The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is a game that I have been enchanted with from the outset. Everything from the character design to the art style seem fully realized in a way that most games, especially downloadable indie games, often lack. Alongside the game mechanics that find a man obsessed with pie breaking the time/space continuum, lies the fantastic soundtrack which not only compliments the rest of the action but also contributes greatly to the final polish of the game. I was lucky enough to get a hold of the Winterbottom’s composer, David Stanton, and find out a bit more about the soundtrack and the design philosophies of the game.
Eric: Since P.B. Winterbottom was originally conceived as a thesis project at USC, how and when (As in, how far along was the title in development when you were brought aboard) did you become involved with the project?
David: That year I was a student at USC’s Scoring for Motion Picture and Television Program (SMPTV). I didn’t know much about the interactive media department or the Game Lab but I knew I wanted to write for video games. One of our professors sent a cattle call to all of us [composers] in the program; the game makers wanted Danny Elfman meets silent film and ragtime piano. You get a lot of blanket calls for student projects while in the SMPTV, but this one was different and very cool. I liked the vision so I sat down and wrote a little demo, which became the base sound palette and direction for everything I did afterward.
Eric: Both the audio and visual direction of P.B. Winterbottom are unlike anything currently out on the market today, did the visual style dictate the musical direction you ultimately went with, or did you try other styles before finding what ended up in the game?
David: Yes, the visuals go a great deal to set the scene, style, and tone of the piece. I hadn’t seen a frame of art before I wrote the first track but from every successive level on I was given art clips and backgrounds from which to work.
It struck me that the game itself is a variation on the central theme—the mechanic of being unstuck in time—and so the music likewise needed to have a strong central motif from which to branch out: Theme and Variation.
My initial demo track became the music for level one, but every successive level was scored. For example, the second level you are essential climbing a clock tower so the music is a weaving of PB’s theme and the grandfather clock sound that everyone knows. The third stage is bakery on fire so I used multiple instruments to sort of ape the Doppler effect of a fire truck in addition to the persistent sound of delicious delicious pies being burnt. I tried to capture the whimsy of every level in different ways. Not that the user will catch all the allusions, ironies, and quotes—I wouldn’t—but hopefully it all ads together to make a really immersive and fun experience.
Main Theme from ‘The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom’
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Eric: What are the specific themes or motifs that are employed in Winterbottom’s score?
David: There are two primary themes that appear throughout. First is PB’s Main theme. It’s in a minor mode but jaunty nonetheless, not unlike PB himself. The second theme is of Winterbottom’s foil throughout the game: the huge Chrononberry Pie. As these two characters are intrinsically linked, so too are their themes. The first half of the Chrononberry theme is staid and sad, but can be made appropriately menacing by dropping the octave and tripling the speed. The second piece of the theme is actually the Winterbottom motif in a major key. Like us all, deliciousness and tragedy are baked into the very crust of us. The Chrononberry Pie is the force which unsticks PB in time, but it is this very unsticking that gives PB clones enough to ultimately eat the epic pastry. It is the Insatiable Appetite meets the Unfinishable Dessert. The Odd Gentlemen are Philosophers, really.
Eric: What was the composition process like – How closely did you work with the developers, How long did the composition process last, Anything you would have liked to add or change but due to time constraints were forced to abandon?
David: The XBLA game took about a year and we worked closely throughout. Our initial idea was to have a piano only version that would be coterminous with the orchestrated track. As the player would record himself to clone, the music would have gone back and forth between the two tracks. We ultimately abandoned it for space and logistical reasons but the prototypes were very cool and I would have loved to see it work.
Launch Trailer Music from ‘The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom’
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Eric: Have you played the final build of Winterbottom-? If So, What are your thoughts on it?
David: You work on a project pouring yourself into it, and in the process lose the ability to tell if it’s good or not. I always thought that this would be a game that I would ultimately enjoy playing, but I was not prepared for just how fun I find the final product to be.
Eric: Was this kind of a one off project or would you consider doing additional video game soundtracks?
David: It would make very happy to score games for the rest of my days, but as they say, “the work is getting the work.”
Eric: Can you tell me a little about how you came to become a composer and what first got you interested in pursuing a career in music?
David: Looking back, I have always been fixated with music and games and social justice. The dream is to make a living doing them. I have found a way to merge two of the three, one day—the trifecta!!
Eric: Do you have any favorite bands or musicians (Composers are fine too) that you look to for inspiration?
David: Not having breadth or listening widely is an occupational hazard. I really try to listen with open ears and take in everything I can. But I don’t want to dodge the question, here’s who currently comes to mind: Bach, Ravel, Prokofiev, Bartok, Copland, Bernstein (both), J. Williams, J. Goldsmith, J. Powell, Elfman, the Newmans (All), Radiohead, the Beatles, Café Tacuba, Sufjan Stevens, M. Maher, Israel Houghton, Bell Biv DeVoe.
Eric: Are there any Video Game soundtracks that you find particular engaging? What do you think are the keys to making a successful video game soundtrack?
David: I think there’s a lot of good stuff out there. I’m partial to the Halo Series, God of War, Mass Effect 2, flOw! I think the second question is one of immersion. The success of the soundtrack is determined by its ability to usher the user into the overall experience, whether it be cartoony, maudlin, severe, or pie themed.
The Wall of Sound Playlist
Main Theme from ‘The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom’
Launch Trailer Music from ‘The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom’
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