'Beep' is a documentary about the history of sound in video games
Every successive generation of video games is hailed for its massive improvements in graphics performance, but what about sound? That too has come a long way -- and soon there may be a documentary chronicling the history video game audio. It's more than a video game music documentary: Beep (an appropriate title, no?) promises to follow the history of gaming sound from Victorian arcade machines all the way to today's modern blockbusters. This includes not only interviews with experts and sound designers, but behind the scene looks at how industry professionals record and mix samples as well.
The project's Kickstarter campaign also promises to look into the community of chiptune musicians inspired by the gaming industry and even the psychology of game sound -- but film production is wildly expensive. The team is asking for $40,000 (CAD) to complete the film. The team also says it's the perfect time to document gaming sound: Many of the progenitors of the industry are still alive and available for interviews, the Kickstarter explains, and that opportunity won't last forever. Slightly morbid? Maybe a little. Want to help preserve the history of video game sound design? Well, the Kickstarter page is right here.
