From a Blue Stars press release: The Blue Stars 2005 program to be titled "Pixelation: The Music of Final Fantasy." The corps will focus its programming on the work of the Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu, performing his compositions from the widely popular video game series, "Final Fantasy." The music from "Final Fantasy" spans the gamut of musical styles from rock and techo to symphonic and jazz. The music in the earlier installments of "Final Fantasy" tended to be more synthesizer-based scores, but later chapters in the series have transitioned to full instrumental works recorded with live orchestra and chorus. This mirrors a trend in the gaming industry at large, where budgets have expanded to allow the possibility of complex orchestrations to be recorded as accompaniment for live-action video (LAV) segments, game play, and opening and closing credit sequences, narrowing the gap between video game and feature film production. "Pixelation" will feature four compositions from the "Final Fantasy" series: "The Man With the Machine Gun," "Liberi Fatali," "Isn't It Beautiful?" and "Don't Be Afraid." These works appear in the game titles of "Final Fantasy VIII" and "X," and have been performed and recorded by professional orchestras and choral ensembles in Japan. "Pixelation" offers many musical challenges for the performers, and creates an exciting venue for visual design and color. The music's depth of subtlety and sophistication is a good fit for the corps' rich tradition of performing such works.