Author: Elliot Armitage-Woods

Portfolio: Original works – first ideas

automatic writing realisation

the text for context:

I awaken, in a room I don’t recognise.

It is just me. Its walls are grey, I think.

The room is soaked in magenta, illuminating from singular beam on the ceiling. A thinly stretched mist seeps throughout the room, not clouding my vision, but making this even more disorientating.

In the corner of the room, there lies a fish tank. Solitary, with only a single, orange fish swimming round and round in its own void. The tank is clear, standing out like a sore thumb in the corner of the purple hue.

To my right of where I’m sitting, there is a door imprinted in the wall, almost part of the room itself, not as a means of going somewhere.

I reach for the door and swing it open, stepping into the next room without really thinking.

I am met by an identical room, complete with a fish tank, a door, and mist. Only this time, the room is swallowed in a dark blue.

I pace across the room, knowing what to expect when I eventually step through the door.

I am mistaken. This room is completely bare, bathed in a dark crimson by a singular beam with no tank or mist. Instead, there lies a table and two chairs, placed perfectly in the middle of the room.

I sit, and I wait, completely unaware of where or who I am.

after a while, no one visits.

So, I step outside.

The sky Is somehow neon, like I have never seen. Purple and blue, like the rooms.

Instead of rain, it is chunks of silver, like nothing I have ever seen.

It is night, for there is no sun.

reconstruction of year 1 text materialisation
imperceptible/minute angle changes
prolonged shot (1-4 hours)
space for a week
Light/colour/props
different sound for each colour/room

project/televise onto 3 walls each room/colour
one projector/tv each room
hanging headphones (2-4 pairs) for each wall/section

Equipment List:

technical:
3 projectors/Tv’s
3-6 headphones, splitters (3-6 way)
3 USB sticks
3 old iPods (method could change)

Prop:
(depending on room size) x number of neon lights/strobe (could be one extremely powerful, interchangeable) (red, blue, yellow, purple)
fish tank + fish
table 2 chairs
smoke machine (method could change)

followed through:

contceptual ideas coming through

second idea, with conceptual tendencies as well as links to previous idea:

Collaborative Works: Aims

I feel as though my sonic contribution to this project provides a gateway to some much-needed self-actualization, the sounds and visuals translating the integral part that nature and the psychological play in regard to our daily well-being, both sonically and physically. The mixture of naturalistic field recordings, tethering our receiver to their new visual environment, alongside the fruitful, pleasant ambience, creating that somewhat supernatural line in the sand, informing our receiver that, whilst naturalistic tendencies and climate do exist in this new world, that it is not completely conventional. This is made clear visually, because of course the world presented to them is by no means conventional, but the addition of unnatural, processed synthesis enhances this unconventionality. The receiver is clearly separate, indulging in their own experience with VR, and only bodily present. Psychologically, they are elsewhere, lured in by VR’s inherent wonder and the still unknown characteristics that it holds. My aim, as i’m sure everyone else’s was, is to wholly transport the receiver from one world to the next, seamlessly and without any hesitation or distraction. By having sonic interaction almost immediately, one is limiting the amount of distraction available, taking full advantage of the platform and commencing the experience and the immersion almost at once.

Collaborative Works: Process pt2

Along with my own designed ambience (synthesis), this compact collection of sounds drifts seamlessly through one another, enhancing the definitive calm of the virtual garden. Mixed for headphone surround, the scape flows through and around the sonic receptors, letting the very environment reverberate around your mind, luring one into its total escape. I found working on this scene extremely resourceful, improving my understanding of how naturalistic sounds can provide total immersion, but also to help develop my own skills regarding designing soundscapes, something I am always looking to refine as a sound artist.

The project ran mostly smoothly on my part at least. The third-year students were able to provide a short, sharp brief upon our first meeting over Zoom, giving me the most time possible to create what needed to be created. The outline for what they were seeking was clear and concise, with written and visual aid for each of our scenes provided. Although there was little contact with the rest of my peers from my class group, (due to some unforeseen personal issues I was not able to attend some of the on-site sessions) we kept each other up to date with our progress via WhatsApp. This is definitely not the way I would have wanted to work prior to the project, with collaboration in all forms being a medium/resource of great interest and enjoyment to me. Working in isolation, however, gave me more time to source the ideal naturalism required.

Collaborative Works: Process pt1

For this most recent collaborating project, which included supplying sounds for a ‘Zen Room’ virtual reality experience, I was tasked with collecting and delivering a range of environmental, naturalistic sounds, as well as my own, carefully crafted ambience. Said ambience had to position itself perfectly amongst the overgrowth of naturalistic recordings, providing a crucial, underlying role within the work.

Once briefed, I decided to equip myself with a Zoom H5 field recorder and set about finding the most suitable environments for my sound collection. A trip to my local parks’ open spaces proved most useful, providing me with plenty of bioacoustics perfect for the virtual habitat of the Zen Room.

Whilst on a sound-walk a few days later in my local area, I happened to stumble across a quaint little stream complete with pebbles and overlooking trees. I saw this as not only a bit of luck, but a perfect opportunity to enhance my sonic contribution to Lauren & Rita’s world.

A spontaneous weekend break to Dungeness proved most useful too, the power plant emitting a natural, slightly unsettling rumble of noise which again, sits underlying in the overgrowth of the sonic climate.

Collaborative Works: “Future Shock” exhibition visit

a photo from said exhibition

‘Future Shock’ is an interactive virtual, physical and sonic exhibition taking place at 180 strand. The exhibition explores a range of different mediums, including Virtual Reality, short film, optical illusions and interactive sculpture. Upon visiting, I am determined to exhibit or work on projects that are able to sit within the same space. The indulgence in the virtual world, colourful scapes and psychedelic imagery greatly lends itself to my own aesthetic tendencies, so seeing something so true to my own indulgences live in the flesh, along with sonic work to accompany each visual, was something I hold to great value.

a photo from one of the interactive rooms
a photo taken by accident from the same room. i think it captures the mood of the exhibition perfectly.

Collaborating Works: My first experience with VR

a trailer for my first VR experience

Last October, I had the pleasure of experiencing Virtual Reality for the first time. Premiering at the London BFI Film Festival 2021 and employing striking VR animation, Asif Kapadia tells the story of Laika, the stray dog that the Soviet Union sent into orbit, an exclusive LFF Expanded world premiere.

I found this experience eye-opening and wholly fascinating. Bar a select few cinematic/sonic experiences, I had never witnessed anything like this before, where both immersion and cinematic craft are at its highest level. How the immersion was used to provoke emotion startled me, and the flexibility of camera work enhanced this. As a sitting individual, I was able to still explore each frame untoward. An example would be, as my character (camera) was sat on one side of the room, by merely leaning in my seat, I was able to view and experience the whole room, what was outside of the window, what was underneath me, and who else was existing at the same point.

I left the screening inevitably wanting more, wanting to experience and work more within such a fascinating and emerging landscape.