Austin Wintory
Austin Wintory | |
---|---|
Wintory conducting the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Wintory conducting the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra | |
Background information | |
Born | Denver, Colorado, U.S. | September 9, 1984
Genres | Video game music, electronica |
Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor |
Years active | 2002–present |
Website | Official website |
Austin Wintory (born September 9, 1984 in Denver, Colorado) is an American film and video games composer.[1] He is known for scoring the video games Flow and the Grammy-nominated Journey.[2]
Early life
Austin Wintory was born in Denver, Colorado in 1984 and started learning piano when he was ten years old,[3] after he was introduced to composer Jerry Goldsmith by his teacher. Before the age of ten, Wintory did not play any instruments and barely listened to music.[4] By the age of sixteen, Wintory started writing for and conducting the Cherry Creek High School Orchestra during their performances of the "Spirit of the Cosmos" pieces. Two years later, at the age of eighteen, Wintory conducted the Utah Symphony during its recording of "Cosmos", which became one of his most popular projects, although he refers to it as "atrocious garbage".[4] Since 2003, Wintory has composed over three hundred musical scores.[4]
Career
Beginning of game composing career and Flow
Wintory met Jenova Chen while both attended the University of Southern California (USC).[5] After networking with an interactive media student at USC and scoring a small game project, his name was passed along to Chen, who asked Wintory to score his thesis project, Flow[5] later re-released on PlayStation Network. Wintory, Chen and Nick Clarke developed the first version of Flow as a three-man team, with Wintory remarking that Chen had an incredible way of processing information, seeing far beyond code and reaching into the emotional implications of things.[5] As a traditional orchestral student at the time, Wintory considered the music of Flow was radically unlike any he had written before.[5] Wintory regards the pink area of the game, where the player controls a jellyfish-like creature, as the humorous area of the game, describing his music for it as almost "circus-like" compared to the overall soundtrack.[5]
Monaco
Originally, Monaco developer Andy Schatz sought out licensed music as a backdrop to the game's setting, feeling that the style of music needed was too esoteric to hire a composer. Wintory, however, was able to convince Schatz that he could create an original score that fit the project's vision. Likening 2D sprite-based games to the silent film era, Wintory agreed with the notion that the soundtrack to a game like Monaco should have an earnest yet self-aware nostalgic feeling, stating "There's no way to just objectively listen to that style of music without automatically being like 'This reminds me of a bygone era.'"[5] Wintory was excited at the chance to create an old-timey score with wit and humor, stating "when else am I ever going to be asked to write anything remotely like this?"[5]
Works
Films
Year | Film |
---|---|
2004 | Nuts & Bolts |
One Three Zero | |
Blind Visions | |
Man Child | |
Alter Ego | |
Love Parade | |
2005 | It's About Ugliness |
Not Too Long Ago | |
We Gonna Get Ronald Kim | |
Keepsakes | |
Painting Ava | |
New York | |
TAG | |
2006 | Vollarians, Unite! |
Oleg's Overcoat | |
Long After... | |
The Sunset Sky | |
Project: Illegal Alien | |
Happy Days | |
The Good Man | |
The Late Bloomer | |
Confessions | |
The Proposal | |
The Professor's Daughter | |
Johnny Montana | |
2007 | Mr. Sadman |
Captain Abu Raed | |
If You Could Have | |
Back Soon | |
Serpent and the Sun | |
2008 | Knuckle Draggers |
Grace | |
Live Evil | |
3-Day Weekend | |
The Acquirer | |
TK's Corner | |
Hubristic | |
2009 | A Little Help |
The Sunset Sky | |
The River Why | |
The Echo Game | |
Make the Yuletide Gay | |
2010 | A Beautiful Game |
Leave | |
Playing House | |
Majid | |
Workshop | |
Let the Game Begin | |
The Incredible Adventures of Jojo | |
2011 | Remnants |
Home Run Showdown | |
The Grief Tourist | |
Junction | |
2012 | Strangely in Love |
Inverse | |
Targeting | |
The War Around Us | |
It's a Disaster | |
Lost on Purpose | |
Aftermath | |
2013 | Targeting |
Inverse | |
2015 | The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown |
Dark Summer | |
Tales of Halloween | |
The Rendezvous | |
Standoff | |
2016 | After the Sun Fell |
Diane | |
Mercury Plains | |
2017 | Legacy |
The Last Movie Star | |
Bullet Head | |
2018 | Tread |
Big Dogs | |
2019 | Clean |
2020 | Born a Champion |
Games
Year | Game | Developer |
---|---|---|
2002 | Ages of Athiria (Theme Only) | Elysian Productions |
2006 | Flow | Thatgamecompany |
2007 | Flow Expansion Pack | Thatgamecompany, Super Villain Studios |
GroundTruth: Toxic City | Sandia Nat’l Lab, USC-Gamepipe | |
Replay | Take Action Games | |
2008 | GroundTruth 2: Lock Down | Sandia Nat’l Lab, USC-Gamepipe |
My Virtual Tutor | 1st Playable Productions | |
2010 | Census | Draft FCB |
Super Awesome Mountain RPG | Codename Games | |
2012 | Journey | Thatgamecompany |
Horn | Phosphor Games | |
2013 | Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine | Pocketwatch Games |
Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded [6] | N-Fusion Interactive | |
Dropchord | Double Fine Productions | |
2014 | Soul Fjord | Airtight Games |
Sunset | Tale of Tales | |
The Banner Saga | Stoic | |
2015 | The Order: 1886 (co-writer of The Knights theme, with Jason Graves) | Ready at Dawn, Santa Monica Studio |
Assassin's Creed Syndicate | Ubisoft Quebec | |
2016 | The Banner Saga 2 | Stoic |
Abzû | Giant Squid Studios | |
2017 | Deformers | Ready at Dawn |
Absolver | Sloclap | |
Tooth and Tail | Pocketwatch Games | |
Luna | Funomena | |
2018 | Pode | Henchman & Goon |
The Banner Saga 3 | Stoic | |
2019 | Erica | Flavourworks, London Studio |
John Wick Hex | Bithell Games | |
2020 | The Pathless | Giant Squid |
Awards
Year | Award | Kategorie | Recipients and nominees | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Innovation | Flow (Jenova Chen, Nicholas Clark, Austin Wintory) | Nominated | [7] |
2012 | Video Game Awards | Best Original Score | Journey | Nominated | [8] |
2012 | Video Games Awards | Best Song in a Game | Journey | Nominated | [9] |
2012 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Journey | Won | [10] |
2012 | Spike Video Game Awards | Best Song in a Game | "I Was Born for This" – Journey | Nominated | [11] |
2013 | Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Audio | Journey | Won | [12] |
2013 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Audio Achievement | Journey | Won | [13] |
2013 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Original Music | Journey | Won | [13] |
2013 | D.I.C.E. Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition | Journey | Won | [14] |
2013 | Grammy Awards | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Journey | Nominated | [15] |
2014 | NAVGTR Awards | Original Dramatic Score, New IP | The Banner Saga | Nominated | [16] |
2014 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | The Banner Saga | Nominated | [17] |
2015 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Best Music | The Banner Saga | Nominated | [18] |
2015 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Audio Achievement | The Banner Saga | Nominated | [18] |
2015 | SXSW Gaming Awards | Excellence in Musical Scoring | The Banner Saga | Nominated | [19] |
2015 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Music of the Year | Assassin's Creed Syndicate | Nominated | [20] |
2015 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Soundtrack Album | Assassin's Creed Syndicate | Nominated | [20] |
2015 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Instrumental | Assassin's Creed Syndicate – "The Assassin's Two Step" | Nominated | [20] |
2015 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Assassin's Creed Syndicate | Won | [21] |
2016 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Abzû | Won | [22] |
2016 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | The Banner Saga 2 | Nominated | [22] |
2017 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Deformers | Nominated | [23] |
2017 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film | The Rendezvous | Nominated | [23] |
2017 | British Academy Games Awards (BAFTAs) | Music | Abzû | Nominated | [24] |
2017 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Soundtrack | Abzû | Won | [20] |
2018 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Score — Independent Film | The Last Movie Star | Nominated | [25] |
2018 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Score — Video Game | Pode | Nominated | [25] |
2018 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Original Song — Video Game | "Only We Few Remember it Now" (The Banner Saga 3) | Won | [25] |
2019 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Soundtrack | Pode | Nominated | [20] |
2019 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Song "Only We Few Remember It Know" | The Banner Saga 3 | Nominated | [20] |
2019 | International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Erica | Nominated | [26] |
2020 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Interactive Score | Erica | Won | [20] |
2020 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Original Instrumental | Erica | Won | [27] |
References
- ^ "Austin Wintory". soundtrack.net.
- ^ Morris, Christopher (December 5, 2012). "Frank Ocean, Fun lead 55th Grammy nominations". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ "Wintory Biography". Classic.FM. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c Wenzel, John (May 16, 2012). "Denver-born composer Austin Wintory's musical journey". Denver Post. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g "IndieGames Podcast #23: Sleigh Ride", IndieGames, UBM Tech, December 23, 2011, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ Campbell, Colin (June 5, 2013). "Austin Wintory: Larry is more romance than sex". polygon.com. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ^ "Games in 2007", bafta.org, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2007, archived from the original on March 5, 2016, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ "Best Original Score - Video Game Awards 2012", Spike, Viacom, November 15, 2012, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ "Best Song in a Game - Video Game Awards 2012", Spike, Viacom, November 15, 2012, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ "2012 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 27, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "2012 Spike Video Game Awards Nominees Announced". Game Rant. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Game Developers Choice Awards". www.gamechoiceawards.com. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Games in 2013", bafta.org, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, February 12, 2013, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ "2013 D.I.C.E. Awards", Grammy.com, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, February 1, 2013, archived from the original on June 24, 2016, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ Nessif, Bruna (December 5, 2012), "55th Annual Grammy Awards: Complete List of Nominees", E! Online, E! Entertainment Television, retrieved February 17, 2012
- ^ "NAVGTR Awards (2014)". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ "2014 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 20, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Games in 2015 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "SXSW 2015 Gaming Award Finalist Release" (PDF). Retrieved December 11, 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "Awards – G.A.N.G". Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "2015 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. November 23, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "2016 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. September 14, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "2017 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 6, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Games in 2017 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c "'A Star Is Born,' 'Black Panther' Lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominees". Hollywood Reporter. October 17, 2018.
- ^ "IFMCA Award Nominations 2019". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. February 6, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Awards - Game Audio Network Guild". Game Audio Network Guild. January 19, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
External links
- Official website
- Austin Wintory on Twitter
- Press and interviews of Austin Wintory
- Discography at VGMdb
- MobyGames rap sheet
- Austin Wintory at IMDb
- Austin Wintory discography at MusicBrainz