Introduce Yourself : Quick Introduction! by Ian Kaneko

Hi Ian Kaneko, I see you're new here! It's great to have you here on S32.

Here’s a useful post to help you navigate the world of Stage 32:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-p...

Also, try and stop by the Screenwriting Lounge and get to know some of your fellow writers:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting

And here are all the S32 Lounges:

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See what you can find and enjoy your time here!

Best.

Hi, Ian Kaneko! Welcome to the community. Great to meet you. Congratulations on graduating and all your success!

Welcome to Stage 32, Ian! With your background in both orchestral composition and media scoring, I’d be curious about your approach when joining a film project. Do you prefer to come in early and develop the musical identity alongside the director, or work mainly once the edit and visual tone are already established?

Hello, Ian!

I was a freelance writer for a game company once, but pandemics suck. I turned to screenwriting, and I am currently working on a sci-fi television series with my co-creator.

Your interest in video game music stands out to me because I find that the video game field is still a resource that has yet to be fully tapped. It is still considered the Wild West of storytelling in terms of design.

If that objectively doesn't scare you away, then we should connect.

I love music, so feel free to send me/link me a demo if you ever want a beta listener. Video Game or Film is fine. =)

James Hooker I'd be happy to connect! I absolutely agree that games have a huge amount of future potential in terms of innovating the way we tell stories. I feel that writing for games and composing for games tackle similar challenges in having to account for the agency of the audience how the story and gameplay progress.

I'd be curious to hear how you would compare writing for games vs screenwriting? If you find one easier than the other or if it's just a different set of challenges.

Zoltán Varga Thanks for the welcome!

As for when I prefer to join a project, I would say that I like to speak to the director and get involved as early as possible. Early conversations can help the music feel more like a foundational part of the film rather than coat of paint put on afterward. I imagine it is also useful for the director to have someone to bounce music ideas off of early on in the process.

That said, I probably wouldn't start actually writing specific cues until any edits are closer to picture lock.

Maurice Vaughan Thank you, happy to be here!

Oh yeah, music is essential to game design. Hell, everything I design is done to music!

Writing for games is different. I can't say much for legal reasons, and I have not been inducted into the screenwriting industry, so my comparisons will be a short list, but...

In the screenwriting industry, the templates and rules for formatting have all been established by many talented people over 130+ years. This makes it kinda frustrating, but relieving at the same time. If you do something right or wrong, you can easily find out for sure.

In the game industry, format is a free-for-all. There are no established formats. Even all the textbooks say the same thing: "Figure it out yourself." In fact, my former employer still uses the formatting techniques that I created.

When I formatted my Game Design Document, the game script was a mix between Screenwriting Format, Point Form ( Events) for Programmers, and Sketches (Map Layouts) for Level Designers.

In the screenwriting industry, at least the scriptwriter gets "Optioned" and gets a cheque to keep them going on the project.

In the game industry, most freelancers don't get a paycheque until the deal is done, so you gotta go on faith. This is something that needs to change, in my opinion. However, your game industry cheque will be much bigger, so... the risk is up to you.

Oh, and welcome to Stage 32!

Hi Ian! Welcome to the community! Congrats on graduating!

Welcome, Ian! That’s a great background, especially the combination of orchestral composition and media scoring. Wishing you lots of exciting collaborations and projects here!

You're welcome, Ian Kaneko. Are some things harder to score than others?

Hey @Ian great to hear from you! What're you working on right now that you're really excited about?

Maurice Vaughan I'd have to say that I find comedies to be the most challenging to score. Music can so easily ruin the way a joke lands and by extension pretty much ruin the entire scene, so you always have to be extremely careful not to step on the toes of the actors/writers.

Pat Alexander Hi there, nice to meet you! I've just recently started a gig as composer and sound designer for a small indie video game. While I don't think I'm allowed to give too many details at this stage its looking like I'll have the chance to compose some fun genres I haven't had the chance to write too often, like metal and grunge.

Welcome Ian Kaneko ! I hope you'll join us at our upcoming webcasts in the Writers' Room. Sign up for a Free Month of the Writers’ Room: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

Here’s a great post that will help you navigate Stage 32: https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-p...

Here’s a walkthrough Video: https://www.stage32.com/help?category=how-to-navigate-stage&parent=341676

Be sure to stop by the composing lounge and get to know some of your fellow scribes: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/composing

Welcome Ian! What games/films/shows do you channel (or actively avoid) while you're creating?

Hi Delenn Kerkhof , thanks for the welcome! I definitely draw lots of inspiration from composers like Austin Wintory (games like Journey and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate) and John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon and Kung-fu Panda). Both of them have a way of orchestrating that, to me, draws out the full potential of instruments and orchestras. By the same token, because I admire them so much, I try to be extra cautious not to simply imitate their styles when drawing inspiration.

I didn't know music could ruin the way a joke lands and ruin the scene, @Ian. Thanks. Do you think there's anything a writer can do in the script to make a composer's job easier?

hi Ian, welcome to Stage 32! I’m a songwriter, and I really enjoy connecting with other music professionals working in film and media. Your background in orchestral composition and media scoring sounds fascinating. I’d love to connect and learn more about your work. Wishing you a great start on Stage 32!

Mary Harper of course I'd be happy to connect and discuss! I'm curious about the experience of a songwriter in the industry as well.

Maurice Vaughan that's a great question. One I haven't actually thought about before. Other than just having a strong vision for the intention/tone of each scene I'm not too sure what else would be helpful at the writing stage. But that's a really interesting question to consider!

Ian Kaneko Hi Ian, welcome to Stage 32!

The combination of orchestral composition and media scoring sounds particularly useful for screen work. I think scoring for film is such a different skill from simply writing beautiful music the challenge is understanding when the music should lead, when it should disappear, and how it can add another layer to the storytelling.

I’m a writer-director working on original narrative projects, and music is something I pay a lot of attention to during development, so I’m always interested in connecting with composers who approach it as part of the storytelling rather than just as background.

Wishing you the best with your work, and I’d be happy to stay connected and follow what you create here!

Best,

Abhijeet

Abhijeet Aade Hello, nice to meet you! Absolutely music for film can/should be much more than a pretty song. A good score should feel like an additional invisible character in a story, with their own story and point of view to be explored.

I'm happy to connect and thank you for the kind welcome!

Thanks for the answer, @Ian. That's great advice. See you around the community. Hope you have success on here!

Glad to have you here Ian Kaneko! What's your favorite project worked on?

If you want a personalized experience or assistance, don't hesitate to email us at Success@Stage32.com and Edu@Stage32.com

Jaz Lagrimas hi there! It's always tough to choose a favorite but one of my most memorable projects was actually from back when I was a student. Our senior capstone project was to write a piece for full orchestra to be performed in a concert at the end of the year. It was an amazing experience to hear my music performed by a full-sized orchestra and also very educational in what all it takes to prepare the sheet music for an ensemble of that size!

Hi Ian, welcome to Stage 32!

Your background is incredibly impressive, and it's great to see another creative who's passionate about storytelling through a different medium. I love how your journey evolved from orchestral composition into scoring for film and games.

I'm a graphic designer and content writer, so I really enjoy collaborating on projects where music and visual storytelling come together. Wishing you lots of exciting collaborations here, and I look forward to seeing your work!