Ida Yebra - Sound Designer

Raymanzone: Could you introduce yourself briefly?
Ida Yebra: My name is Ida Yebra, I'm 31 and I'm in charge of sound design for Rayman 3. I worked on the game from the very outset of the project.

How does one come to be sound designer on a game like Rayman 3?
Basically, I had a fairly technical training in audio, with a view to becoming a sound engineer in the music world. But after 3 years in that field, I ended up feeling disillusioned. The job was really exciting, but the compensation was disappointing. You had to be on call 7 days a week, round the clock, but the pay was mediocre and the contracts were always temporary. So I threw it all in to look for something better, hoping to remain in the audio field.

I joined Ubi Soft in April 1998 as a sound designer in the educational games department where I worked on 2D games like Rayman Eveil, Rayman Dictées and La Famille cosmique. Then, after about a year, I moved over to the 3D games department where I developed my skills on portages and odd ends of projects - Tonic Trouble and Rayman 2, among others - before being entrusted with a 3D game from start to finish: Rayman 3.

In a few words, what does your job involve?
I manage the whole sound packaging of the game: design, data production and the actual integration of sounds into the game. That ranges from dialogues to music, and includes sound effects, atmospheric effects and vocal sounds. You have to try and think of everything from the outset so that you don't forget anything along the way, then you follow the progress of operations carefully to make sure everything goes well. We're in constant contact with composers, sound effect producers and actors. This direct contact is very important for communicating your ideas and the design you've worked out, while respecting the game's technical constraints and requirements.

What made you want to work in the video game sector?
Chance and luck, I'd say. Chance, because I wasn't particularly looking for a job in this sector. I just wanted to get out of the musical world and try something else, while still working in sound. Luck, because it's quite difficult to find a job linked to sound that's stable and acceptable with regard to working hours, salary, durability, etc. All things considered, I was lucky to be able to take advantage of a recruitment opening and land a permanent contract.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a sound designer?
My advice would be not to jump into this profession thinking that you're going to spend all day playing games, because that's not what happens! It's a demanding and highly engrossing job in its own right. You should also know how to stay curious and have a thirst for knowledge, because it's a constantly evolving field where you always have to be in touch with what's going on. Acquiring as much technical experience as possible is also very important if you want to lead a team correctly.

After Rayman 3, what are your future plans?
At the moment, I'm working on a completely different game: Ghost Recon. Ideally, my plans for later on would include having the opportunity to work on new types of game to diversify my skills as much as possible and contribute to the development of the use of sound in video games - because, unfortunately, we still tend to consider it like a fifth wheel. Whereas, as in movies, images with sound are meaningless and, most of all, uninteresting. What's more, there are lots of innovations to be made.

Thank you Ida !