Reel showcasing my favorite shipped work
Reel showcasing my favorite redesign work
Bio
Hi! I'm Noah Kankanala, an Associate Audio Designer at Skydance Interactive and former Audio Design Intern at Obsidian Entertainment.
I’ve been passionate about the intersection of sound, story, and games since childhood, inspired by early memories of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I have experience working in wide range of audio domains including interactables, environments cinematics, foley, UI, weapons, and creatures. One of my favorite domains to work in is ambient and sound propagation systems, using environmental audio as a means to deepen immersion and storytelling. I also enjoy leveraging gameplay data like kinesthetic input and physics properties to create dynamic, responsive audio experiences.
I hold a Master’s in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS in Game Design from Indiana University, where I developed projects blending storytelling, emerging tech, and transformational design. My goal is to craft immersive worlds where audio elevates and enriches the player experience.
Credits
Skydance’s Behemoth (Skydance Games) PSVR2, QST 3, PCVR Associate Audio Designer
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners - Chapter 2 Retribution (Skydance Games) PSVR2, QST 2, PCVR Associate Audio Designer
Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment) Xbox Series X, Series S, PC Additional Sound Design
skydance’s Behemoth
Developer: Skydance Interactive | Platforms: PSVR 2, PCVR, Meta Quest 2 & 3 | Release Date: 2024 | Role: Associate Audio Designer | Responsibilities: Sound Design and Implementation, Spatial Audio Integration, Music Implementation, Audio Optimization, Bug Fixing
Reel of my favorite shipped work on Skydance’s Behemoth
Ambience Design and Implementation
SFX Design and Implementation
Cinematic Design and Implementation
Dreddstag Design and Implementation
Skydance’s Behemoth is a VR action-adventure game where players journey across a land of snowy mountains, frozen tundras, murky swamplands, and otherworldly dimensions and slay colossal creatures known as Behemoths in order to break a curse that has afflicted them.
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution
Developer: Skydance Interactive | Platforms: PSVR 2, PCVR, Meta Quest 2 & 3 | Release Date: 2022 | Role: Associate Audio Designer | Responsibilities: Sound Design and Implementation, Spatial Audio Integration, Dialogue Implementation, Audio Optimization, Bug Fixing
Reel of my favorite work shipped on The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution
Elevator SFX and Implementation
Mission SFX and Implementation
Interactable SFX and Implementation
Ambience SFX and Implementation
Weapon SFX and Implementation
Stealth UI SFX and Implementation
Released in 2022, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution is a VR FPS, survival horror game where players collect, scavenge, and shoot their way across a post-apocalyptic New Orleans filled with terrifying zombies, dangerous factions, and an ominous figure known as the Axeman.
sound redesign
Sound Redesigns of works that I am inspired by and enjoy experiencing.
League of Legends Gameplay Sound Redesign
Fortnite Gameplay Sound Redesign
Dishonored 2 Gameplay Sound Redesign
Hogwarts Legacy Gameplay Sound Redesign
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Cinematic Sound Redesign
Arcane Cinematic Sound Redesign
Mario Odyssey Cinematic Sound Redesign
Lyraflo
Developer: Lyraflo at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center | Platforms: PCVR | Release Date: 2021 | Role: Sound Designer, Composer, Producer | Responsibilities: Sound Design and Implementation, Music Composition and Implementation, Production, Management
Gameplay Footage of our prototype that explored major/minor
Lyraflo was a VR project developed at the Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center that explored the intersection between music theory, interactivity, and visualizations. Our goal was to build experiences that allowed for musically interested students to learn more about music in immersive environments.
Vesp
Developer: VESP at Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center | Platforms: PCVR | Release Date: 2021 | Role: Sound Designer and Composer | Responsibilities: Sound Design and Implementation, Music Composition and Implementation
Trailer for our animal senses prototypes
Bee: Electromagnetic Reception
Elephant: Infrasound
Bat: Ultrasonics
Squid: Chromatophore Camouflage
VESP was a VR project developed at the Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center that was focused on developing prototypes that allowed for players to experience the world through the senses of an animal. Our goal was to build experiences that could foster an appreciation for the natural world and allow for players to gain a newfound appreciation for how animals use unique senses to perceive and navigate the world around them.