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Journey Composer Fighting Expulsion From American Federation Of Musicians
Austin Wintory, composer for games like Journey and many others, is fighting possible expulsion from the American Federation of Musicians due to his work on The Banner Saga.
Wintory recorded the score for The Banner Saga under non-union auspices in Texas, which caused him to charged with violating the union rules inherent in being part of the American Federation of Musicians. He is being fined $2,500, but is fighting the verdict, refusing to pay.
According to Variety, Wintory says regarding paying the fine, "Doing so would be to agree that their failed policies, selective tactics, and threats work." Wintory also said that instead of paying the fine, he is willing to pay $2,500 to Education Through Music.
For a commentary track from Wintory on the music for Journey, head here.
[Source: Variety]
Our Take
The rules related to unions in creative fields like music, film making, or acting are confusing, but it sounds like Wintory is fighitng the good fight. He's putting his principles up front, and hopefully he can enact some changes that will make it easier for composers like Wintory to continue to work int he field of video games.
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