Inspired by the phenomenon of synaesthesia, COLLIDE is an artistic exploration of the senses and the effects of immersion on them. Here, abstract visuals become a conductor for the musical score.
Our Role Sound Concept, Open Composition, Sound Production, Mix & Master // Client Dolby Gallery, San Francisco // Creative Direction, Design onformative // Production Imprint Project, onformative // Research Christian Loclair // Year 2016
The soundtrack of COLLIDE is an open composition which requires the improvisation of performers to the visuals. To do so, the musicians were given VR headsets to immerse themselves in the visual world of COLLIDE.
During their performance they interpreted the animation in real-time: the visuals of COLLIDE became a graphic score in motion, dictating the dynamism, intensity, rhythm and melodic choices of the players.
While performing, the players were visually separated by splitting the animation into three parts and assigning each part to one player. Despite their visual separation, they shared an acoustic reality by simultaneously being able to hear the improvisation of the other players.
This allowed for an exciting experience in the co-compositional process, which created the signature sound of COLLIDE.
In the end we composed the final soundtrack based on the recordings. The final 3D-Mix on Dolby Atmos at Dolby Laboratories (54 speakers in addition to 17 subs) made it possible to spatially link events in the film with the individual dynamics of the cello recordings.
