BEN HOUGHTON

Written by Camille Short

Have you ever met a composer for video games? If not, you might get lucky in Reservoir!

Ben Houghton has lived in Reservoir for three years. Ben spends his time thinking about and experimenting with how to enhance the narrative in a game, and evoke the right emotions. He explained to me how composing for a game is different to composing for a film (which he also does). In a film, there is a static storyline; you know exactly the emotion you want to evoke in what moment. You can be precise. Games on the other hand are a dynamic environment, the user has control (allegedly), and they may do unexpected things. You have to approximate, iterate, strategise and be pragmatic. This extra layer of artistry appeals to Ben, and I can see why. It is a lush blend of design, music and teamwork.

Ben mostly works on grant-funded Indie games and films. I like the sound of “Miska” by Umbrella Party Studios . Miska is a narrative-driven adventure game set in a National park in Victoria. You play as a woman reconnecting with a park she visited as a child. The narrative focuses on family, connection with place and nature restoration. You can get a sense of Ben’s style by listening to the sample tracks on his website ( https:// benhoughtonmusic.com.au ). There is something for every mood, conjuring epic quests in some tracks, funk and amusement in others. “Dirt Game Theme” and Ducky Bossa” are good examples.

An “indie game” is a game produced without the financial and technical support (and the constraints) of a large publisher, like Nintendo. They tend to involve small multi-disciplinary teams working together, with a focus on innovation, experimental gameplay, and often social concepts. Ben says he feels very at home in the Melbourne indie game scene, drawn in by both the creativity and pragmatism that characterises working on indie games.

Ben envisaged a career for himself as a game composer after attending a conference in 2017. He was a landscape architect, saxophonist and DJ at the time. The conference opened his mind to new possibilities and spurred him to enroll in a Bachelor of Applied Music (Composition) in 2020. That year he was awarded “Best Music/Film Score” at Deakin University’s “Visionnaire 2020” for his work on “Love The Life You Live” (Wei Shi). Since then he has established his own freelance composition practice, and is chipping away at his dream to have a sustainable career. The Federal government's new National Cultural Policy “ REVIVE ”, which commits to reinstate the Australian Interactive Games Fund (cut by the Abbott government), is good news for Ben and others in the industry.

You might see Ben around Reservoir taking field recordings for games. So far he has used his storm water drain for a waterfall, magpies out the front of his house and Edgars Creek for ‘creek ambiance’. Otherwise, you might see him having a swim at the Leisure Centre, eating a banh mi from Luke’s or hunting for a bargain at Vinnies. Local parks are also reliable. I should know, we met (and I invited him to do this article) swingside.

Ben has opened my eyes to the world of indie-games. Maybe there is something there for me afterall. Some of Ben’s recent favourites include “ Frog detective ”, “ Disco Elysium ” and “ Outer Wilds ”. Thanks for the tips Ben, see you around Rezza.