Since the beginning of time, Envato items have been used to both create, and promote games. Today, we look at five examples of this, in the Famous Five: Video Game Special.
Modern Strike is an Android multiplayer shooter game, that promises jaw-dropping graphics and optimization, even for low-performing devices. Players inhabit the role of counter terrorist, in this game that aims to change the idea of free online gaming. And, it seems they might have done it, with the game receiving over 278 thousand 5 star reviews on Google Play, as well as more than 6 million people viewing its YouTube trailer, featuring Intense Trailer by Dreamsfall.
TitanSlayer has had his music used by popular YouTuber, OpTic Pamaj. Famous for their video gameplay montages, they’ve used Epic Hybrid Trailer in this montage of Call of Duty: Black Ops III. The package is slick, very action heavy, and with more than 300 thousand views, it’s given a lot of exposure to this AudioJungle track.
And, TitanSlayer has actually written an article on how to produce music for a video game, sharing what he learned for composing the score for Quake 4: False Down.
Battlefield Hardline has used an AudioJungle track for its cinematic trailer. Departing from its military setting to focus on the war on crime, the trailer is ambitious, setting the tone of the game, and really trying to tell a story. It’s very effective, thanks in large part to the track they’ve used, WolfSound’s Hybrid Blockbuster Trailer, which raises the stakes of the violence we’re seeing on screen.
Enemies that become more aggressive as night falls? Gameplay that focuses on weapons based combat, and parkour? They’re just a couple of twists that make Dying Light a little different. Upon the game’s release, in 2015, they produced a trailer, and used Intense Rock Trailer by OctoSound, to go with it. It’s a fast and sharp look at the best features of the game, and this AudioJungle track keeps the adrenaline running all the way through.
And finally, how cool is this? Lost Soul Aside, a game created by a single person named Bing Yang, has used AudioJungle track Discovery by Tybercore, in its trailer, which has netted over 2 million views on YouTube. It’s an impressive feat, as Game Informer notes, it “looks like a game from a much larger team.” The creator is working towards a release on PlayStation 4 by 2018. And, I think it’s safe to say, he’s got a big future ahead of him.
And that’s the Famous Five: Video Game Special. Our new logo was designed by DesignerCow, and our opening graphics were made from walterlee’s item, Crystal Palace of the Darkness, available now on VideoHive. Links to their profiles are below.
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I’ve always loved video games. Ever since childhood, I’ve been fascinated, and hypnotized by games like, Quake, Hexen, and Heroes of Might Magic.
At some point in my musical career, I realized composing, and producing music for visual media was my dream. After working to make this happen, I eventually got to where I am now, producing scores for films and video games. But the job, like any other, is full of pros and cons.
In this article, I’m going to highlight the fundamentals of working with a video game developer, and how you should approach producing music for a game.
Connecting and communicating
For a constructive and efficient working relationship, the composer and developer need to come to a mutual understanding as early as possible. That’s the necessary foundation for this collaboration to be successful.
The reason behind this is simple – everyone hears and interprets music and sound effects a little differently. Someone may hear “power” in heavy metal riffs, but not in distorted digital synths, for example. Therefore, it’s important to develop your own understanding of which instruments and sounds express certain moods, and make those decisions with the developer for the particular game you’re working on.
There are a few simple ways to achieve this mutual understanding:
Reference tracks: Tracks by a particular artist or band the developer would have chosen if they hadn’t hired you to compose.
Sound effects for a particular game scenario: Experimenting with sounds until you both agree on which sounds express certain feelings within the world of the game.
Getting familiar with game lore: The more you know about the game and its story, the better you can represent the main idea of the game with music and sounds.
Scenario analysis
In order to make this score fit the project as best as it can, you need to thoroughly examine all components of game lore, story, and gameplay itself. If possible, ask for a demo version. If not, watch any gameplay videos you can get your hands on, and take the gaming control in your hands to imagine you’re playing it.
When I was working on Quake 4: False Down, an unofficial addon by Little Gears, it was important for me to bring something fresh, and new to its legacy. To do this, however, there were points where I had to ignore the “Quake” title completely, and try to think about it as if it weren’t part of the series at all; just another first person shooter.
When I did this, I was able to drill things down to the fundamentals of what I wanted to create. Taking the game’s legacy, and its future into account, I came up with the concept that it was focused on futurism, dark sci-fi, aggressive alien cyborgs, and yes, the fate of humanity in the hands of the player. So, as a result, in the main menu, we had a massive industrial track, dark ambient drones in the exploration parts, and a hybrid of orchestral, rock, and electronic elements in the battle parts, plus, some sound design at scenario transitions.
It doesn’t matter what type of game you’re working on, you’re going to need to take time to understand the game, its story, and its world. The game makes the score, so let the knowledge about the lore, and the director/developer’s guidance be your starting point.
Organization and production
Working on video game soundtracks, I’ve often needed to compose tracks for particular locations or game events that have partial melodic elements from other levels and scenes. Usually, that’s how the developer or audio director wants to set the atmosphere, by using a particularly unique sound that will be associated with the whole game. Therefore, it’s important to have an organizing system to make the producing process more efficient and effective. This system, in fact, already exists. I call it: “Building Blocks.”
Let’s take a look at them:
Main blocks: The foundation. Main Blocks have to contain musical instruments, and sounds that will recur through the entire game. The easiest parallel to make here is to lego blocks. These elements are the lego blocks you build the rest of the design out of.
Exploration/Adventure blocks: These are ambient background music pieces, or sound design elements where the player focuses on the study and exploration of the world of the game. Depending on the scenario, they may consist of vague, repeated elements made up of main blocks – sound effects or melodies – but they shouldn’t be too distracting.
Action blocks: This is where the fun starts. As in the cases of main and exploration blocks, action blocks can mix other elements, as well as add on top of them to create particular moods. Usually, I use the combination of heavy electric guitars and synths, subconsciously encouraging the player to move and fight in unison with the music. Here, you see music work at its fullest.
Here’s a screenshot that represents the stems of a track made for a battle scene in an upcoming sci-fi first person shooter.
The Megahorns (green) are the main blocks, Arp Synth, Lead Synth, and Texture (all in blue,) are exploration blocks, and Bassline, Crash, etc (in red,) are action blocks.
As you can see, I have combined the components which make the core of this track.
Tracks of the exploration blocks have already been used for the ambient track on the same level. But, in a calm part of the game, where the player has to find keycards, stems from the exploration blocks were used to create an ambient track.
Electronic drums, and an aggressive bass line, are added to set a forceful pace, to accompany the movement and shooting, heightening the intense atmosphere of this particular level.
Here’s an example of a track I made, using a block system.
It’s made up of each of the blocks mentioned above: main, exploration, and action.
So, how does it work?
Dubstep wobble bass, orchestral strings, and intense percussions set the courageous, and emotional mood, perfect for action sequences, from battles to chase scenes.
To create an ambient version, I removed the elements mentioned above, leaving just the sub drops, piano, and synths. With just those elements remaining, the track becomes mysterious and dark. You now have a track most suited to an exploration level.
The plan is the same again. Use the full, original track for the action sequences, and the underscore for the exploration ones, and you’ve got yourself a video game score!
Remember, you don’t have to use the repetition of individual elements, you just need to organize the blocks correctly. You’re the Lego constructor in this scenario. The blocks are a smart, efficient solution that works for me, and may help you organize your workflow, and improve your video game scoring skills.
Conclusion
The process of composing and producing a soundtrack is going to be different for everyone, as every developer, and producer, will have different requirements. But, good communication, immersion in the game lore, understanding the gameplay, and efficient workflow organization is vital. By following these simple recommendations, you can achieve fantastic interaction of gameplay and music, and send players on an unforgettable journey, into the world of the video game.
Find out more about the author of this article, Envato community member, TitanSlayer
Bootstrap is one of the most popular front-end frameworks used in web design. In fact, it’s the top choice for building mobile-first and responsive websites. It allows web designers everywhere to quickly prototype a website and comes with an elegant grid system that ensures your website will be well organized. It also provides styling for common website elements like buttons, forms, and navigation which speeds up development time even more. However, the most important reason for using Bootstrap is its mobile-first approach, which means your website will be fully responsive and look good no matter what type of device your visitors are using.
Luckily, Bootstrap plays nicely with WordPress too, which is why many WordPress developers use it in their themes. In this post, we put together a list of the best Bootstrap WordPress themes on the market. Our roundup includes not only the best selling bootstrap themes but also the best themes from select categories and new and noteworthy themes that can be used by creatives, startups, tech websites, non-profit organizations, and more.
Pillar is a multipurpose WordPress theme based on Bootstrap that packs quite a punch. The theme comes with more than 100 demo layouts and over 160 sections that you can use to create multipage or one-page websites. Thanks to its versatility, you can use it to create a full blown agency website as well as an elegant corporate website or a personal blog. Smooth parallax effects will add extra visual appeal to your website and with the help of Visual Composer you’ll be able to create unique layouts for every page.
Consider the KeySoft theme if you’re looking for a one-page theme to showcase your app or a single product. The theme offers several demo versions, including a fullscreen video background. You can also insert an email subscription form and integrate it with MailChimp or Constant Contact. The KeySoft theme is also fully customizable and you can quickly set it up thanks to the one-click demo install.
If you’re on the lookout for an education theme, look no further than Academia. The theme is fully responsive thanks to the Bootstrap framework and it integrates perfectly with the LMS WordPress plugin so you can manage all your courses inside your WordPress dashboard. The course page makes it easy for students to progress through the class and you can take full advantage of the SEO integration to ensure your site ranks well. Customize it to suit your school’s brand and create stunning slideshows with Revolution Slider and completely unique layouts with Visual Composer – both premium plugins which are included for free with this theme.
Try out the Boutique theme if your online store sells fashion items and accessories. The Boutique theme offers more than 20 demo layouts suitable for a variety of stores and it comes with a mega menu for easy navigation and featured tabs so you can easily display featured products. Individual product pages have plenty of configuration options including the zoom feature and a catalog mode. Style your shop to match your brand and use different header options to promote a coupon or bring the focus to extra perks such as free shipping.
If your online portfolio needs a redesign, consider the Collective theme. The theme has a minimal and clean design that puts your work in the main focus and it looks stunning on all screen sizes. On top of presenting your work in a clean and elegant fashion, it’s also compatible with WooCommerce so you can start an online store and you can translate your website into any language you want thanks to WPML integration. The Visual Composer plugin is included as well so you can relaunch your website quickly.
The Rocket theme is a great choice for creative agencies or portfolio sites. You can quickly customize colors, layout, elements, and fonts with just a few clicks in Theme Options panel. Several premade demos allow you to choose a layout that best matches your brand and you can further tweak the layout through the Visual Composer plugin. The homepage has plenty of sections to display your past work, include a call to action, and show your services and past clients.
This theme has all the functionality needed to create a product launch website. It integrates perfectly with PayPal and MailChimp and it also allows you to integrate your Kickstarter or IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaigns. You can use video backgrounds to introduce your product and customize every aspect of your theme. On top of that, the theme is fully optimized for search engines.
Broden is a great option if you’re on the lookout for a responsive and modern Bootstrap-based theme suitable for a lifestyle blog or magazine. The theme comes with four different slider styles to promote your most popular or latest posts and you can customize the fonts, colors, and every other aspect of the theme through WordPress Live Customizer. Ensure your readers don’t miss any of your great content with sticky sidebars and translate your website into any language to attract a wider audience.
WP Forever is a clean and elegant wedding theme that will help you spread the word about your big day in style. The theme includes three different layouts, each of which includes a place for the photo of the happy couple and it comes with a countdown widget, couple timeline, guest registry, map location, gift registry, RSVP form, and more. The theme is easy to customize and you can even include background music to get your guests excited about the upcoming celebration.
Don’t miss the Hague theme if you need a magazine theme. This theme comes with six different blog post layouts which are perfect for adding a variety of content to your magazine site. Stunning featured images are used throughout the theme to present your content in a visually appealing way and you can use custom widgets to customize the sidebars and populate them with the content that you want. With plenty of customization options, author widget, and drag and drop homepage, the Hague theme does not disappoint.
The Blackair theme is a gorgeous one page WordPress theme that not only looks good across various screen sizes, it’s also Retina-enabled which means your website will look great even on high resolution screens. The theme comes with Revolution Slider to showcase the latest hair styles and you can display your work with a custom portfolio section. Customizing the theme is quick and easy thanks to the powerful theme options panel and Visual Composer builder.
Stellar is a perfect choice for creative agencies and freelancers who need to display their portfolio in a unique way. The theme is integrated with MailChimp so you can grow your email list and includes a one-click backup feature so you never have to worry about losing your data again.
Monarch is a modern Bootstrap theme built with communities in mind. It comes with full support for BuddyPress and you can easily build any type of online community: from social networking sites to business communities. You can extend the functionality of the theme further with bbPress integration and customize every aspect of the theme to match your community brand.
Try the BigBazaar theme for your online store – the theme comes with 10 different homepage layouts which can be used for a variety of store types and it integrates with the WooCommerce and Visual Composer plugins, the latter of which will allow you to create unlimited and unique layouts for your online store. Mega Menus, AJAX powered search, and product quick view are just some of the features that make this theme worth looking into.
The HostHubs theme is a great choice for hosting companies as it comes with elegant pricing tables perfect for displaying different hosting plans as well as an accordion FAQ section where you can answer some of the most common questions regarding hosting services. It’s also compatible with the WHMS control panel and includes pages for your affiliate program, domain registrations, customer support, and more.
The Fit & Fab theme is a responsive, Bootstrap fitness theme suited for gyms, fitness professionals, and freelance trainers. It includes more than 25 page templates geared toward the fitness industry and eight homepage variations. The theme has also been coded to load fast and includes SEO optimized code.
Bring attention to your resume with this colorful theme. On top of eight predefined color schemes, each section has a different color accent to make it stand out more. The theme allows you to share your education, work experience, skills, and to showcase your past work in a stylish manner. A contact form and Google Maps are included so potential employers can get in touch with you and schedule an interview.
Any creative professional would do well with the Anema theme. It features a clean and modern design with stunning portfolio template and plenty of customization options. The theme includes several demo variations for the homepage and you can customize the layout for any page through Visual Composer. Revolution Slider is also included to help you showcase your past projects in a creative way.
Ryla is versatile theme best suited for corporate and portfolio websites that need a modern and elegant website presence. You can choose between a single page and multipage layout, customize every aspect of your theme and use any one of the four icon sets to add visual appeal to different sections of your website. Display your services, showcase past projects, and use the blog to drive traffic to your site.
Consider the DW Focus theme if you want a simple and clean news theme with features such as a grid-based layout, news slider, and quick tabs. The theme comes with full social integration so your readers can quickly share your articles across different social media networks.
New and Noteworthy Themes
Aside from best-sellers, our roundup features new and noteworthy themes as well as the best Bootstrap themes in several different categories such as business, technology, portfolio, and more.
Pixlr is a versatile one page theme that has more than 16 homepage variations that are suitable for a variety of industries. You can build anything from a showcase page for your app or product to a one page business website. The theme also comes with parallax and video backgrounds and thorough documentation should you need any help setting up your website.
Gloria is perfect for modern magazine, newspaper, and review websites. It comes with full support for embedding videos from YouTube and Vimeo and features its own rating system. The included drag and drop page builder makes it easy to create custom layouts and parallax effects will add extra visual appeal to your articles and featured stories.
Caelus is a great choice for a landing page or a coming soon page for any app developer who wants to create buzz about their upcoming app. It features an animated countdown timer and a sign up form so you can start building your list even before you launch. Use the provided social icons to help spread the word about your launch date and tweak the settings to match your brand.
Lambda is a responsive corporate theme with an impressive number of homepage variations that can be used to create any type of corporate website. All the demos are easy to install with a simple click and the unique skin editor makes it possible to tweak the colors, fonts, and other settings to integrate with your brand.
Educators and preschool owners need not look any further when it comes to education themes. This theme is designed to load fast and comes with a staff slider, featured sections to display your preschool programs, a timetable schedule, Google Maps integration, and more.
Consider the Act theme for your nonprofit organization. The theme has everything you need to facilitate reaching out to potential sponsors and collecting donations right from your website. You can also run crowdfunding campaigns and sell products to help raise money for your cause.
Want to see even more themes like these? Then don’t forget to check out our theme marketplace to find the perfect bootstrap theme for your website and take advantage of our tutorial collection to learn the ins and outs of WordPress themes.
Your personal blog is a reflection of all of your skills and your interests. Ultimately, it should be as unique as you are, with a lot of options for customization. When it comes to determining a WordPress theme for your personal blog, the most important consideration is how to tell your story. Are you a writer who wants your theme to accentuate your text? Are you a photographer who will display your captivating images? Are you a videographer or filmmaker who wants a theme that seamlessly embeds video?
Storytelling is at the heart of your blog, so your theme should be optimized for the media you will use the most. Before embarking on the journey of blogging, evaluate what you will use, how you will use it, and then get started!
Writer: Penoolis
If you’re a writer, words are your standout thing and your WordPress theme should undoubtedly reflect that. While you may incorporate photos and videos to highlight aspects of your text, your ideal theme should put your words front and center. The Penoolis theme is a great option with a simple design and emphasis on text. With an ongoing scroll and centered text, Penoolis is a dream for writers who want to hop on their blog and publish. Penoolis also makes it easy to add photos and videos for some standout posts. Overall, this theme is an easy choice for authors who want to share their thoughts with the world.
Photographer: Fotomag
Whether a professional photographer or someone who subscribes by the mantra that a picture is worth 1,000 words, your blog should stop visitors in their tracks with stunning visuals. The Fotomag theme is made for such photography aficionados with a sleek, classic design and adaptability to all devices, so your imagery won’t lose its luster. The homepage makes a strong impression with infinite scroll and a featured image for each post. Then individual pages offer the opportunity to create galleries and photo essays that dive into the story you want to tell with your photos. With larger than life images, Fotomag makes it easy to draw your viewers into the world of your photography.
Videographer: The Vlog Theme
Videos are increasingly becoming the most appealing and shareable media. For example, on Facebook, “Video posts have 135% greater organic reach than photo posts,” according to Social Media Today. It’s a great time to be a videographer and your personal blog should make it easy for viewers to watch, engage, and share. The Vlog theme addresses the heart of what it means to be a video or even audio blogger, with compatibility with YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion for easy import and playing usability. Vlog also makes it easy to curate your videos into playlists, categories, and groups within different post layouts. Most of all, its built-in social sharing will take your videos from blog posts to viral sensations in no time!
The Full Package: Hemlock
Maybe you’re an all-around kind of artist or you’re just starting out and have no idea where your blogging will lead you. In that case, it’s safe to go with a full package kind of theme, like Hemlock. With a combination of visual and text, Hemlock provides a strong opportunity to mix and match different types of posts as you hit your stride. In addition to images and videos, Hemlock also has the feature of music posts for audio artists, as well. The theme’s widgets also make it easy to link social media profiles from Facebook to Instagram to Snapchat in their latest update. As a full package theme for the versatile blogger, Hemlock will make your content shine brightly in the blogosphere.
Looking for more WordPress themes for your personal blog? Search for the theme that fits your unique vision on ThemeForest.
There’s something so simple and elegant about a plain green leaf or a bouquet of ferns. It’s more understated than floral, but still incredibly vibrant, drawing on all of the amazing shades of green, from bright moss to deep pine. It’s no surprise that Greenery is Pantone’s color of the year for 2017, and we’re seeing greenery as a major trend in wedding invitation designs. These signs of spring and growth are especially suited for a spring or early summer wedding—but there are options to choose from for any mood or season.
This simple green palette goes great with an outdoor shot—a classic for wedding and engagement photos. Let the natural love shine through! Comes with RSVP.
The lovely blue-green of this Rustic Invitation contrasts nicely with a deep wood background, and several different plant styles to choose from—you can even choose small white flowers and a curly-cue script font if you’re looking for a slightly fancier feel.
This Garden Style Wedding Invitation only has a bit of green in the font, or in the background, but with it’s natural brown background and illustration of roots, it’s definitely on trend.
This Irish Wedding Invitation Set features simple green clovers—around a lucky horseshoe, of course. Comes with Invitation, Save the Date, Reply Card, Order of Service, and Table Number.
A wonderful twist on the nature theme, the Pomegranate Strands Invitation features pomegranate strands in the shape of a heart, over a leafy background pattern, and a bright red bow for contrast. Comes with Save The Date.
This Warm Autumn Wedding Invitation Suite shows autumn leaves in vibrant colors with a bright gold accent colors—perfect for a fall wedding. Comes with Info card, Menu, Place card, Program, Rsvp, Save the date, Table number and Thank you.