Chance Thomas

Chance Thomas is an American composer, author, and entrepreneur. As a composer, he creates original music for animation, video games, movies, television, and virtual reality. His music has underscored both critical acclaim and commercial success, including an Oscar, an Emmy, and billions of dollars in sales worldwide.[1][2]

Chance Thomas
Occupation(s)Composer, author, entrepreneur
Websitewww.chancethomas.com

Chance is best known for scoring video games like DOTA 2, The Lord of the Rings Online and James Cameron’s Avatar.[3] He also scored Columbia Pictures’ The ChubbChubbs!, which won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and TV movie Lost Treasure Hunt, which was nominated for two Emmy Awards.

Chance is the author of a university textbook, Composing Music for Games: The Art, Technology and Business of Video Game Scoring. The book was released in 2016 by CRC Press, an imprint of Taylor and Francis Publishing.[4] “As an entrepreneur, Chance founded HUGEsound in 1998 and sold it in 2016 to a large and diversified entertainment conglomerate, R Legacy Entertainment. He now serves as VP of Music and Creative Development for the new HUGEsound Post Production.[5]

His projects have won major awards, including an Oscar, Emmy, IGN, Telly, Aurora and several G.A.N.G. awards. He is considered the father of game music Grammy eligibility and was honored in 2013 with the Game Audio Network Guild's Recognition Award.[6]

Early life

Throughout high school, Thomas formed and played in progressive rock bands until he was called to serve a mission in northern Italy for the LDS Church. When he returned home in 1982, he met his bride-to-be, Pamela, at a single's ward family home evening.[7] Thomas worked at UPS, putting his music on hold while pursuing a business degree at Central Oklahoma State University. A torn shoulder muscle reopened the music door. "While I was in rehab, my friend called and told me about a pizza restaurant that was looking for entertainers." Thomas got the job, which paid more than UPS.[7] After two and a half years in Oklahoma, he received a transfer scholarship to finish his business degree at Brigham Young University in Utah. Shortly after his transfer, he switched his scholarship to the music school and eventually graduated with a bachelor's degree in music.[7]

Career

Chance Thomas began his professional career as a performer, singing and playing piano and keyboard at ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains and on cruise ships in the Caribbean.[8] In 1991, he opened a small music production company and studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, called byChance Productions and began creating music for ad agencies and corporate clients. He carved out a particular niche with orchestral scores for public service announcements produced by non-profits like The Salvation Army, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and The United Way.[9]

He emerged into the video game industry in 1996. At the time, Sierra Online was looking for a full-time composer and Chance moved back to California to take the job. This opportunity allowed him to write music for Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire, creating one of the first orchestral video game scores in history.[10] In the late 1990s Chance led a successful movement which brought game music into the Grammy Awards. The Quest for Glory soundtrack was a factor in getting the Grammys to create three new categories — Best Score, Best Song and Best Soundtrack for Film, Television and Other Visual Media.[7]

Chance has also been an important innovator in video games. He led the design and implementation of one of the world's first successful adaptive music systems based on digital audio streams (1997).[11] He also pioneered new techniques for composing game music including ambient set matrices (1996) and interactive scoring maps (2001).[4] When Sierra Online closed the doors of its California studio in 1998, Chance opened HUGEsound, located just outside Yosemite National Park. Projects scored during that time included the Oscar-winning film, The ChubbChubbs!, and games like Peter Jackson’s King Kong, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Lord of the Rings Online.

In 2007, Chance relocated HUGEsound to Utah and continued to compose for high-profile game titles like James Cameron’s Avatar, Heroes of Might and Magic, and DOTA 2.

Lord Of The Rings Online

Chance Thomas' Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) scores are among his most acclaimed and documented work so far. Each of his compositions is based on years of personal research into the literature; the crafting instrumental palettes, vocal ranges, stylistic tendencies and emotional conjuring based on direct references/inferences scattered throughout the text.[12] On June 16, 2017, Thomas released The Lord of the Rings Online: 10th Anniversary Commemorative Soundtrack through HUGEsound Records. The album contains tracks from 2007 to 2017.

HUGEsound

In 1998, Chance launched HUGEsound in Oakhurst, California as a full-service audio development company to service clients in film and gaming. HUGEsound provided sound design, foley, original music scoring and song production for The ChubbChubbs!, among other projects for nearly 20 years. In September 2016, Chance sold HUGEsound to R Legacy Entertainment, a privately held umbrella corporation containing a diversified portfolio of entertainment companies in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City.[5]

In February 2017, HUGEsound Post Production opened its doors as a new 16,000 square foot recording and production facility. The new HUGEsound offers a full range of post-production services in picture, music, and sound.[5]

Volunteer Work

Chance has served in volunteer capacities for community councils, universities, churches, food banks and industry organizations throughout his career. In 1994 he launched the annual Wasatch Front Frozen Turkey Hunt for the Utah Food Bank. In 1998 he helped organize the Music and Sound award review committees for the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and led those committees for 2 years.[13] In 2002 he helped found the Game Audio Network Guild and served on its Board of Directors for 15 years.[14] In 2007 he joined the Advisory Board for the Game Developers Conference (GDC).[15] He has served on Advisory Boards for the Musicians Institute, Brigham Young University and Full Sail University.

Public Speaking

Chance speaks regularly at universities, colleges and professional conferences on the art, craft, tech, and business of music scoring.[16][17] He has spoken at the University of Southern California, University of Michigan, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Oklahoma City University, Berklee College of Music, Full Sail University, Musicians Institute, VRDC, FMX Animation Conference, GameSoundCon and the Game Developers Conference, among many others.[18] Chance won the Ace of Spades Award from GDC in 2010, given to the speaker with the highest rated talk of the entire conference.[19]

Book

In 2016 CRC Press released Chance's textbook, Composing Music for Games: The Art, Technology and Business of Video Game Scoring. The text is a guidebook for launching and maintaining a successful career as a video game composer. It offers a pragmatic approach to learning, intensified through challenging project assignments and simulations. The book begins with the foundation of scoring principles applicable to all media and then progresses serially through core methodologies specific to video game music. This book offers a blend of aesthetic, technique, technology and business, which are all necessary components for a successful career as a video game composer.[4]

Discography

The lists below show some of Thomas' most notable work in various scoring categories.

Video games

YearTitleCompany
1996The RealmSierra
1998Quest For Glory V: Dragon FireSierra
1998Police Quest: SWAT 2Sierra
2002Earth & BeyondEA Games
2002The Lord Of The Rings: The Two TowersEA Games
2002The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Trailer)Sierra
2002Warcraft III: Reign Of Chaos (Trailer)Blizzard
2003The HobbitSierra
2003The Lord of the Rings: War of the RingVivendi Universal Games
2003Unreal II: The AwakeningLegend Entertainment
2005Peter Jackson's King KongUbisoft
2006Paraworld (Trailer)SEK
2006Left Behind: Eternal ForcesLeft Behind Games
2006X-Men: The Official GameActivision
2006Marvel: Ultimate AllianceActivision
2006Dungeons & Dragons OnlineTurbine
2007The Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows Of AngmarWarner Bros.
2008Left Behind: Tribulation ForcesLeft Behind Games
2008The Lord Of The Rings Online: Mines Of MoriaWarner Bros.
2008Nerf-N-StrikeEA Games
2008Littlest Pet Shop (Series)EA Games
2009Nerf-N-Strike EliteEA Games
2009Champions OnlineAtari
2009James Cameron's AvatarUbisoft
2010Left Behind 3: Rise of the Antichrist Left Behind Games
2010Monopoly StreetsEA Games
2011Lego Star Wars III: The Clone WarsLucasArts
2011Combat Of Giants: Dinosaurs 3DUbisoft
2012CytusRyark Games
2012 The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan Warner Brothers Interactive
2012 Dungeons and Dragons Online: Menace of the Underdark Warner Brothers Interactive
2014Dota 2 TI4 Battle PassValve
2014Valiant Hearts: The Great WarUbisoft
2014Might & Magic Duel Of Champions: Forgotten WarsUbisoft
2017FaeriaAbrakam Entertainment
2017 The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor Standing Stone Games
2018 DOTA 2 TI8 Battle Pass Valve

Television

YearTitleCompany
2003The BacheloretteABC
2006Hometown HeroesPBS
2009Pawn StarsHistory Channel

Lifetime

2010Swamp MenNational Geographic Wild
2013Nathan For YouHulu
2014Lost Treasure HuntAmerican Public Television

Film

YearTitleCompany
1993RigolettoFeature Films For Families
2002The ChubbChubbs!Columbia Pictures
2007 Inspire: The Chicago Spire Art Film Imageworks
2013The Life Of ChristLDS Films
2016Driven In DetroitLDS Films
2013The Reason Behind ChristmasLDS Films
2017 Tales of a Time Traveler Evans and Sutherland

Virtual Reality

YearTitleCompany
2017Curse Of The Serpent's EyeThe VOID

References

  1. "Chance Thomas Entry Into Hollywood Scores Oscar Winning Performance - GameZone". GameZone. 2012-05-04. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  2. "LDS CHURCH GETS AN EMMY FOR TV SPOT". DeseretNews.com. 1996-07-11. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  3. Chance, Thomas (August 21, 2018). "Chance Thomas Discography". Moby Games.
  4. Thomas, Chance. "Composing Music for Games". www.routledgetextbooks.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  5. "HUGEsound Records". www.hugesoundrecords.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  6. "Interview With Chance Thomas, Game Composer". Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  7. Iwasaki, Scott (2009-11-22). "Utah composer Chance Thomas scores big with soundtracks, ads for the LDS Church". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  8. "As Chance Would Have It: Thomas Makes Award-winning Music in California Mountain Retreat". LDS Magazine. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  9. "PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  10. "Composer Interview: Chance Thomas (Lord of the Rings Online, Avatar) - Designing Music NOW". Designing Music NOW. 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  11. Young, David M. (August 21, 2018). "ADAPTIVE GAME MUSIC: THE EVOLUTION AND FUTURE OF DYNAMIC MUSIC SYSTEMS IN VIDEO GAMES". Electronic Theses and Dissertations Ohiolink.
  12. "Ten Years Making Middle-earth Music: Our Interview With LotRO Composer Chance Thomas - MMO Bomb". MMO Bomb. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  13. "Music Scoring, CHANCE THOMAS Bio". www.chancethomas.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  14. IGN Staff (2008-02-29). "Game Audio Network Guild Announces Award Winners for 6th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards". IGN. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  15. "GDC | Advisory Board". www.gdconf.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  16. "Interview with Composer, Chance Thomas – The Sound Architect". The Sound Architect. 2015-10-10. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  17. "Music Scoring, CHANCE THOMAS News". www.chancethomas.com. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  18. "Music Scoring, CHANCE THOMAS Speaking". www.chancethomas.com. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
  19. "HUGEstudios". hugesound.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
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