News Meet the Team #8- Martin Houlden (Concept Artist)

[Luniticisi]

Another great interview, thanks Ashley,

A question for Jose Castro, As a live sound engineer, I am interested in knowing what type of equipment you are using on Elite: Dangerous ... Is it all software driven or are you using any 'Traditional' analog equipment ?

 

[Commander Haggis]

Music

@ Jose Castro

Music is incredibly important to creating the right atmosphere in games. It has been a huge influence in my life and I don't envy the burden of responsibility that sits on your shoulders!

I can't see if there is a more appropriate place in these forums to ask if you've been influenced by, or considered these artists/albums in the work you're doing for Elite: Dangerous (amongst everything else!), and if not, whether you would? I feel that these pieces create a sense of ambience and atmosphere that might well suit this game (apologies for the long list):

• ?/The Hologram - Mark Pritchard
• Pale Blue Dot (Leaving Earth) - Ben Jordan
• Aquatic Lab Sessions Vol. 1 - Moving Ninja
• Theory of Machines - Ben Frost
• Sci-fi Special Radio 1 Set - Benji B
• Drive score - Cliff Martinez
• Themes for an imaginary film - Symmetry
• Flood - Jocelyn Pook
• Silent Running (or the original film score too) - 65 Days of Static
• KPax score - Edward Shearmur
• Solaris score - Cliff Martinez
• Babel score - Cliff Martinez
• The Motorcycle Diaries score - Gustavo Santoralla
• Music inspired by Mega City One - Drokk
• Akira score
• Severant - Kuedo
• Redlight Camera - Yellow6 (in fact most of Yellow6's discography)

 

[StefanOS]

Hello Martin!
Nice Interview, if one of the early pictures/drawings we did see are from you it would be nice to show us again your work.... (I mean I would love to see new pics, but I know that you would need permission)...

 

[Slawkenbergius]

Enjoyed the interview with Martin.

Tried searching for examples online, but couldn't find any.

I did the same. This dancey chiptune music was all I could find. Assuming it's Jose's, I'm not sure it tells us anything at all about how the game will sound.

I'm curious what direction the score is taking. A lot of recent sci-fi (especially American stuff) goes down the 'heroic theme' route, as well as using military-music tropes like horns/drums/etc. Even something like the Mass Effect theme has it at the core, behind the layers of electronic stuff, and Star Citizen is clearly going to push the aesthetic triply hard. The Frontier theme also was largely in this this style. Can we expect/look forward to a different approach for Elite?

Will there be any bowel-loosening ambient music? I'm thinking like the Ligeti stuff from 2001, or the original Alien soundtrack?

On the sound design front...

How conscious are you that a lot of players like to turn the in-game music off after a while? I'm really hoping that the diegetic ambience and soundtrack are rich enough to make the 'no-music' option compelling.

Are you using any procedural techniques for things like engine sounds, to give audible clues about their age/health?

 

[JohnStabler]

And I don't think I've seen a red Swingline stapler on anybody's desk yet.

 

[Ashley Barley]

And I don't think I've seen a red Swingline stapler on anybody's desk yet.

Who needs office supplies when you've got action figures?!

 

[Out2lunch]

Thanks Martin for a brief but very informative interview.

 

[izzy]

Great interview
@Martin : Cowboy Bebop is one my favorite anime

 

[Kerrash]

I think the problem lies with the photographer!

Nah, I think you are just keeping the resolution low to keep things from us
Then again I am a paranoid person

Now I could not work with a creeper head poking out of the top of my monitor, I would be living in constant fear

 

[Tinman]

Nah, I think you are just keeping the resolution low to keep things from us

Well, that still makes Ashley the main cause of the problem, does it not?

 

[Qpid Stunt]

Another great interview, thankyou Martin and Ashley

Love the desk BTW, if you changed all the characters you have stuck around to post-it notes that would be similar to mine!

 

[psykokow]

Hi Martin thanks for the interview, and if you are concered with why we haven't gotten to photoshopping you left right and centre let me reveal the problem...

Your face doesnt fit... I have tried and tried to find the pic that suits you... to little avail... SO in order to keep it fair... wouldn't want you to feel left out.. HERE IS MY Best effort todate.. (I will find you a body donor soon)

 

[Mobius]

brilliant, ill see what tasteful pic I can come up with.

 

[synchromesh]

Hi Martin ..Great interview !!

Did any of your concept drawings of ships end up in the battle video ?
If so what does it feel like to see your drawing come to life ?

 

[Patrick_68000]

Thank you, Martin, for this great interview. As you are one of the persons responsible to visualize every detail of the Elite universe, with you, we are quiet that work will be very well done. The level of detail on your desktop, enchants us.

 

[Cosmos]

Hi Martin thanks for the interview, and if you are concered with why we haven't gotten to photoshopping you left right and centre let me reveal the problem...

Your face doesnt fit... I have tried and tried to find the pic that suits you... to little avail... SO in order to keep it fair... wouldn't want you to feel left out.. HERE IS MY Best effort todate.. (I will find you a body donor soon)

You've made him look like Edward Snowden..

 

[Kroy]

why we haven't gotten to photoshopping you left right and centre let me reveal the problem...

... I'm thinking it's the desk that's the star of the photo ;-)

Great interview. I'm interested to read about the creative process (not being very good at it myself), but I wonder, given that there's so much science involved in procedural generation, do you ever find yourself in conflict with the technology behind that, or does it give way to the creative process with ease?