Sam Dillard Launches Mana Cinematica Kickstarter

Sam Dillard is a self-described “creator of animation & albums based on my favorite game soundtracks” and fan of RPGs. Remarkably, he’s also self-taught and continues music projects out of pure love and passion from a corner of his home. His Kickstarter history began in 2013 and boasts multiple successful projects; he composed the well-received Chrono Cinematica in 2015 and Zelda Cinematica in 2017, starting a series of albums to give beloved RPG franchises the star treatment. After a period of relative Kickstarter quiet, he recently launched a campaign for a new cinematic album for the first RPG series he played—Mana Cinematica—with a beautiful trailer.

I’ve heard my fair share of Mana arrangements, and think the series truly lends itself well to the longer-form, cinematic format. The current plan for Mana Cinematica is to have a digital, CD, and Vinyl release, with some extras at higher reward tiers. If you missed out on his earlier music, a Jinn ($20) pledge will get you his complete Square digital music collection. Note that if you are a physical music collector, the CDs and Vinyl are at slightly higher reward tiers. One lucky superfan may also get the chance to choose a track for the album, along with many other rewards, at the highest (Luna) tier. Will it be you?

Stretch goals include potential second and third volumes, to give even more Mana music the cinematic treatment, with backers helping make song selections on these extra editions. Even better, if the campaign meets these stretch goals, backers will receive Mana Cinematica volumes II and III for free.

The Mana Cinematica Kickstarter ends on August 30th, and is over 40% funded as of this writing. There’s plenty of time to watch the trailer and check out Sam Dillard’s work. We at RPGFan are keeping our eyes on this one. We’ve already featured his work on multiple episodes of Rhythm Encounter (see episodes 33, 35, 36, and 120). Follow along with us as this new project progresses!