Ocean Tests

The ocean was one of the first sound materials I tested. I used real ocean recordings because I wanted to keep a physical connection to water and space. The real wave sample immediately created atmosphere and connected clearly to the Ophelia and sea references in the project.

However, I did not want the ocean to sound too realistic or cinematic. If I only used a plain ocean recording, it felt more like background ambience. To avoid this, I processed the recording in Ableton and layered it with more synthetic wave-like textures. I used Auto Filter, Chorus-Ensemble and Reverb to soften the sound and create slow movement.

This process helped me find a balance between realism and abstraction. The real ocean gave the piece depth, while the processed layers made it feel more psychological and unstable. This was more suitable for a hand-drawn projection animation because the visuals were symbolic rather than naturalistic.

This experiment was useful for my enquiry because it showed that I did not need to choose between field recording and synthesis. Combining both allowed me to keep the sound recognisable while still shaping it into something more atmospheric and emotional.

Effects chain using Auto Filter, Chorus-Ensemble and Reverb to process the ocean texture and create a more unstable atmosphere.