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Robyn Miller

{{short description|American artist}}

{{for|the Casualty character|Robyn Miller (Casualty)}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{BLP sources|date=December 2011}}

{{More footnotes needed|date=November 2016}}}}

{{Infobox person

| name=Robyn Miller

| image=Robyn Miller GDC 2013 (8604248684) CROPPED.jpg

| caption=Miller in 2013

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1966|8|6}}

| birth_place=Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| death_date=

| death_place=

| occupation=Artist, computer game designer, composer, director, actor

| website= {{Official URL}}

}}

Robyn Charles Miller (born August 6, 1966) is an American video game designer who is the co-founder of Cyan Worlds with brother Rand Miller. He served as co-designer of the popular computer game Myst, which held the title of best-selling computer game from its release in 1993 until the release of The Sims seven years later.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-sims-overtakes-myst/1100-2857556/ |title=The Sims overtakes Myst |publisher=GameSpot |date=2006-05-17 |accessdate=2016-11-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7900&tab=credits |title=Game Over |publisher=AllGame |date= |accessdate=2016-11-29}} He also co-directed and co-lead designed the sequel to Myst, Riven,{{cite web|url=http://www.mystjourney.com/riven/studies/credits.php |title=Riven Full Credits |website=MystJourney.com |date= |accessdate=2016-11-29}} which was the best-selling computer game of its year of release, 1997.{{cite web|author=Karlin Lillington |url=http://www.salon.com/1998/03/02/feature_339/ |title=21st: "Myst" partnership is riven |website=Salon.com |date=1998-03-02 |accessdate=2016-11-29}} Miller composed and performed the soundtracks to both games.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0589247|title=Robyn C. Miller|website=IMDb.com|accessdate=2016-11-29}} He also acted in Myst, portraying one of the antagonists, Sirrus (with brother and Cyan-cofounder Rand appearing as Achenar and Atrus). He co-wrote the first Myst novel, The Book of Atrus.

After the release of Riven, Miller left Cyan to pursue non-game interests, including films.{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Myst-Muse-Leaves-Game-Company-Robyn-Miller-3012428.php |title='Myst' Muse Leaves Game Company / Robyn Miller developing film ideas with new firm |publisher=SFGate |date=1998-03-05 |accessdate=2016-11-29}} He is the director of the 2013 film The Immortal Augustus Gladstone.{{cite web|url=http://theimmortalaugustusgladstone.com/TheImmortalAugustusGladstone/HOME.html |title="AWOL in P-Town" |website=Theimmortalaugustusgladstone.com |accessdate=2016-11-29}}

Early works

Miller served as a designer on Cyan Worlds's early games The Manhole, Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel and Spelunx.{{cite web|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/24424 |title=GDC 2013: Robyn Miller's Myst Postmortem |publisher=AdventureGamers.com |date= 19 April 2013|accessdate=2016-11-29}}

''Myst'' and ''Riven''

Miller is known for his contributions in the areas of direction and design, especially in the area of visual design—the look and feel of the Myst and Riven worlds. Richard Vander Wende, co-director and co-designer of Riven, was likewise responsible for orchestrating the visual language of that world.{{cite web|last=Bradford |first=Matt |url=http://www.edge-online.com/news/gdc-2013-myst-creator-robyn-miller-on-lying-about-budgets-poverty-and-technical-limitations/ |title=Edge Magazine | GamesRadar |publisher=Edge-online.com |date=2014-09-11 |accessdate=2016-11-29}}{{cite web|url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/24424 |title=GDC 2013: Robyn Miller's Myst Postmortem |publisher=AdventureGamers.com |date= 19 April 2013|accessdate=2016-11-29}}

Composer

While at Cyan, Miller composed the soundtracks for both Myst and Riven.

In 2005 he worked on a musical project named Ambo,{{cite web |url=http://tinselman.com/ambo_02.html |title=AMBO - 1000 Years and 1 Day |accessdate=2011-05-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619083118/http://tinselman.com/ambo_02.html |archivedate=2011-06-19 }} with W. Keith Moore.

In December 2013, he released the soundtrack for his debut film The Immortal Augustus Gladstone in digital format on Gumroad.com.

Miller composed the soundtrack for Cyan's Kickstarter-funded video game Obduction, released in August 2016.{{cite web |url=http://obduction.com/anniversary-two-huge-obduction-music-announcement/ |title=Anniversary Two – Huge Obduction Music Announcement! - Obduction - Obduction by Cyan, Inc |publisher=Obduction |date=2015-11-13 |accessdate=2016-11-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018195134/http://obduction.com/anniversary-two-huge-obduction-music-announcement/ |archivedate=2016-10-18 }} This was his first work with Cyan since Riven in 1997. Initially, he had only intended to appear in the game itself (as C.W., one of the few human characters the player interacts with), and had outright said he would not do the soundtrack. After persuasion by his brother Rand, as well as seeing the work being done on the game, he eventually agreed to compose the game's music as well as appear in the game. He stated in an interview that he enjoyed focusing solely on composing, as opposed to the additional production work he had done for Myst and Riven.[http://www.originalsoundversion.com/interview-with-composer-robyn-miller-on-the-obduction-soundtrack/ Original Sound Version - INTERVIEW with Composer Robyn Miller on the Obduction Soundtrack]

From 2022 to 2023, Miller self-published a compilation series of three albums entitled Lost Tracks featuring various unreleased tracks composed and recorded over his career.{{Cite web|first=Robyn|last=Miller|url=http://www.robynmiller.net/|title=Music|website=robynmiller.net|accessdate=2023-11-12}}

Director

Miller's debut film project is a fictional documentary film titled The Immortal Augustus Gladstone, a story about a man who believes himself to be a vampire.{{cite web|last=Miller |first=Robyn C. |url=http://augustusblog.com/2013/04/29/435/ |title=Status and Vampires | 156 Years and Counting |publisher=Augustusblog.com |date=2013-04-29 |accessdate=2016-11-29}}{{cite web|url=http://theimmortalaugustusgladstone.com/TheImmortalAugustusGladstone/HOME.html |title="AWOL in P-Town" |website=Theimmortalaugustusgladstone.com |accessdate=2016-11-29}}

Discography

Solo albums:

As a member of Ambo:

  • 1000 Years and 1 Day (2005)
  • Ambo – Day Two - B-Sides (EP, 2005)

Filmography

class="wikitable"

|+ Video games

! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;" | Year

! rowspan="2" | Work

! colspan="5" | Credited as

! rowspan="2" | Notes

width=20 | Director

! width=20 | Designer

! width=20 | Artist

! width=20 | Composer

! width=20 | Actor

style="text-align:center;"

| 1988

| style="text-align:left;"| The Manhole

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{n/a}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"|

style="text-align:center;"

| 1989

| style="text-align:left;"| Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"|

style="text-align:center;"

| 1991

| style="text-align:left;"| Spelunx and the Caves of Mr. Seudo

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{n/a}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"|

style="text-align:center;"

| 1993

| style="text-align:left;"| Myst

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Role: Sirrus (uncredited)

style="text-align:center;"

| 1997

| style="text-align:left;"| Riven: The Sequel to Myst

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"|

style="text-align:center;"

| 2016

| style="text-align:left;"| Obduction

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Role: C.W.

class="wikitable"

|+ Film{{Cite web|first=Robyn|last=Miller|url=http://www.robynmiller.net/|title=Video Games & Films|website=robynmiller.net|accessdate=2018-08-08}}

! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;" | Year

! rowspan="2" | Film

! colspan="5" | Credited as

! rowspan="2" | Notes

width=20 | Director

! width=20 | Writer

! width=20 | Editor

! width=20 | Composer

! width=20 | Actor

style="text-align:center;"

| rowspan="2" | 2013

| style="text-align:left;"| The Immortal Augustus Gladstone

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Role: Augustus Gladstone

style="text-align:center;"

| style="text-align:left;"| The Hero Pose

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Executive producer; short film

style="text-align:center;"

| 2015

| style="text-align:left;"| Kill Cash Cow Kill

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Short film

style="text-align:center;"

| 2017

| style="text-align:left;"| Little Potato

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Executive producer; short film

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

=Main sites=

{{Commons category}}

  • {{Official website}}
  • {{LastFM music|id=Robyn+Miller}}
  • {{Bandcamp}}
  • {{Discogs artist}}
  • {{Musicbrainz artist}}
  • {{Isfdb name}}
  • {{IMDb name}}
  • {{AllMusic}}
  • {{SoundCloud}}
  • [https://ocremix.org/artist/547/robyn-miller Robyn Miller] at OverClocked ReMix
  • [https://vgmdb.net/artist/996 Robyn Miller] at VGMdb

=Articles and other=

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20060505060557/http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/7.10/miller.html Robyn Miller] article at Wired magazine
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20041230124250/http://www.elledeegee.net/mystcon2003/pics/wired1.jpg Riven cover] at Wired magazine
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20000619003702/http://www.landofpoint.com/ Land of Point] website (archive)
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20000520041605/http://www.feedmag.com/vgs/re.html Robyn Miller] interview at Feed Magazine (archive)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Robyn}}

Category:1966 births

Category:American male video game actors

Category:American video game composers

Category:American video game designers

Category:Cyan Worlds people

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Dallas

Category:Virgin Records artists