Jesse James Allen

Curiosity: I just loved exploring what was possible with sound even before I focused on making music. That is also why I made a career out of sound design.

Currently, I am independent, taking a bit of a professional hiatus to help my father in his elder years but still exploring music, sound design, and other media as I do so.

I am a bit biased toward interactive design due to spending so much time in the video game industry. Perhaps I’m just not a passive type, there is something so cool about getting to interact with stories.

A good design is one that is intuitive and intriguing.

When I design things I often come from a storyteller's perspective. What is the story I am trying to convey? Why would it be meaningful to the audience? What would be the most fascinating but appropriate medium to tell this story? Is there a way to both teach the audience something and make it entertaining?

I always start with the story and that helps define the duration even if it’s not about words or language. Since my foundation is in sound I often explore sound and music to get a feel for the emotion I am trying to convey. Later sound helps fill in extra details that the audience might not see visually. I try to create a theater of the mind for the audience (imagination/perception) in the design. I love technology but I still look for the most accessible tech to make a design feasible and easy to modify.

There are so many sources of inspiration, including people, places, emotions, and science.

Projected Augmented Reality is fascinating. I think the whole concept of the metaverse and virtual experiences will take off when people can see these experiences without wearing headsets or using phones. Being totally frictionless will make these experiences accessible to all.

Well, it’s inspirational. Though I have had success with music in my life I had not previously won an award of this caliber much less three in one season. On top of that to be recognized on a solo project, that is totally not mainstream, at this point in my life, is a blessing. It’s proof to anyone that there is never a better time to pursue those artistic dreams you have no matter where you are in life.

Cassini: A Musical Tribute is of course dedicated to the team who launched the Cassini-Huygens Mission in 1997 to explore Saturn and Its Moons. That mission was a joint venture between three space agencies and 17 nations. To me, this mission was profoundly inspiring. I hadn’t produced a big music project in many years. 2020 was the year that I finally had the time to explore that ambition as well as my love for science again. It took me 8 months to compose the score and design the sounds. There is a companion website to the score that can be found at cassinitribute.com that tells the mission story and how the music all ties into it. It was meant to inspire the next generation of space explorers. I decided to enter it because it’s an unusual project and one that is a tribute to the spirit of human curiosity.

The pandemic and the collateral damage from it on the creative industry. The challenges of my father's failing health, so juggling a work-life balance with a full family on top of all that, was a lot. However, despite these challenges, as an artist, it gives you a chance to connect to a more spiritual place and channel that energy and those emotions. Kind of like shouting into a vast canyon and awaiting the echo. That echo came back to me as some of the most beautiful music I have ever written and honestly some of it I do not understand how it came out of me so profoundly. That makes both this album and the awards it has won even more special.

Of course, the credibility is raised for any artist for future endeavors. Especially when people see the caliber of artists who have won in the same season. It’s also inspiring that you have done something award-worthy and drives you to continue to chase your dreams.

You get to be a part of something that brings joy or inspiration into the world. I love exploring the wild west of the digital age as so much of it is new. Creating wonderful experiences has never been so accessible to artists.

Both Hollywood and the American video game industry are radically changing the tools available to us all. With all of the advances in real-time technologies, we are at the dawn of an extraordinary age of immersion.

Real-time technologies will completely redefine workflows. Things like visual effects for films will no longer spend weeks in render, this will accelerate productivity, creativity and lead to discoveries we never would have found with traditional methods. As both a musician and audio designer, I am already working with the tools that are creating an even playing field for anyone with the ambition to create music. You are no longer constrained by hardware limitations even on a modest budget. You have more music creation power on a laptop now than most world-class studios did prior to the year 2000. If you can’t create great music now, it’s not the equipment holding you back.

Those ambitions you dream about, there is never going to be the perfect time to explore them. Start small, start now, refine your skills and work your way to your ultimate vision. Follow your curiosity. Skills that may seem irrelevant at first but interest you may be the keys to future endeavors you never saw coming. When it comes to awards and recognition, it won’t happen without you putting effort into it. Learn to write a great press release, project overview or produce a great explainer video. These are skills that will not only help you win awards but opportunities that can drive your entire career. Consider this training for bigger dreams.

There are so many fantastic online groups and videos to get started. Try some of the basic tutorials. Try to network and find a local community of people to learn from and share. This is important for so many reasons. Events like game jams, social clubs, and conventions are a great starting point.

For the most part, I have always been an open book. I call that my non-competitive advantage.

This list would be quite long as it starts with my Grandfather and Father all the way down to the many mentors and industry peers I have met on a creative journey that nearly spans half a century.

My key to success is remaining curious. I am content knowing I will forever be a student. As for words of wisdom. Of all the skills you can learn, learn to adapt, this will get you the furthest.

I would like to thank the International Awards Associates for the opportunity for any artist, anywhere in the world to have a chance to show off their best work for consideration without the common restrictions that keep independents separated from well-marketed superstars. It’s inspiring that anyone has a fair chance to succeed.