demo reel and we hope that he continues to do great work in game audio in the future.

To contact Paolo or hear more of his work, please see his website at:

PaoloArmao.com

Mar/Apr 2013 Featured Student:
Jack Powell


Name: Jack Powell

Location: London, UK
Legal to work in: UK / European Union

Roles: Composer, Sound Designer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: My ultimate goal is to learn how to implement audio using WWise effectively and creatively, from the initial designing of a sound, to compiling and hearing the results in a playable build/game, while maintaining a cohesive audio aesthetic.

Statement: Gaming has played a big part in my life so far and I want to make it a big part of my future!


Congratulations to Jack Powell on being our fifth featured student! We look forward to hearing more of Jack's work in game audio in the future and he receives a rebate on half of his course fee as a financial reward for his great work.

To contact Jack or hear more of his work, please see his website at:

AudioJacked.co.uk

Jan/Feb 2013 Featured Student:
Jordi Gutierrez


Name: Jordi Gutierrez

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Legal to work in: Spain

Roles: Sound Designer, Composer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: I wanted to learn the use and application of FMOD for many years as I have been composing and designing sound for games for some time. I wanted to enhance my sounds and music in the game as much as possible using FMOD.

Statement: My ambition is to work in a large game company or work from my studio with video game audio projects. I would like to promote my project as company 'Zeewavesound' and to have a small team of people to make audio for larger games.


Congrats to Jordi Gutierrez on being our first FMOD featured student! We wish Jordi the best of luck in the future and he receives a rebate on half of his course fee as a financial reward for his great work.

To contact Jordi or hear more of his work, please see his website at:

www.zeewavesound.com


Nov/Dec 2012 Featured Student:
Kareem Shuman


Name: Kareem Shuman

Location: Boston, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Audio Engineer, Sound Designer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: This program is exactly what I need to gain the specific skills I lack and help prepare me for the job application process.

Statement: I plan to make this my career, my source of professional pride, and my reason for being excited to go into the 'office' everyday. I've figured out what I want and now it's just a matter of finding the best, most effective way to go about getting it.


Congrats to Kareem Shuman on being our third featured student! We wish Kareem the best of luck in the future and he receives a 50% rebate on his course fee as a financial reward for his hard work.

If you are interested in seeing more of his work or contacting Kareem, please see his website at:

KareemShuman.com


Sep/Oct 2012 Featured Student:
George Hufnagl


Name: George Hufnagl

Location: Chicago, USA
Legal to work in: USA

Roles: Composer, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer, Game Audio Implementation

Course Goals: To become more familiar with Wwise and game audio middleware in general. Acquire an understanding of basic scripting and become more comfortable with learning the tech as an extension of my creative tools.

Statement: Leonard develops responsive and helpful relationships with the students and the price point was in my comfort zone. Creating audio scripts and placing them directly in the game has a definite bonus since on past projects, this was always done with the assistance of a programmer and is now one of my new favorite things. Leonard has a programming past, so for non-programmers like myself, having someone available to fix bugs and customize a build was a definite plus.


Congratulations to George Hufnagl on being the second featured student! We wish George the best of luck in the future and he receives a 50% rebate on his course fee as a financial reward for his hard work.

If you are interested in seeing more of his work or contacting George, please see his website at:

SoundsLikeGeorge.com/


July/Aug 2012 Featured Student:
Daniel Alarcón


Name: Daniel Alarcón

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Legal to work in: Costa Rica

Roles: Composer, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer, Game Audio Implementation

Job Goals: I hope to find a full-time job in the video game industry somewhere in the world. Currently, I'm also looking for freelance audio jobs of any sort. My short-term dream job would be to work as an Audio Designer for a game developer of any size. Eventually I would love to become the Audio Director at a game company.

Statement: I feel that the best thing about taking a course at the School of Video Game Audio was the personalised one to one relationship with an industry expert. This is the best thing ever. Out of all the education I've done, this is the project that I've enjoyed the most so far!


Our sincerest congratulations to Daniel Alarcón! His demo reel has made him the featured student of the July/August 2012 term. He also has the distinction of being the first featured student for the School of Video Game Audio and we could not hope for a better student to receive this recognition.

He receives a 50% rebate on his course fee as a financial reward for his excellent work. We at the School of Video Game Audio wish Daniel the best of luck in all of his future endevours.

If you are interested in seeing more of his work or contacting Daniel, please see his website at:

Behance.net/daniel-alarcon





Leonard J. Paul (MSc Game Audio), the school's principal instructor, began teaching game audio in 2001 and has taught hundreds of students worldwide how to attain their goals in the field of video game audio. Since 1994 he has done composing, sound design and audio coding on over twenty major game titles, including award-winning AAA titles such as NBA Jam 2010, NHL 11, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, NBA Live '95 as well as the indie award-winning title Retro City Rampage.

The School of Video Game Audio was founded in 2012 and has served hundreds of students from over 55 different countries. The goal of the school is to raise the level of game audio on a world-wide scale by making it accessible and affordable to everyone who strives for excellence in this exciting field.