Russell Shaw (composer)
Encyclopedia
Russell Shaw is a British
composer
and sound designer. He is known for his work in many video games, particularly those designed by Peter Molyneux
.
by his uncle. He trained himself in music playing in various bands through late 70s to early 80s. Though he had an interest in playing music, he wanted to be a record producer. After training at SAE London in the mid 80's, he was hired by Gerry Anderson (of Thunderbirds fame) as his recording studio manager, recording sound for various TV shows. such as the tail end of the Terrahawks series, Dick Spanner and Space Precinct. Around 1990 Shaw left Anderson and returned to music production, working for StreetSounds record label, providing releases for the London
white label dance club scene. He also stated that he was "an avid gamer" at that time, owning an Atari ST
, which he also used for processing and sequencing music. In 1992 he learned that Peter Molyneux
's Bullfrog Productions
needed a sound specialist for audio in their games, and Shaw decided to try as he was experienced in both computer technology and sound area, successfully getting the job. At Bullfrog Shaw composed soundtracks for many of their games, but most memorable and successful were for strategy games Syndicate , Theme Park, Magic Carpet and Dungeon Keeper
. In 1997 Bullfrog's founder Peter Molyneux
quit the company and formed Lionhead Studios
, and Shaw followed him in the new venture. His first project was the soundtrack for Black & White. A fan of ambient techno, Shaw composed meditative and relaxing soundtrack in manner of the genre. Music was positively received by sites such as IGN
and Gamespot
. Aside of audio part of the game, Shaw was also the one who proposed the idea of casting spells with gestures. Black & White was followed by 2004's Fable
. Danny Elfman
was brought in to compose the theme music, and Shaw was asked to do more traditional orchestral ingame score which would more fit Elfman's fairy-tale-styled theme music. Hollywood conductor
Allan Wilson (who worked with Elfman on his music for 1999 film Sleepy Hollow
) was brought in to conduct the orchestra, and Shaw used choir
to further enhance the fairy-tale nature of the score. Shaw not only composed the game score, but also implemented the sound into the game by himself. The soundtrack for Fable was successful, and as known as the game is, with IGN calling it "It really couldn't have been a better score", and Gamespot saying that audio "is quite possibly the best part of the game." After his success with Fable Shaw composed again-successful soundtrack for its sequel
, styled as its predcessor, and directed the audio of Black & White 2
. He is now the Head Of Sound and Music at Lionhead, leading a small group. He recently finished the soundtrack for Fable 3.
Shaw's comment about his work in audio area:
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and sound designer. He is known for his work in many video games, particularly those designed by Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
.
Biography and career
Shaw was exposed to music at age of 5, when he was given a guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
by his uncle. He trained himself in music playing in various bands through late 70s to early 80s. Though he had an interest in playing music, he wanted to be a record producer. After training at SAE London in the mid 80's, he was hired by Gerry Anderson (of Thunderbirds fame) as his recording studio manager, recording sound for various TV shows. such as the tail end of the Terrahawks series, Dick Spanner and Space Precinct. Around 1990 Shaw left Anderson and returned to music production, working for StreetSounds record label, providing releases for the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
white label dance club scene. He also stated that he was "an avid gamer" at that time, owning an Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, which he also used for processing and sequencing music. In 1992 he learned that Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
's Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions
Bullfrog Productions was a UK computer game developer that was founded in 1987 by Les Edgar and Peter Molyneux. The company achieved recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous....
needed a sound specialist for audio in their games, and Shaw decided to try as he was experienced in both computer technology and sound area, successfully getting the job. At Bullfrog Shaw composed soundtracks for many of their games, but most memorable and successful were for strategy games Syndicate , Theme Park, Magic Carpet and Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game released developed by Bullfrog Productions under Peter Molyneux and released by Electronic Arts in July 1997 for the PC in which the player attempts to build and manage a dungeon or lair while protecting it from 'hero' characters intent on stealing the...
. In 1997 Bullfrog's founder Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
quit the company and formed Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios is a British computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux, and acquired by Microsoft Game Studios in April 2006. Lionhead started as a breakaway from the developer Bullfrog, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a...
, and Shaw followed him in the new venture. His first project was the soundtrack for Black & White. A fan of ambient techno, Shaw composed meditative and relaxing soundtrack in manner of the genre. Music was positively received by sites such as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
. Aside of audio part of the game, Shaw was also the one who proposed the idea of casting spells with gestures. Black & White was followed by 2004's Fable
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
. Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film. Up until 1995, he was the lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Oingo Boingo, a group he formed in 1976...
was brought in to compose the theme music, and Shaw was asked to do more traditional orchestral ingame score which would more fit Elfman's fairy-tale-styled theme music. Hollywood conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Allan Wilson (who worked with Elfman on his music for 1999 film Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow (film)
Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American period horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones,...
) was brought in to conduct the orchestra, and Shaw used choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
to further enhance the fairy-tale nature of the score. Shaw not only composed the game score, but also implemented the sound into the game by himself. The soundtrack for Fable was successful, and as known as the game is, with IGN calling it "It really couldn't have been a better score", and Gamespot saying that audio "is quite possibly the best part of the game." After his success with Fable Shaw composed again-successful soundtrack for its sequel
Fable 2
Fable II is an action role-playing game in the Fable game series developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360. It is the sequel to Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters, it was originally announced in 2006 and released in October 2008...
, styled as its predcessor, and directed the audio of Black & White 2
Black & White 2
Black & White 2 is a video game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts and later in January 2009 by Feral Interactive as a port to Mac OS X. It blends real-time strategy, city building and god game elements...
. He is now the Head Of Sound and Music at Lionhead, leading a small group. He recently finished the soundtrack for Fable 3.
Shaw's comment about his work in audio area:
"I would not want to go back to the early days of game audio design. We can all remember the time when audio was very much the afterthought. Nowadays, I need to be in on the early conceptual stages of game design if the game is going to sound any good. The audio designer can bring as much to the early game design as anyone else can."
See also
- Fable Original SoundtrackFable Original SoundtrackThe Fable Original Soundtrack was released on February 15, 2005 for Lionhead's 2005 game Fable. The orchestral score was composed by Russell Shaw with Danny Elfman assisting on the theme. The music only covers the original Fable game and does not contain any of the new music heard in The Lost...
- Fable II Original SoundtrackFable II Original SoundtrackThe Fable II Original Soundtrack was released on November 25, 2008 for Lionhead's 2008 game, Fable II. The orchestral score was composed by Russell Shaw with Danny Elfman assisting on the theme. The music only covers the original Fable game and does not contain any of the new music heard in the...
- Fable III Original SoundtrackFable III Original SoundtrackThe Fable III soundtrack was released by Sumthing Else Music Works on the 26th of October in 2010. The soundtrack was modelled after the game Fable III was released by Lionhead Studios in October of 2010. The game is the third installment of the Fable series and is placed five decades after the...
External links
- MobyGames rap sheet
- Composer profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...
- IMDb page