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This aesthetic framework resonates strongly in the scene I want to create, where the viewer is not told how to feel, but the silence and spatial composition evoke a suggestive beauty that transcends language and lets them feel for themself. It is not merely a scene of isolation but introspective awe. The setting’s calm yet uncanny isolation reflects this tension: a moment suffused with vastness and existential weight that simultaneously inspires reflective awe and quiet dread. Surrounded by an empty, muted spatial environment, this exemplifies the suggestiveness and melancholic beauty intrinsic to yūgen.

This scene invites viewers to contemplate their inner state or how they would feel when faced with isolation and confrontation with impermanence, through subtle visual and atmospheric cues rather than overt exposition. Through carefully selected methods, it can evoke complex, ambiguous feelings through minimalistic narrative and aesthetic techniques. Calm yet uncanny isolation reflects this tension: a moment suffused with vastness and existential weight that simultaneously inspires reflective awe and quiet dread.

The experience is presented entirely from a fixed, first-person perspective with no visible protagonist, leveraging Gallagher and Zahavi’s (2008) work in phenomenology, which emphasises how embodied subjectivity deepens introspective engagement. This perspective allows viewers to project their own emotions into the space, fostering a sense of presence and personal reflection. This, in turn, evokes introspection and a sense of isolation, helping viewers internalise the emotion. The temporal pacing will be intentionally slow, following the principles of "slow cinema," a form explored by de Luca (2016), which extends duration and minimal movement to intensify emotional absorption and promote contemplative states. This slowness is crucial in facilitating what psychologists like Keltner and Haidt (2003) describe as "awe": a dual-emotion experience that blends wonder with existential smallness, often heightened by perceived vastness or unfamiliar stillness. Supporting this, Gordon et al. (2017) identified a variant of awe rooted in threat or ambiguity, which can enhance emotional tension, an effect I want to subtly incorporate through the uncanny absence of sound, people, and destination as the train is strangely floating across the stars. The camera does not pan dramatically and will stay quite still, as movement will be limited to the stars, train, and subtle flickers in light. 

This follows the tradition and notion of yūgen, the profound from the subtle. The minimalism allows the viewer to focus emotionally, not visually, without any distractions. Soundscape design is another key element, informed by Barry Truax’s (1999) theories on acoustic ecology. By using only ambient mechanical hums and low-frequency spatial vibrations, the soundscape functions to ground the viewer in an isolating yet intimate aural environment, drawing on research that ambient noise, when composed to mimic environmental realism, can elicit nostalgia, presence, and affective resonance (cf. Truax; Aletta et al., 2019).

There will be no music, forcing the viewer to slow down, amplifying solitude and mirroring the psychological weight of stillness and helping them to focus on the present, a common notion in “mono no aware”. The lighting choices, warm tones of the yellow stars contrasting with cooler external hues such as the universe and train are based on empirical studies by Baranowski and Hecht (2017), which demonstrate that such combinations heighten emotional ambivalence by simultaneously signalling comfort and distance, while also painting the cold, depressing and lonely atmosphere of the train (RMS, 2023). Collectively, these techniques are intended to create a meditative emotional register that aligns with Japanese aesthetic concepts such as mono no aware (the transient beauty of impermanence) and yūgen (the mysterious depth of the inexpressible). Both are foundational to traditional Japanese visual and poetic forms and have been analysed as emotional frameworks that cultivate a soft, reflective melancholy (Hein, 1971; Pilgrim, 1986).

By intentionally avoiding overt narrative cues or character interaction, the experience remains suspended, emotionally potent but contextually ambiguous and echoes the liminal narrative so that the audience can focus more on their inner state and how the experience makes them feel. They follow as they ride the subway through space, utterly alone, reflecting on mortality, sacrifice, and insignificance. This creative methodology transforms minimalism and temporal stillness into affective triggers, rooted in established academic, psychological, and cultural research, to foster deep emotional resonance in the viewer. There will be no clocks, no narrative beats, nor any cues for progression. This recreates the sensation of being suspended in memory or reflection. Time doesn’t matter here, just like in the “epilogue” feel of ORV’s final scene, as well as what self-reflection would feel like. The use of subtle cosmic imagery, where stars are present but muted, distant rather than dazzling, evokes a quiet sense of awe that aligns closely with psychological and aesthetic conceptions of the sublime. As Keltner and Haidt (2003) describe, awe arises in the presence of vast stimuli that transcend current frames of understanding, often blending elements of wonder with fear or insignificance.

In Gordon et al.'s (2017) exploration of awe's threat-based variant, this sensation is not always joyous, but may also highlight existential smallness or vulnerability. The cosmic, unreachable stars drifting silently past reflect this mood; they are immense, beautiful, and removed, invoking the sublime not through spectacle, but through emotional restraint and distance. This evokes the Japanese aesthetic of yūgen, which values subtlety and emotional depth through suggestion rather than clarity. The emotional response produced is not a loud astonishment, but a melancholic awareness of one’s place in a vast, unknowable universe, capturing the sublime as both deeply moving and gently unsettling. Additionally, by having no visible characters, I want to emphasise the viewer’s solitude, alone yet never explicitly shown. This choice highlights anonymity and universality, inviting anyone to inhabit the space. It reflects the main character’s identity as the “reader,” an observer who witnesses events without direct participation. More broadly, it mirrors how many people today, often driven by fear or unresolved emotions, choose to remain bystanders in the face of desire or change, perhaps caught between the past or maybe an uncertain future. Yet the present moment persists.

The viewer becomes an ever-present observer, visible to none and acknowledged by no one. ¹By emphasising awe and the sublime in my work, I aim to engage viewers in this complex emotional state, allowing them to feel not only fascination but also vulnerability and existential reflection. This emphasis provides a more accessible entry point into the sublime, which can often feel overwhelming or abstract, by focusing on the embodied, affective dimensions of awe. Thus, through careful evocation of awe, through subtle cosmic imagery, quiet stillness, and personal introspection, I hope to immerse viewers in the sublime’s profound emotional landscape, fostering both wonder and a deeper awareness of our place within the vastness of existence. Through this experience, I hope to encourage a moment of insight and self-reflection, prompting viewers to recognise their patterns of detachment and presence. 

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The software that I will be using is a popular, 3D creation platform called Blender. It is widely used in modelling, animation, rendering, and compositing, especially in cinematic video production (Mora & Proto, 2020). Users are able to incorporate and enhance photorealism with Blender's integrated render engines, Cycles and Eevee, which is especially needed to create the emotional subtlety required in scenes evoking awe, melancholy, and existential stillness in the midst of the sublime (Špela et al., 2021).

The Cycles engine uses path tracing to simulate realistic light behaviour, enabling accurate rendering of soft shadows and volumetric effects such as fog and atmospheric haze. Through this effect, I can create a melancholic, still mood and depth for the scene (Kern et al., 2019). On the other hand, Eevee offers real-time rendering capabilities with screen-space reflections and volumetric lighting. This is especially helpful to me, so I can do rapid iteration and adjust lighting systems without waiting too long for render times (Ton et al., 2020). Blender’s node-based compositor also helps users with sophisticated colour grading and post-processing workflows, letting me control the muted, contrasting colour palette that research shows can evoke nuanced emotional responses such as calmness, melancholy, and emotional ambiguity (Küller, Ballal, Laike, Mikellides & Tonello, 2006).

The accessibility and ability to fine-tune these visual elements in post-production directly support the goal of creating an affective atmosphere consistent with yūgen and the sublime (Keltner & Haidt, 2003; Burke, 1757). Furthermore, Blender supports the import and synchronisation of sound. This lets me incorporate ambient mechanical hums and environmental noises to enhance immersion through acoustic ecology principles, which research highlights as very important for fostering presence and nostalgia in audiovisual media (Truax, 1999; Gordon et al., 2017). I will only work with Blender as the main platform throughout all stages of production. This includes modelling, animating, rendering and compositing. The reason is that I can do all of my work within a unified environment, without having too many things to worry and possibly messing up everything. While working, I find it best to reduce as much complexity as I can and streamline workflow to be as efficient as possible. (Mora & Proto, 2020). This is good for projects emphasising precise emotional control and introspective pacing, where iterative refinement of lighting, colour, and sound is essential.

Given Blender’s flexibility, accessibility, and community support, it is the most effective platform that can create the subtle yet impactful cinematic experience envisioned. Sound design also plays an important role in setting the atmospheric and emotional depth of the train. I will be using Reaper, a flexible and professional digital audio workstation (DAW), which gives users precise control over recording, editing, and mixing sound elements to create an immersive auditory experience (Owsinski, 2017). Reaper also supports multichannel audio, which means users can create surround sound mixes. Research has shown that incorporating surrounding audio significantly enhances spatial presence and emotional engagement in audiovisual media. It envelopes the listener in a three-dimensional sound field (Begault, 1994; Goupell et al., 2018). Not only that, digital processing, incorporating and editing homemade sound recordings, such as scraping, tapping, or everyday objects, helps to find unique, authentic textures that can contribute to a realistic, tactile and intimate sonic environment (Chion, 1994). This aligns with the principles of acoustic ecology, where environmental and found sounds are used creatively to evoke place and memory, enhancing deeper emotional resonance and a sense of realism (Truax, 1999).

The subtle sounds of a train’s mechanical hum, footsteps, or distant echoes can be layered and tweaked within Reaper using effects like EQ, reverb, and delay to simulate the train's reflective surfaces and confined spaces, enhancing the uncanny calmness and loneliness of the atmosphere (Blesser & Salter, 2007). By crafting a surround sound scape from personally recorded and manipulated sounds, it hopes to be both original and immersive. This technical choice not only supports the emotional tone of solitude and melancholia but also invites viewers into a sensorial space that complements the visual subtlety and thematic depth of the scene, and to step in.

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The HME I've chosen is "sublime", in which I want to use the emotion of awe and its relations to further emphasize this. From my first week of lectures, I’ve learnt that there is a strange potency in emotional ambiguity, a term which I’ve always been curious about; an affective space where meanings blur and the self feels both exposed and transformed.

The idea of complex valence, where emotions like awe and dread mirror the tension I often find myself drawn to in narrative, music, and visual art. They aren’t clean, digestible feelings. They’re slow-burning, raw, haunting, and yet oddly comforting in their honesty. An example of this is Rabbits by David Lynch. Its audiovisual language unsettles the audience by using its domestic setting that feels uncanny, accompanied by the laugh track that jars against their dialogue, and lighting that flattens space and shadows. It’s calm yet somehow dreadful, an embodiment of the uncanny. The series, through observation, designs a space where interoception (my awareness of unease) and proprioception (the awareness of my still body watching) work together to immerse the audience. The screen doesn't just speak to me, it coaxes a bodily response from me. This is what I think deep hedonic tone feels like. It lingers, not in climax, but in residue. After the first two sessions, I’ve started thinking more about how this relates to sensory construction. And through it, sight, sound, and touch are not just tools, but also conveyors of emotion.

For example, in one of the videos shown in class this week, the visual might show a crystal in a quiet and still darkness, but when paired with auditory elements like detuned music or muffled breathing, the image transforms, and the potential it can transform to is limitless in the eye of the beholder. There’s a moment in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, where, after all the grand cosmic battles, the ending is tranquil, and takes place in a final subway train. The main character is alone again in a train, seated in a space suspended between reality and narrative. The world feels paused. Empty. Yet somehow, not silent. This moment is what I keep returning to as I think about complex valence and how to evoke it in my own creative work. The emotional palette here isn’t singular. It’s awe from him sacrificing himself to ensure all his friends survive without them even knowing, and fear that he will spend the rest of eternity alone, which combine to the sublime as stated in lectures, combined with the outer space setting that contributes to this.

Love and grief leave the ending bittersweet. Calm, from the still quietness of the train, yet also dreadful from the loneliness of the same train holds for him for all of eternity, a foundation of uncanniness. And the beauty of the stars that surround him, yet sadness that he will become one of them as time and life infinitely go on without him, all layered over a mundane setting like a subway carriage. It’s the uncanny, the familiarity twisted just slightly off-angle. His presence feels like a ghost in his own story. His isolation is tender, not tragic. Beautiful, but heavy. Bittersweet, laced with melancholy and the uncanniness of the dread that comes with the calm. Deep hedonic tone lives in moments that don’t scream emotion but hold you in it. The calmness of the scene doesn’t negate the dread but instead amplifies it. The loneliness doesn’t feel empty; it feels infinite. This follows the themes of mono no aware, which the lecture mentioned and strongly resonates with. That aching awareness of the impermanence of life and the tender sadness associated with the transience of beauty and existence, of beauty destined to pass. His train isn’t just a location. It’s a liminal space, a metaphor for narrative stasis, and emotional weight. He exists, yet doesn’t.

The story has ended, but something remains. As I reflect on how to bring this into my practice, I keep thinking about the mechanics. How do I recreate that emotional complexity? How do I use audiovisual language, sometimes synchronised, contradicting, to evoke that uncanny but resonantly melancholic tone? What kind of stillness makes someone feel watched, even if they’re alone? More than just storytelling, I see this lecture as describing emotional architecture. Designing with wonder in mind, wonder not as spectacle, but as a slow realisation. A quiet unfolding. The kind of thing that lingers long after the final scene. Like the memory of a train that never arrives. Or someone like the main character, who’s always there, and never really was.

In my own creative practice, I want to reverse engineer that effect. Not to copy Lynch or ORV, but to understand their mechanics. What’s the timing of a held shot that makes someone uneasy? What’s the colour palette of melancholy? How do I choreograph a sense of internal dissonance in a soundscape?Emotion, in my opinion, works like a system of echoes. You don’t always hear the original source, but you always feel its aftermath reverberate through space, memory, and body. I derived this from yūgen, the subtle profundity of what is left unsaid, as well as mono no aware, the ache of transience, beauty tinged with impermanence. I want to explore these in a sensory world, but also in a somatic, immersive, existential method. A world that works on vestibular sense, on imbalance, and spiritual vertigo. Crystals, stars, and space are all ways to get there.Because ultimately, wonder is what moulds every design. The moment when something shifts, when you feel held in the presence of something vast and emotional and strange. That’s when curiosity kicks in: how does this work? And more importantly: how can I make something that does the same?

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Aletta, F., Kang, J. & Axelsson, Ö., 2019, ‘Soundscape descriptors and emotional states: A new understanding of how acoustic environments influence emotional responses’, Applied Acoustics, vol. 148, pp. 106–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.03.010

ART NOMURA, 2025, Yūgen / Japanese Aesthetic Sense, ART NOMURA, accessed 27 July 2025, https://nomurakakejiku.com/lesson_lineup/yuugen/

Baranowski, A.M. & Hecht, H., 2017, ‘Effect of Colour on Emotions: A Review’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 31, no. 8, pp. 1495–1507. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2016.1249847

Begault, D.R., 1994, 3‑D Sound for Virtual Reality and Multimedia, Academic Press, Boston.

Blesser, B. & Salter, L., 2007, Spaces Speak, Are You Listening? Experiencing Aural Architecture, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M., 1994, Audio‑Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York.

Craig, A.D., 2002, ‘How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 3, no. 8, pp. 655–666.

de Luca, T., 2016, ‘Slow Time: Visible Cinema, Duration, Experience and Spectatorship’, Cinema Journal, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 23–42. https://www.academia.edu/9150936

Gallagher, S. & Zahavi, D., 2008, The Phenomenological Mind, Routledge, London.

Gordon, A.M., Stellar, J.E., Anderson, C.L., McNeil, G.D., Loew, D. & Keltner, D., 2017, ‘The Dark Side of the Sublime: Distinguishing a Threat-Based Variant of Awe’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 113, no. 2, pp. 310–328. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000120

Goupell, M.J., Hartmann, W.M. & Bronkhorst, A.W., 2018, ‘Surround sound and spatial audio’, in Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics, Springer, pp. 1035–1059.

Hein, H., 1971, ‘The Aesthetic of Japanese Fascination: Mono no aware’, Philosophy East and West, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 293–306. https://doi.org/10.2307/1398056

Kant, I., 1790, Critique of Judgment, trans. J.H. Bernard, Macmillan, London, 1914.

Keltner, D. & Haidt, J., 2003, ‘Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion’, Cognition & Emotion, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297

Kern, E., Limmer, S. & Wacker, S., 2019, ‘Volumetric lighting techniques in real‑time rendering: A survey’, Computer Graphics Forum, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 102–118.

Küller, R., Ballal, S., Laike, T., Mikellides, B. & Tonello, G., 2006, ‘The impact of light and colour on psychological mood: a cross‑cultural study of indoor work environments’, Ergonomics, vol. 49, no. 14, pp. 1496–1507.

Lazarus, R.S., 1991, Emotion and Adaptation, Oxford University Press, New York.

Mora, G. & Proto, E., 2020, ‘Blender as a tool for animation and cinematic production: A case study’, International Journal of Computer Graphics & Animation, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 45–58.

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Pargament, K.I. & Mahoney, A., 2005, ‘Sacred matters: Sanctification as a vital topic for the psychology of religion’, The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 179–198.

Piff, P.K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D.M. & Keltner, D., 2015, ‘Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 108, no. 6, pp. 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018

Pilgrim, R.B., 1986, ‘Interpreting the ambiguous: Some features of Japanese philosophy’, Philosophy East and West, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 245–260. https://doi.org/10.2307/1398942

RMS, 2023, Color & emotions: how colors influence feelings across cultures, Real Men Real Style, viewed 27 July 2025, https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/color‑emotion‑cultures/

Smith, C.A., Tong, E.M.W. & Ellsworth, P.C., 2014, ‘The differentiation of discrete emotions’, in M. Lewis, J.M. Haviland-Jones & L.F. Barrett (eds), Handbook of Emotions, 4th edn, The Guilford Press, New York, pp. 104–117.

Smith, R.H., Tong, L. & Ellsworth, P.C., 2014, ‘The appraisal of awe’, The Journal of Positive Psychology, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 129–139.

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Truax, B., 1999, Handbook for Acoustic Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. https://www.sfu.ca/~truax/scomp.html

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Traditional Kyoto, 2021, Yūgen, viewed 27 July 2025, https://traditionalkyoto.com/culture/yugen/

Valdesolo, P. & Graham, J., 2014, ‘Awe, uncertainty, and agency detection’, Psychological Science, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 170–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613501884

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Yūgen is described as “an awareness of the Universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and powerful for words” (Traditional Kyoto, 2021).  It is frequently translated as “mysterious profundity” and is understood as an aesthetic principle that emphasises the latent or implied beauty of an object or moment, beauty that cannot be perceived literally but must be intuited through imagination and emotional engagement. It refers not to surface beauty, but to an evoked, unseen depth that resides in imagination and suggestion. Rather than revealing everything visually or narratively, yūgen invites the audience to engage emotionally with what is deliberately left unsaid or unseen, lingering memory, aftertaste, or implication. This is seen in traditional Japanese aesthetics, where artists use imperfection, asymmetry, space, and subtle composition to stimulate reflection and internal resonance (ART NOMURA, 2025). These techniques draw the viewer into a shared act of imagination, one that feels deeply personal yet universally comprehensible.

This notion aligns with Japanese artistic strategies, which function to stimulate the viewer’s imaginative participation and evoke an emotional resonance beyond what is explicitly shown (Traditional Kyoto, 2021).  From a psychological standpoint, the emotion of awe is a complex emotional response, often blending wonder and fear and characterised by two core cognitive appraisals (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). It arises in response to experiences that challenge our cognitive schemas, (a) perceived vastness, wherein the stimulus is experienced as immense or beyond ordinary comprehension, and (b) the need for accommodation, which necessitates a reorganisation of existing mental schemas to integrate the new experience.

In the main character’s confrontation with cosmic loneliness and the weight of narrative omniscience, the scene reflects a variant of awe that exists “on the boundary of fear” (Keltner & Haidt, 2003, p. 297).  Awe, therefore, is not a simple emotion but an intricate blend of wonder, reverence, and sometimes fear, which can simultaneously evoke pleasure and dread (Keltner & Haidt, 2003, p. 297; Lazarus, 1991; Smith, Tong & Ellsworth, 2014). The duality inherent in awe is reflected linguistically and culturally: the etymology of “awe” traces to words meaning fear and dread, and cross-cultural terms like the Chinese 敬畏 (jìngwèi) incorporate respect alongside fear (Keltner, 2009). Such ambivalence is echoed in religious traditions where awe encompasses feelings of powerlessness and veneration toward a divine or sublime entity (Pargament & Mahoney, 2005; Sundararajan, 2002). Like traditional religious awe, where one feels both reverence and dread, the moment is charged with the sacred weight of stories, sacrifice, and silence.

Recent studies confirm that awe can be elicited by both threatening and non-threatening phenomena (Valdesolo & Graham, 2014; Piff et al., 2015). Whether encountering the sublime in a storm or a still moment of narrative conclusion, both types of awe involve a diminished sense of self and heightened reflection. In ORV, the subway’s stillness, emptied of others yet full of symbolic meaning, embodies yūgen and awe, inviting the reader to confront what cannot be fully shown or said. Empirical studies have further delineated this complexity by identifying a threat-based variant of awe (Gordon et al. 2017; Valdesolo & Graham 2014; Piff et al. 2015). Gordon et al. (2017) demonstrate that awe can be elicited by both positively valenced stimuli (e.g., natural beauty, moral virtue) and threatening stimuli (e.g., natural disasters, existential threats), with the latter eliciting heightened fear alongside awe.

Both forms reduce the sense of self and enhance prosocial behaviour, yet the emotional texture differs significantly, with threat-based awe involving greater feelings of vulnerability and submission. This nuanced understanding of awe is essential for analysing and designing the affective atmosphere of the ORV subway scene. Furthermore, scenes like David Lynch’s Rabbits, that involve sparse audiovisual design marked by silence, subdued colours, and space, operate synergistically with these emotional frameworks to deepen immersion and affective resonance. These elements encourage viewers’ interoceptive and proprioceptive awareness, heightening their embodied engagement with the scene’s psychological atmosphere.

Thus, the scene serves as an exemplar of how yūgen and awe function as intersecting emotional and aesthetic constructs that facilitate profound narrative experiences. Awe is a foundational emotional experience that closely intersects with the concept of the sublime. While the sublime encompasses a broad range of overwhelming experiences that combine vastness, power, and sometimes terror, awe specifically captures the nuanced emotional response to encountering something vast or extraordinary beyond normal comprehension. As Keltner and Haidt (2003) describe, awe involves two core appraisals: perceived vastness and the need for cognitive accommodation, both of which are central to classical definitions of the sublime in philosophy and aesthetics (Burke, 1757; Kant, 1790).

Awe bridges the gap between wonder and fear, drawing attention to our smallness concerning a greater scale, a tension that is at the heart of the sublime experience.¹ By applying academic theories of yūgen and awe to the ORV subway scene, this helps to understand how the combination of latent beauty, cognitive vastness, and emotional ambiguity produces a deep, sustained hedonic tone (Keltner & Haidt, 2003; Traditional Kyoto, 2021). 

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Concept sketch of how the environment and scene (The subway train) will look like

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In my practice, I am translating these insights into audiovisual experimentation. Rather than constructing a linear narrative, I am designing a psychological arc that modulates audience attention and affect over time. Using Reaper, I am developing sound layers that alternate between stability and disruption: slow drones, distorted echoes, and unexpected ruptures that challenge sensory expectation.I plan to record these with my electric bass, which can emulate very deep tones, then pitch it down as well as add reverb so it adds to the realism and depth of the actual train.

Techniques such as expectation compression, prolonged stillness before sudden sonic impact, and AV interdependence, where sound and motion synchronise before intentionally desynchronising, are central to my approach. I plan to have the motions be the train rattling and its lights flickering, sometimes synced with the rhythm of the rattling sounds, but others uncannily and strangle disrupted. By fusing binaural recording and surround spatialisation, I aim to induce both intimacy and vertigo.
This process echoes Viola’s temporal structures, but my focus lies in constructing “affective grammars” where predictability invites trust and its violation produces awe. The intention is to guide viewers through affective trajectories that are meaningful rather than decorative — each rhythm, delay, and interruption contributing to the overarching emotional logic of the piece.

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This week has been about refining my understanding of rhythm and sensory modulation through hands-on work in Reaper and Blender. I have been learning to use Reaper’s automation envelopes and layering tools to control parameters such as volume, panning, and reverb over time. These allow me to sculpt sonic transitions that build and release tension, aligning with theories of affect regulation discussed in class. I experimented with fade curves, automation lanes, and FX modulation to simulate shifts in emotional density, moving from minimal, airy textures to full-spectrum sound bursts that convey awe or rupture. I also explored time-stretching and reversed reverb to create temporal dissonance, which produces the sensation of space expanding or collapsing, a core element of the sublime in sound design.

In Blender, I focused on how temporal and visual rhythm can mirror the emotional flow established through sound. Using the Graph Editor and Dope Sheet, I learned to fine-tune keyframes for light intensity, camera motion, and environmental particle systems to synchronise with my Reaper timeline. I experimented with subtle camera drifts, fisheye distortion, and slow dolly movements to enhance the feeling of vastness and disorientation. I also explored procedural lighting and volumetrics, learning how mist, contrast, and movement can affect mood perception. These techniques help me transition from decorative visual motion to meaningful emotional modulation, aligning with the week’s main discussion of “meaningful vs decorative work”, and the different varieties an emotion can take.

I have also examined design parallels such as Bang & Olufsen’s (2018) Beosound Edge, whose circular interface and motion-sensitive controls encourage slow, ritualistic interaction. The product’s restraint and precision evoke a calm, reflective sublime, demonstrating how minimal design can produce a deep effect. Managing arousal through tempo, contrast, and spatial rhythm thus becomes a form of emotional architecture. Sustaining the sublime requires calibrating the rise and fall of intensity so that awe is renewed, not exhausted. Integrating both programs has allowed me to better understand audiovisual interdependence (Chion, 1994) in practice: where the image and sound share a rhythm but not necessarily a synchronised beat, producing perceptual tension

I realised that the technical mastery of software is inseparable from emotional intention. Adjusting a sound envelope or lighting curve is not just a mechanical task; it is a form of emotional architecture, shaping how audiences inhabit, anticipate, and respond to temporal flow. This deeper familiarity with Reaper and Blender thus enables me to construct the sublime not as a fixed image but as a dynamic sensory event, where the viewer’s affect becomes part of the design process.

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This week, I deepened my exploration of the emotional mechanics of the sublime within human-made environments, shifting focus from passive aesthetic appreciation to the temporal and audiovisual rhythms that generate emotional states such as awe, fear, and disorientation. I began to understand that sublimity emerges not solely through visual grandeur or scale, but through the manipulation of time, perception, and affective rhythm, especially in the audio realm. Reflecting on Bill Viola’s The Raft (2004), I was struck by how its slow build-up and sudden rupture of water create an oscillation between vulnerability and terror. This temporal pacing evokes what Kant (1790) describes as “fear in safety,” where the viewer experiences awe at forces beyond human control. Viola’s orchestration of sensory rhythm inspired me to consider time and rhythm as emotional architectures, not decorative devices, and inspired the thought to evoke more of terrorism and that “fear in safety” in my train work.

Drawing from our lecture’s discussion of “meaningful versus decorative work,” I recognised the importance of restraint in designing affect. Excessive sensory arousal risks desensitising the viewer, while subtle modulation sustains engagement. The sublime, therefore, depends on balance: using minimal temporal and sensory cues to evoke vastness and mystery without overwhelming the audience. This reflection has guided my ongoing storyboard development for my audiovisual sequence, in which a lone train drifts endlessly through a vast galaxy, serving as a metaphor for emotional isolation and existential wonder. I aim to evoke the sublime through rhythm, slowness, and the collapse of temporal continuity rather than spectacle alone. Thus, I decided to add something more to the view, rather than just a simple, vast galaxy. I asked my peers, and suggestions included: A forest, narrative progress and reaching a final destination, as well as flying spaceships.

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Bang & Olufsen, 2018, Beosound Edge, Bang & Olufsen, Denmark.
Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.
Chion, M., 1994, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York.
Goodman, S., 2010, Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Kant, I., 1790, Critique of Judgement, Macmillan, London.
Latinjak, A. T., 2013, ‘Tri-Dimensional Model of Emotion in Sport’, Journal of Sport Psychology, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 1–17.
Madrigal, R. & Bee, C., 2005, ‘Constructing the Emotion of the Sublime’, Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 32, pp. 692–693.
Ortony, A., Clore, G. L. & Collins, A., 1988, The Cognitive Structure of Emotions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Russell, J. A., 1980, ‘A Circumplex Model of Affect’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 1161–1178.
Schindler, I., Hosoya, G., Menninghaus, W., Beermann, U., Wagner, V., Eid, M. & Scherer, K. R., 2017, ‘Measuring Aesthetic Emotions’, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 109–128.
Viola, B., 2004, The Raft, video installation, Bill Viola Studio, Los Angeles.

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The sublime, as an emotional state, is often described as an overwhelming mixture of awe and fear, an intense emotional experience that transcends rational understanding (Burke 1757; Kant 1790). More contemporary affect theory helps articulate the mechanisms behind this response. From what I’ve learnt in class, and researching more on it outside, Russell’s (1980) Circumplex Model of Affect maps core emotions along valence (positive/negative) and arousal (high/low), helping to locate the sublime as a high-arousal, mixed-valence state (Madrigal & Bee, 2005). Latinjak’s (2013) tri-dimensional model adds temporal orientation, past, present, and future, highlighting how anticipation and memory shape affective responses in time-based media. The OCC Model (Ortony, Clore & Collins 1988) deepens this by categorising aesthetic emotions as separate from moral or outcome emotions.

Sublime affect can be classified as an aesthetic emotion, one derived from the properties and meaning of the sensory experience itself, rather than personal goals. This aligns with Affect Space Theory, which distinguishes between surface aesthetic experience and deep engagement, an immersive cognitive-emotional response to something that challenges perception (Schindler et al. 2017). For example, in The Raft (Viola 2004), the aesthetic emotion of the sublime emerges from the unpredictability of the water's force. What begins as a calm, expectant moment builds to a violent rupture, collapsing any sense of control. The viewer's sense of safety and bodily empathy is disrupted, aligning with Kantian notions of fear in safety, and the collapse of self in the face of vast, uncontrollable forces (Kant 1790; Burke 1757).

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Final draft on how I think the environment and scene would look like, sketched on Procreate, as well as how it would interact.

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Creating the greybox prototype on Blender, referencing from my Pinterest Board of several subway trains. It didn't need to be fully completed as well since the camera will only be panning in a certain direction.

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This week, my creative research focused on translating the theoretical understanding of overwhelm into tangible audiovisual strategies, drawing inspiration from music videos and band performances that had a strong affective impact on me. Specifically, I analysed Blur – Popscene (4K Official Music Video), The Garden – No Destination, and select Radiohead clips, attending closely to both audio and visual strategies. These works share a recurring sensibility: a combination of youthful, coming-of-age imagery with gritty, emotionally charged soundscapes, producing a heightened emotional resonance. Radiohead’s lyrics often depict protagonists navigating internal conflict and angst, paired with textured, layered guitar and internalised content that evokes tension, introspection, and subtle disorientation, while Blur’s Popscene footage includes them, a young band of boys, performing in a garage. This gives off lots of nostalgia vibes and adolescence, paired with the scene from “The Garden” where the singer rides off into the vast, stretching road, giving off feelings of a coming-of-age road trip.  These observations reinforced the importance of aligning narrative cues with sensory cues to construct emotional intensity, even in non-linear or abstract formats.

To materialise these insights in Buzzed Out, I employed a mixed-media analogue process alongside digital editing. I printed frames of the sourced footage and manipulated them physically using Sharpies, crayons, and scribbling techniques. This method introduces tactile variation and visual unpredictability, creating micro-level distortions that mirror the cognitive overload central to my concept of overwhelm. The hand-altered frames simultaneously maintain recognisable reference points—familiar landscapes, band imagery, or urban motifs—while disrupting them, producing sensory incongruity in line with the theories of Shams and Seitz (2008) and Tomkins (1962). Each mark or scribble functions as an affective cue, drawing the viewer’s attention and subtly destabilising their perceptual baseline.

Sound design plays an equally critical role in establishing the affective architecture of the piece. I am experimenting with a persistent low-frequency rumble, akin to untuned bass strings, which provides a constant sonic tension underlying the edit. Intermittent bursts of dense, multilayered guitar riffs punctuate this base, deliberately creating moments of surprise and auditory incongruence. This design mirrors Neuhoff’s (1998) findings on how sudden or unexpected sounds capture attention, generating peaks in physiological arousal. By calibrating these auditory peaks against the low-frequency constant, I am constructing dynamic tension cycles, allowing the viewer to oscillate between anticipatory calm and abrupt disruption, enhancing both emotional depth and the sensation of cognitive overwhelm.

Structurally, I have conceptualised the editing as a series of interactive “districts”, where the audience is guided through varying audiovisual textures. For example, a street lined with VHS-textured collages may be abruptly interrupted by rapid cuts to degraded scans, photocopied frames, or distorted analogue textures. This spatialised and temporally layered approach is informed by the lecture discussions on multisensory baselines: by creating zones of recognition followed by disruption, each scene functions as a cognitive reset, preparing the viewer for heightened subsequent emotional engagement. The juxtaposition of nostalgic imagery with decayed, glitch-infused forms aligns with the grunge aesthetic central to my conceptual focus, while also operationalising the affective goal of Buzzed Out: to evoke both surprise and awe, encapsulating the visceral, immersive sensation of being overwhelmed.

Ultimately, this phase of creative research demonstrates how Buzzed Out synthesises theory and practice: the work does not rely on linear storytelling but instead uses layered visual, tactile, and auditory stimuli to modulate attention, manipulate expectation, and elicit sustained emotional responses. By combining analogue and digital processes, I am exploring how physical, multisensory interventions can intensify the psychological impact of audiovisual media, creating a work that is simultaneously nostalgic, chaotic, and emotionally resonant.

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From a production standpoint, I have been adopting a rapid prototyping methodology to iteratively test audiovisual combinations and evaluate their affective impact. This approach allows me to isolate individual sensory channels, manipulate them independently, and observe how the audience’s cognitive and perceptual baselines respond to controlled disruptions. For example, I rendered 15-second visual segments with varying glitch treatments and paired each with multiple sound variations, systematically analysing which combinations produced the most effective affective disruption. This iterative testing mirrors experimental design in cognitive-affective research, translating theory directly into a practical workflow.

Technically, my toolkit spans multiple industry-standard software platforms, each serving a specific function in the orchestration of Overwhelm. After Effects has been instrumental for creating displacement map glitches, RGB split effects, and flicker modulation tied to audio amplitude. These tools allow me to synchronise visual distortion with sonic peaks, producing heightened multisensory attention and reinforcing the emotional peaks of the work. The displacement maps, in particular, serve to destabilise perceptual form while maintaining recognisability, operationalising Don Norman’s (2013) concept of hidden novelty by subtly challenging expectations without fully removing reference points.

Premiere Pro has been used to sequence high-frequency cuts as short as 3–4 frames. These rapid cuts simulate Tomkins’ (1962) affective flooding, overloading the visual system to induce sensory saturation while preserving sufficient context for recognisable imagery. This approach strategically balances intensity and comprehension, creating moments where the audience’s perceptual system is simultaneously stimulated and challenged, enhancing the sensation of being overwhelmed without descending into incomprehensible chaos.

Ableton Live has been a key tool for audio manipulation, enabling me to warp environmental recordings into tonal drones and pitch-shift familiar sounds—such as footsteps or human voices—into uncanny textures. By mismatching auditory expectations with visual cues, I am deliberately generating multisensory incongruence, a mechanism described by Shams & Seitz (2008) as critical for capturing attention and activating higher cognitive processing. Low-frequency rumble layers serve as a constant arousal baseline, while sporadic tonal distortions punctuate the rhythm, mirroring the oscillation between anticipation and disruption that characterises experiences of overwhelm.

This technical experimentation has allowed me to operationalise theoretical concepts within the production pipeline. Displacement mapping exemplifies hidden novelty, high-frequency cuts embody affective flooding, and audio warping enforces multisensory attention shifts. Combined, these techniques scaffold the viewer’s experience, constructing an affective trajectory where recognition, disruption, and sustained attention converge to evoke the intended emotional state of Overwhelm. Furthermore, the iterative prototyping process ensures that the balance between sensory intensity and perceptual clarity is continuously evaluated, aligning with lecture discussions on arousal modulation, valence complexity, and baseline recalibration in multisensory experiences.

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This week, I made a critical pivot in the conceptual focus of my major project, choosing to explore the word “Overwhelm” as its central affective state, while placing my previous exploration of the sublime galaxy train to the side as a secondary project. Reflecting on my prior creative practice, including visual edits and mixed media explorations, I recognised that “Overwhelm” resonates more authentically with my personal creative sensibilities and sustained engagement. My motivation stems not merely from the potential intensity of sensory input, but from the ability to orchestrate nuanced psychological and perceptual experiences. Overwhelm, in my understanding, is not about inundating the audience with arbitrary complexity; rather, it emerges from the deliberate manipulation of sensory and cognitive baselines, where audiences anticipate one experience but encounter another. The lectures on baseline recognition and multisensory baselines highlighted the potency of subtle expectation violations. A critical insight I learnt from class was that most impactful moments occur when the audience recognises a familiar cue, an urban scene, a flickering red neon light, or a nostalgic film grain, and that recognition is immediately destabilised. These moments are not dependent on explicit meaning; instead, they elicit pre-cognitive affective responses aligned with Massumi’s (2002) notion of deep hedonic tone, where bodily resonance and personal memory interact with sensory input to produce lasting emotional engagement. In practice, this can be achieved by combining imagery reminiscent of a childhood VHS tape or muffled radio with sudden distortions, glitches, or incongruous layering. The goal is not chaos for its own sake, but to create a sensation of destabilised personal meaning, where memory and expectation are unsettled, generating tension, fear, or awe.

In conceptualising Buzzed Out, I am translating these insights into a mixed-media audiovisual work that uses grunge and alternative rock as an affective foundation. The aesthetic choices—dense layering, rapid montage, analogue textures, and abrupt sonic shifts—reflect an intention to saturate the perceptual and cognitive system. Drawing on the lecture material, I considered physiological arousal and valence, recognising that “Overwhelm” functions as a high-arousal, mixed-valence state. By engaging multiple senses—sight, sound, proprioception, and interoception—I aim to construct a heightened multisensory experience. The deliberate orchestration of sensory cues across these channels encourages the audience to oscillate between recognition and disruption, mirroring the oscillation between calm and overload that characterises personal experiences of overwhelm.

Moreover, the project is guided by the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic loci (Russell, 1980). My intention is to primarily target intrinsic engagement, where emotional and cognitive reactions originate internally, resonating with personal memory, aesthetic curiosity, or reflection. For instance, pairing a recognisable urban street corner with micro-moments of incongruous animation or audio distortion encourages viewers to project their own associations, creating personal meaning that is then subtly destabilised. This contrasts with extrinsic triggers, such as shock or spectacle, which provoke immediate but shallow reactions. By prioritising intrinsic loci, Buzzed Out fosters a deep hedonic tone, where sensations linger, encouraging contemplation, memory activation, and sustained emotional engagement beyond the immediate viewing.

Finally, I considered how multisensory integration and expectation violations operate at the level of audience physiology. High-arousal stimuli—abrupt sound bursts, rapid visual flickers, or discordant textures—can elevate heart rate, cortisol, and attentional engagement (Shams & Seitz, 2008; Tomkins, 1962), while low-arousal baselines prepare the perceptual system for contrast. By carefully calibrating this oscillation, my work seeks to maximise the intensity of the emotional experience without inducing fatigue or desensitisation, reflecting lecture discussions on the sustainability of high-arousal versus low-arousal states. Ultimately, this reflective process has clarified that “Overwhelm” in my work is a sophisticated interplay of recognition, distortion, multisensory manipulation, and cognitive expectation, forming the backbone of Buzzed Out’s conceptual and experiential structure.

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Barrett, L.F., 2017, How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York.

Massumi, B., 2002, Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation, Duke University Press, Durham.

Norman, D., 2013, The Design of Everyday Things, Revised and Expanded Edition, Basic Books, New York.

Shams, L. & Seitz, A.R., 2008, ‘Benefits of Multisensory Learning’, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 411–417.

Tomkins, S.S., 1962, Affect, Imagery, Consciousness, Vol. 1: The Positive Affects, Springer, New York.

Neuhoff, J.G., 1998, Perception of Musical and Environmental Sound, Academic Press, San Diego.

Russell, J.A., 1980, ‘A Circumplex Model of Affect’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 1161–1178.

Feldman Barrett, L., 2017, How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston.

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The conceptualisation of “Overwhelm” in my work draws heavily on contemporary affect and emotion theory, particularly the constructionist model of emotion proposed by Feldman Barrett (2017). Barrett argues that emotional experiences are not pre-determined, discrete entities but are dynamically constructed through the interplay of interoceptive sensations and culturally shaped conceptual knowledge. This provides a theoretical foundation for my exploration of multisensory baselines, where each sensory channel, visual, auditory, proprioceptive, and vestibular, has a “normal” or expected state. When these baselines are deliberately violated, the audience’s automatic perceptual processing shifts to a state of heightened attention, generating cognitive dissonance and emotional intensity (Shams & Seitz, 2008). In practice, this underpins my strategy of pairing nostalgic, familiar imagery with abrasive or incongruent soundscapes, forcing the viewer to reconcile conflicting cues.

Silvan Tomkins’ (1962) affective flooding theory further supports this approach, describing how overwhelming emotional stimuli can monopolise attention and trigger physiological arousal before the observer has consciously processed the event. In Buzzed Out, this manifests through dense visual layering, flickering textures, rapid montage, and abrupt sonic transitions. These techniques intentionally truncate the window for narrative sense-making, mirroring Tomkins’ notion of early-stage affect dominating cognitive appraisal. This allows the audience to inhabit a pre-reflective affective state, where emotional and bodily responses precede rational interpretation, thereby simulating the sensation of personal overwhelm.
Brian Massumi’s (2002) discussion of pre-personal intensity complements these frameworks. Massumi suggests that affective responses emerge from bodily reactions that are not immediately linguistic or symbolic. This concept directly informs my decision to focus on sensory manipulation over linear narrative; the sequences in Buzzed Out often start with recognisable imagery, evoking familiarity, before rapidly diverging into abstract, fractured fragments. By doing so, I aim to trap the audience within the affective space, evoking tension and a destabilised sense of personal meaning, which aligns with the physiological arousal and mixed valence states outlined in our lecture notes.

Don Norman’s (2013) principle of hidden novelty also provides critical insight into the perceptual mechanisms underpinning emotional engagement. Norman proposes that objects or scenes that appear familiar at first glance can induce curiosity and attention when subtle incongruities are embedded. This principle is evident in Buzzed Out, where urban street corners or analogue film textures appear ordinary until micro-violations—looped movements, distorted color channels, or reversed shadows—disrupt expectation. Such manipulations of recognition activate intrinsic emotional loci (Russell, 1980), fostering deep hedonic tone and allowing the work to resonate personally with viewers rather than relying solely on extrinsic triggers like spectacle or shock.

The literature on physiological arousal and emotional valence further informs my approach. High-arousal states are associated with elevated heart rate, increased cortisol, and heightened attention, while low-arousal states facilitate reflection and recuperation (Shams & Seitz, 2008). By alternating between these extremes—moments of recognisable calm followed by rapid sensory disruption—I aim to replicate the subjective sensation of being overwhelmed, where attention, memory, and perception are taxed simultaneously. Multisensory engagement is critical here; by activating multiple sensory channels in concert—visual, auditory, tactile, and vestibular—I enhance affective intensity, creating a complex, ambiguous emotional state that resists simple categorisation. This reflects lecture discussions on the sustainability of high-arousal versus low-arousal affective states, and the need to balance intensity with perceptual digestibility.

Finally, this theoretical grounding is directly tied to my creative experimentation. By synthesising constructionist emotion theory, affective flooding, pre-personal intensity, hidden novelty, and arousal modulation, I am able to design an audiovisual architecture that operationalises “Overwhelm”. Each theoretical framework informs specific design choices: multisensory baseline violations (Barrett, 2017), dense layering and montage (Tomkins, 1962), truncation of narrative sense-making (Massumi, 2002), subtle incongruities (Norman, 2013), and modulation of arousal and valence (Shams & Seitz, 2008). Together, these inform the experiential trajectory of Buzzed Out, ensuring that it is not merely chaotic but a deeply considered, analytically grounded engagement with the emotion of being overwhelmed.

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Drawing the storyboard and the justifications of each creative choice, such as the colour scheme, doodles and aesthetic based on the research I've conducted.

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References and moodboard for the aesthetic of the doodles and scribbles, choosing both rough and familiar symbols in a messy aesthetic to convey "overwhelm" and disoriented confusion. I've posted my current progress on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uuMK2pJdGiQ?si=nvOGM4JtV9QbEAMt

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This week, my creative research focused on exploring techniques for manipulating affect through audiovisual media, with particular attention to the uncanny and the sublime, which are relevant to both Buzzed Out and the galaxy train. I examined cinematic and music video examples, such as the aforementioned video footages I will be using, that utilize expectation violation, repetition, and layered sensory cues, including sequences from The Shining, music videos featuring doll-like movements, and immersive VR experiences. These examples highlighted how pacing, timing, and subtle distortion can provoke pre-cognitive emotional responses such as tension, awe, or unease.

For Buzzed Out, I experimented with mixed-media workflows to translate these insights into tangible effects. I scanned analogue textures, printed and manually altered frames using Sharpies and crayons, and then recombined these with digitally manipulated video sequences in After Effects and Premiere Pro. I explored high-frequency cuts, glitch overlays, and audio distortion as tools to generate multisensory incongruence, aiming to produce oscillations between recognition and overload. I also tested variations in sound design—layering low-frequency rumbles with bursts of distorted guitar—to gauge their impact on perceived intensity and arousal. These experiments directly engaged with literature on tempo, arousal, and overwhelm (Terry et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2018; Karageorghis et al., 2024), helping me to map physiological responses onto audiovisual strategies.

For the galaxy train, I conducted research into compositional techniques that evoke the sublime, including slow camera movements, expansive spatial layering, and ethereal soundscapes. I explored how subtle manipulations of scale and depth, combined with minimal disruptions, could elicit awe and reflective engagement rather than sensory overload. Comparing these techniques with the more intense strategies in Buzzed Out helped clarify how different forms of affect can be engineered using similar media tools.

Finally, I documented all experimental sequences and variations systematically, noting how different combinations of visual and auditory cues impacted my perception of arousal, valence, and attention. This research phase provided concrete starting points for both projects, demonstrating how mixed-media experimentation, sensory manipulation, and temporal control can be strategically applied to generate emotional responses aligned with the affective goals of each work.

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This week, I focused on researching mixed media editing and its application to my projects. Mixed media editing blends multiple types of visual content—including live-action video, illustration, digital textures, photographic elements, and 2D/3D graphics—into a single cohesive composition. This approach is particularly relevant for Buzzed Out, where combining analogue textures, scribbled frames, and glitch effects with digital video creates a layered, overwhelming sensory experience. Similarly, for Galaxy Train, mixed media techniques can enhance the sublime by integrating hand-drawn cosmic visuals, digital particle simulations, and 3D rendered environments to produce vast, immersive scenes.

A recent thesis exploring digital mixed media workflows highlights how pre-production planning, integration of 2D and 3D elements, and new compositing techniques can enhance both efficiency and visual effectiveness (Cong, 2025). This is especially useful for my iterative workflow in Buzzed Out, where repeated prototyping requires quick adaptation between analogue scanning, digital manipulation, and layered editing. It also informs Galaxy Train, where planned integration of volumetric lighting, environmental textures, and camera movement is critical for creating an immersive, awe-inducing atmosphere.

In terms of workflow management, Wright’s Digital Compositing for Film and Video (2024) remains a key technical resource. Wright outlines essential compositing techniques such as masking, keying, and blending, as well as strategies for maintaining coherence across multiple sources, which is central to mixed media projects where visual layers must interact seamlessly. Similarly, FXElements (2023) emphasises the importance of pre-production standardisation, including consistent colour spaces, aspect ratios, and file management, to prevent technical issues during compositing.

Together, these resources demonstrate that mixed media editing requires a careful balance of technical control and creative flexibility. For Buzzed Out, this means using structured compositing techniques to manage chaotic, glitch-infused visuals without losing recognisability, while for my galaxy train, it allows controlled integration of diverse elements to sustain the sense of awe and sublimity. Understanding these workflows provides a strong foundation for translating conceptual goals, overwhelm and the sublime into effective technical practice.

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This week centred around Assignment 2, providing a valuable opportunity to engage with my peers’ presentations and critically analyse their approaches to affective design. One presentation that particularly resonated with me focused on the uncanny, referencing The Shining and incorporating examples such as doll dances. The visceral discomfort elicited by these examples highlighted how subtle manipulations of expectation and recognition, through both visual and kinetic cues, can produce a profound emotional impact. Observing this alongside other peers’ explorations of the sublime allowed me to compare different strategies for eliciting awe, tension, and deep emotional resonance, reinforcing the notion that emotional impact in audiovisual media is rarely dependent on a single technique, but rather on the orchestration of multiple sensory and cognitive layers.

Feedback from Mark prompted me to reconsider the scope of my current project plan. While I am deeply motivated to pursue ambitious explorations in mixed media, I recognised that my practical experience in combining analogue and digital processes remains nascent. Consequently, I may scale my work to two primary projects to allow for more focused, rigorous exploration. This reflection has been constructive in setting realistic boundaries without compromising my commitment to investigating the emotional potential of “Overwhelm” and the aesthetic strategies of the sublime.

Revisiting concepts from previous weeks also helped me situate this work in a broader developmental context. Lectures on psychophysiological mechanics in design illuminated how arousal and valence can be modulated through imagery, sound, and narrative cues. For example, positive valence at low-to-mid arousal levels is often achieved through visual softness, warm colours, and playful sounds, as seen in advertisements for products like Kleenex or Cottonelle, where the message relies on comfort and familiarity. Conversely, negative valence combined with mid-level arousal can elicit fear or disgust, exemplified by anti-smoking campaigns, which manipulate colour, sound, posture, and visceral imagery to generate heightened physiological and emotional responses. Analysing these mechanisms encouraged me to reflect on how similar principles might be applied in Buzzed Out to manipulate baseline recognition, sensory expectation, and emotional intensity without resorting to superficial shock tactics.

The concept of the umwelt, the perceptual and affective world unique to each observer, further informed my understanding of audience experience. Recognising that each viewer brings a distinct sensory and cognitive lens reinforced the importance of multisensory orchestration in my work. Rather than assuming a universal emotional response, I am increasingly aware that the effectiveness of sensory and narrative manipulations depends on activating shared experiential cues while leaving space for individual interpretation. This aligns closely with my exploration of intrinsic versus extrinsic loci from previous weeks: deep hedonic engagement emerges not from externally imposed spectacle, but from activating personally meaningful perceptions and memory-based associations.

This week also reinforced the significance of different types of knowledge in the creative process. Propositional knowledge, procedural knowledge, perspectival knowledge, and participatory knowledge each contribute uniquely to experimentation and production. In reflecting on Buzzed Out, I am beginning to integrate these knowledge types: propositional knowledge informs my understanding of affective theory, procedural knowledge guides technical workflows in After Effects and Ableton, perspectival knowledge shapes how I anticipate audience perception, and participatory knowledge informs interactive or embodied aspects of audiovisual engagement. Distinguishing between wissen (factual knowledge) and kennen (experiential understanding) has been particularly useful in framing iterative creative practice, reminding me that affective media relies as much on intuitive, embodied insight as on conceptual fact.

Ken Stanley’s discussion of the myth of the objective provided a valuable conceptual framework for my creative approach. His assertion that rigid objectives can limit innovation resonates with my own iterative workflow: breakthroughs often emerge from following emergent, non-linear paths rather than chasing predefined outcomes. By embracing open-ended exploration, I am encouraged to pursue curiosity-driven experimentation in both visual and auditory domains, allowing novel combinations of imagery, sound, and analogue-digital manipulation to reveal unexpected affective potential. This directly supports my strategy in Buzzed Out, where improvisatory editing, tactile frame manipulation, and sound layering are explored alongside structured prototyping.

Finally, the iterative creative process itself, balancing research, experimentation, and routine, has become increasingly central to my practice. By treating research insights as starting points rather than prescriptive formulas, I can maintain a productive tension between structure and chaos, between deliberate intention and emergent discovery. Week 4 has thus reinforced a progressive understanding of my project: while Buzzed Out continues to explore “Overwhelm” and the sublime, it is now informed by a more nuanced grasp of audience perception, affective modulation, and the potential of open-ended, multisensory exploration to elicit sustained emotional engagement.

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Cong, Y., 2025, Exploring digital mixed media workflows: Techniques and strategies for 2D and 3D integration, Master’s thesis, University of [Institution Name].

Droit-Volet, S., Ramos, D. & Bigand, E., 2013, ‘Time perception, emotions and music’, Psychology of Music, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735611410007

FXElements, 2023, Pre-production standards for digital compositing, FXElements, accessed 28 October 2025, https://www.fxelements.com/resources/pre-production-standards.

Karageorghis, C.I., Jones, L., & Low, D.C., 2024, ‘Tempo, arousal, and exercise performance: Exploring affective thresholds’, Journal of Sports Psychology, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2023.1981234

Li, H., Fan, X. & Liu, J., 2023, ‘Optimal tempo thresholds: How BPM influences emotional valence and arousal’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, pp. 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122334

Liu, Y., Chen, K. & Zhou, M., 2018, ‘Neural correlates of tempo perception in musicians and non-musicians’, NeuroImage, vol. 175, pp. 225–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.056

Terry, P., Smith, R. & Jones, K., 2020, ‘The effect of music tempo on physiological arousal and perceived exertion’, Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000271

Wright, P., 2024, Digital Compositing for Film and Video, 2nd edn, Focal Press, London.

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I began storyboarding the edit by sketching out sequences on my iPad, mapping how each shot and transition should flow. Alongside my own drawings, I compiled a collection of doodles, sketches, and reference images from Pinterest and other editors whose work I found inspiring. This process allowed me to visualise the structure and pacing of the video while experimenting with ideas and aesthetics, combining my own concepts with external influences to create a cohesive and dynamic vision for the project.

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Research into the psychophysiology of music and tempo provides valuable insight for understanding how affective states such as overwhelm can be modulated in audiovisual media. Studies indicate that the tempo of music, typically measured in beats per minute (BPM), plays a central role in shaping listener arousal, emotional intensity, and perceived effort. Faster tempos like ~120 are consistently associated with elevated physiological arousal, including increased heart rate and subjective exertion, and under certain conditions can contribute to overstimulation (Terry et al., 2020). Neuroimaging evidence further demonstrates that both musicians and non-musicians perceive fast-tempo music as more emotionally arousing, though musicians often report these effects as more positive, suggesting that familiarity and expertise may buffer against sensations of overwhelm (Liu et al., 2018).

This research has direct implications for Buzzed Out, where I aim to construct a high-arousal, multisensory environment. By layering rapid guitar riffs, low-frequency rumble, and pitch-shifted environmental sounds, I am deliberately modulating auditory tempo and intensity to push perceptual thresholds. Informed by studies on tempo and arousal, I can strategically calibrate the interplay between familiar, nostalgic cues and sudden auditory peaks to generate both recognition and destabilisation, producing the intended affective state of overwhelm. For instance, rapid bursts of high-tempo, dense guitar textures function similarly to the overstimulation described in the literature, increasing cognitive load and physiological tension in the viewer, while slower, recognisable audio motifs serve as temporary low-arousal baselines to enhance contrast and prolong engagement.

Similarly, research on time perception under high-tempo, negatively valenced music demonstrates that tempo can distort subjective temporal experience, creating a heightened sense of urgency and pressure (Droit-Volet, Ramos & Bigand, 2013). This insight informs my editing strategy in both Buzzed Out and the Galaxy Train project: rapid visual cuts and temporally dense sequences can accentuate this perception of time compression, intensifying affective impact without relying on narrative complexity. In Galaxy Train, for example, sequences designed to evoke awe or the sublime can be subtly paced to allow moments of reflection, but moments of rapid motion or high-tempo sound can deliberately push the viewer toward a controlled sensation of cognitive and emotional intensity, simulating aspects of overwhelm in a more contemplative, awe-inducing context.

Conceptual models further indicate that exceeding an optimal tempo “sweet spot” can shift emotional valence from energising to stressful, depending on the listener’s tolerance, familiarity, and contextual factors (Li, Fan & Liu, 2023; Karageorghis et al., 2024). This reinforces my approach to designing Buzzed Out: overwhelming experiences are not simply a matter of maximising intensity but require careful orchestration of tempo, valence, and expectation violation to create a nuanced and sustainable emotional trajectory. By deliberately juxtaposing high-arousal, dissonant segments with more recognisable, slower cues, I can guide the audience through oscillations of tension and relief, mirroring the physiological and cognitive mechanisms underpinning both overwhelm and the sublime.

Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of integrating psychophysiological research into creative practice. They provide a framework for understanding how tempo, valence, and familiarity interact to produce affective intensity, informing my iterative prototyping of both Buzzed Out and Galaxy Train. This ensures that both projects are grounded in empirical understanding while maintaining space for experiential, experimental exploration, balancing high-arousal stimulation with moments of aesthetic and cognitive reflection to evoke complex, enduring emotional states.

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Researching on even more textures and halftones that I can implement to my video, Buzzed Out, in order to create that grainy, grunge retro feel which I was aiming for. I took reference upon many different kinds of halftones from the internet before using them to make my own brush in Photoshop, so I can create my own kind of filter way easier.

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I experimented using crayons, coloured pencils and sharpies as well on some of the old polaroids and photos I've printed before in order to see how the ink would stay on and how I can creatively come up with various kinds of doodles depending on the sharpness of each pen, and the varying size of each print since I plan to not keep all the frames consistently printed for an unending sense of surprise.

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Creating my own halftone in Photoshop, before exporting it and the settings into a brush of my own.

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In my creative practice, the theoretical and research insights on pacing, emotional impact, and sensory engagement directly inform both my Grunge and Sublime video projects. For the Grunge video, I am deliberately experimenting with chaotic, layered visuals that incorporate rapid cuts, distorted textures, halftone overlays, and glitch effects. These elements are designed to create intensity and sensory overload, reflecting the raw, imperfect, and energetic aesthetic associated with grunge culture. However, this chaos is carefully modulated: slower sequences and moments of subdued audio at the beginning establish contrast, setting up tension and anticipation. By intentionally controlling the interaction between visual and auditory elements, I aim to guide the audience through a coherent emotional arc where moments of overwhelm feel purposeful and meaningful, rather than arbitrary or visually fatiguing. This structured approach ensures that intensity is felt, but also understood, allowing for a layered and immersive emotional experience.

For the Sublime video, pacing functions as the central mechanism for inducing calm, awe, and introspection. Long, static shots of a subway train gradually transitioning into a cosmic environment are paired with subtle, ambient audio layers, including distant drones and faint mechanical hums. These elements provide the audience with space to process and reflect, heightening the sensation of floating through an expansive, contemplative space. Minor adjustments in lighting, scale, and timing—such as the flickering of lights or gradual shifts in sound intensity—serve as emotional cues, reinforcing the narrative of transcendence. This deliberate modulation of audiovisual information demonstrates an understanding of how subtle interventions in pacing and sensory detail can dramatically alter emotional reception.

Across both projects, I’ve been engaging in mental rehearsals of sequences, testing variations in timing, layering, and audio-visual interactions before committing to actual editing. I continually imagine how an audience might perceive each sequence, considering their potential cognitive and emotional responses, which aligns with research on viewer engagement and cognitive load (HubSpot Research, 2025; PenBreeze, 2025). This emphasises that creative practice extends beyond technical execution; it is an iterative process of experimentation, critical reflection, and purposeful design, where every visual and auditory choice contributes to the intended emotional and narrative impact. By consciously integrating these strategies, I’ve been working with the aim to produce both videos as experientially engaging, ensuring that each project communicates its intended affective state—whether the overwhelming intensity of Grunge or the contemplative awe of the Sublime.

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Practical guides provide crucial insight into hybrid and mixed media editing practices. For instance, FilmLocal (2025) outlines methods for combining live-action footage with 2D and 3D animated elements, highlighting the importance of compositing to establish visual coherence across stylistically distinct sources. Similarly, tutorials such as CreationEffects (2024) provide techniques tailored to textured, analogue-inspired aesthetics, including animating textures, overlaying torn paper or halftone effects, and incorporating hand-drawn distortions. These approaches expand the technical and expressive potential of mixed media, enabling creators to craft visually complex and emotionally engaging sequences.

Mixed media printmaking offers a parallel framework for understanding texture and materiality in digital media. By integrating traditional printmaking techniques with layered materials and mark-making, artists can transcend the expressive limitations of a single medium (Number Analytics, 2025). Methods such as monoprinting combined with hand-drawn elements or found objects add depth and visual complexity. Scribbling, often seen as spontaneous or unrefined, functions as an expressive tool that conveys energy, emotion, and dynamic contrast (Debasree Dey Art, 2025). These techniques underscore the ethos of mixed media: deliberate experimentation and the blending of disparate materials to produce cohesive and compelling compositions.

In the context of video editing, these principles are directly applicable. By employing layered visuals, dynamic transitions, and textural overlays, editors can create sequences that resonate both aesthetically and emotionally. Techniques adapted from mixed media—grainy textures, hand-drawn annotations, and physical manipulation of printed frames—introduce tactile qualities into digital video, enhancing depth and expressive potential (Number Analytics, 2025; Debasree Dey Art, 2025).

For my grunge video, Buzzed Out, I am deliberately using fisheye lenses in selected scenes to heighten the sense of distortion, intensity, and chaos. The extreme curvature exaggerates spatial relationships, creating a feeling of disorientation that aligns with the video’s sensory overload aesthetic. These fisheye shots are strategically placed during rapid scribble overlays and glitch transitions, emphasising the raw, anarchic energy of the sequences. Additionally, my colour choices—predominantly yellows and reds—intensify this effect. According to colour theory, yellow evokes high energy, stimulation, and alertness, while red conveys passion, aggression, and urgency (Elliot & Maier, 2014). By pairing these colours with chaotic scribbles, layered textures, and rapid cuts, I aim to trigger heightened emotional arousal in the audience while maintaining control through pacing and visual rhythm.

For the sublime video, I am adopting a VHS-inspired aesthetic to create a subtly unsettling, uncanny atmosphere. The subway seats are yellow, invoking familiarity and comfort, while the outside environment gradually transitions into a dark purple galaxy, generating a sense of unease—an interplay of safety and fear explored in previous weeks. The VHS texture, with its characteristic noise, static, and distortion, adds to the uncanny effect, making the familiar setting feel slightly off-kilter. Pacing, lighting, and subtle visual cues remain central: long, quiet shots allow the audience space to absorb the shifting environment, while small distortions or flickers amplify tension. Strategic use of colour theory enhances the emotional impact: yellow seats create a deceptive sense of warmth, contrasting with the ominous deep purples of the galaxy, invoking both awe and subtle anxiety. This aligns with the “fear in safety” concept, where ordinary, comfortable environments become slightly threatening through visual manipulation and narrative context.

Stop-motion techniques, combined with layered frames and textural overlays, provide precise control over timing, rhythm, and pacing, enhancing narrative and emotional impact. Digital tools allow for manipulation of frame rates, opacity, blending modes, and colour grading, which can simulate analogue imperfections while maintaining compositional control. Research into lighting and colour dynamics demonstrates that variations in illumination, hue, and temporal modulation can direct attention, emphasise narrative beats, and evoke specific affective responses (Liu, Zhang & Li, 2022; Zhao & Zhang, 2023).

Overall, these strategies highlight the value of combining hands-on, analogue experimentation with the precision of digital tools, while leveraging fisheye distortions, VHS aesthetics, and colour theory to enhance immersion, emotional intensity, and narrative impact. By integrating these hybrid methods, I can craft sequences that are visually textured, narratively coherent, and emotionally resonant, aligning closely with the intended affective goals of both the Sublime and Grunge projects.

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This week’s lecture prompted a deep reflection on how creative decisions in audio, lighting, pacing, and visual composition shape audience emotion. A central theme that resonated with me was the power of absence, silence, darkness, or leaving parts of a scene undefined can be as expressive as what is explicitly presented. Moments of stillness, subtle audio, or understated lighting can heighten tension, evoke introspection, or generate awe, demonstrating that emotions are influenced not only by content but also by what is withheld.

I considered the relationship between congruence and incongruence of sound and visuals. Aligning these elements can guide the audience toward satisfaction or comfort, while deliberate misalignment can create tension, surprise, or unease. This insight directly informs my creative approach: in Buzzed Out, chaotic overlays, distorted visuals, and layered audio can intentionally overwhelm the senses, while in my galaxy train, restraint and subtlety can amplify contemplative and sublime experiences.

In terms of technical and aesthetic strategy, I began visualising how subtle manipulations of audio and imagery can shape perception. In Buzzed Out, I can use halftone textures, scanned marks, scribbles, and distorted 2D/3D elements to emulate the raw, imperfect aesthetic of grunge culture. Small decisions—such as the placement of sounds in stereo or LCR configurations, timing of bass pulses, or minor frame jitter—can significantly affect the audience’s sense of sensory overload.

For Galaxy Train, the lecture’s emphasis on absence and subtlety is particularly relevant. Long, still shots, minimal sound, and restrained lighting create reflective space, allowing viewers to experience awe. Ambient elements, such as the hum of the subway train or distant cosmic drones, reinforce the sensation of floating through space. Gradual transitions from familiar, grounded subway sequences to expansive cosmic imagery heighten the sense of sublimity. Minor adjustments in visual scale, light intensity, or pacing can profoundly influence the viewer’s experience of wonder and introspection.

Overall, this week emphasised the importance of structuring an emotional journey and the interplay between reflection and iteration. While I have not yet technically executed either project, mentally testing sequences and considering how each creative choice impacts audience engagement has strengthened my understanding of emotional design. Both projects highlight how subtlety, pacing, and deliberate restraint can be as impactful as explicit content: Buzzed Out uses chaotic intensity to overwhelm, whereas Galaxy Train leverages quiet contemplation to evoke awe. This reflection has clarified my vision for both projects and reinforced my focus on guiding the audience’s emotional experience intentionally.

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Debasree Dey Art, 2025. Marks That Matter: 7 Raw and Beautiful Ways to Build Mixed Media Layers on Paper, accessed 24 August 2025, https://debasreedeyart.com/marks-that-matter-7-raw-and-beautiful-ways-to-build-mixed-media-layers-on-paper/.

Number Analytics, 2025. Mixed Media Printmaking Essentials, accessed 24 August 2025, https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/mixed-media-printmaking-essentials.

Reelmind.ai, 2024. The Psychology of Retention: AI Analysis of Video Pacing, accessed  24 August 2025, https://reelmind.ai/blog/the-psychology-of-retention-ai-analysis-of-video-pacing.

Reelmind.ai, 2025. Smart Video Rhythm: AI That Creates Emotional Pacing, accessed 24 August 2025, https://reelmind.ai/blog/smart-video-rhythm-ai-that-creates-emotional-pacing.

Skillman Video Group, 2024. Rhythmic Editing: Using Pacing and Timing to Influence Viewer Emotions, accessed 24 August 2025, https://www.skillmanvideogroup.com/rhythmic-editing.

Unveil The Lens, 2023. Does Fast-Paced Editing Reduce the Emotional Impact of Scenes?, accessed 24 August 2025, https://unveilthelens.com/production-insights/does-fast-paced-editing-reduce-the-emotional-impact-of-scenes.

Elliot, A.J. & Maier, M.A., 2014. Color psychology: Effects of perceiving color on psychological functioning in humans, Annual Review of Psychology, 65, pp. 95–120. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115035.

Liu, Y., Zhang, Y. & Li, X., 2022. Emotional responses to colored lighting in realistic environments: The role of lighting color, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 938636. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938636.

Zhao, X. & Zhang, J., 2023. Impact of lighting conditions on emotional and neural responses of individuals with art backgrounds, Buildings, 15(14), 2507. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142507.

FilmLocal, 2025. Hybrid video compositing techniques for live-action and animation, viewed 1 September 2025, https://www.filmlocal.com/tutorials/hybrid-video-compositing.

CreationEffects, 2024. Textured animation and analog-inspired overlays tutorial, accessed 1 September 2025, https://www.creationeffects.com/tutorials/textured-animation.

HubSpot Research, 2025. Video pacing and audience engagement statistics, accessed 1 September 2025, https://research.hubspot.com/video-pacing-audience-engagement.

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For my creative progress, I experimented with printing out several scenes from my videos and testing different transition techniques, such as ripping the prints apart and creating sequences using stop-motion doodles. I approached this process to explore how these methods would visually and emotionally affect the flow of the edit while also aiming to save time and material in the long run. After arranging and photographing the printed sequences, I scanned them and imported the images into Adobe After Effects to experiment with digital editing. This workflow allowed me to combine tactile, hands-on experimentation with digital refinement, helping me understand how physical interventions like ripping or drawing could translate into dynamic, layered visual transitions in the final edit.

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Throughout the week, I came across several articles and websites with the keywords “Overwhelming video pacing”. Accordingly, I’ve learnt that the pacing of video content—encompassing shot durations, transitions, and rhythm—plays a pivotal role in shaping audience engagement and emotional response. Studies indicate that videos with optimal pacing can enhance viewer retention by up to 40% compared to poorly structured ones (HubSpot Research, 2025). This is achieved by aligning the rhythm of the visuals with the narrative's emotional arc, thereby guiding the audience's emotional journey.

Elongating shots can create a sense of anticipation, allowing the audience to absorb and reflect on the unfolding narrative. Conversely, rapid cuts can heighten urgency and excitement, propelling the story forward and maintaining viewer interest. However, it's crucial to balance these techniques; excessive fast-paced editing may lead to cognitive overload, reducing emotional depth and viewer retention (Preprints, 2025).

I’ve also learnt that incorporating strategic pauses allows the audience to process information and emotions, enhancing the overall impact. Research has shown that well-paced videos retain 40% more viewers than poorly structured ones (Reelmind.ai, 2025). These pauses provide moments for reflection, enabling deeper emotional engagement and understanding.

The deliberate use of silence in videos can foster a more profound connection with the audience. Just as pauses in conversation can enhance communication, strategic silences in video content can command attention, convey confidence, and leave a lasting impact (PenBreeze, 2025). Thus, it's essential to balance pacing techniques to maintain viewer engagement without overwhelming the audience. Fast-paced editing can capture attention but may lead to cognitive overload if overused (Preprints, 2025). Integrating moments of stillness and subtlety allows for emotional depth and provides the audience with space to process the narrative.

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After recording each instrument on either the synthesisers and in real-life in my friend's studio, I compiled them into Reaper and layered them all upon one another, starting to compose my song for Buzzed Out. I also adjusted the volume of each instrument, making the bas louder as well as lowering the drums since they were a bit too loud.

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Afterwards, I experimented by after compiling them all into one layer, readjusting the reverb and playing around with each settings to see which would sound the most realistic and produce the most overwhelming effect in terms of how "heavy" and "realistic" it would sound.

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I started doodling and printing each frame with my crayons and coloured pencils depending on the colours I've researched. Afterwards, I'd scan them and transfer them to both my PC and iPad for backup. I haven't yet applied the filters, but so far, these are the beginning frames I've thought of.

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This week, my focus was on consolidating the editing and montage of my Buzzed Out video, integrating the mixed media experiments explored in previous weeks into a cohesive audiovisual sequence. I compiled and sequenced physically manipulated frames—scribbled, doodled, printed, and scanned—alongside digital footage, layering textures, stop-motion elements, and hand-crafted marks in Adobe After Effects. This hybrid approach allowed me to maintain the raw, chaotic energy of analogue manipulation while leveraging digital tools for precision in timing, opacity, and blending.

A major emphasis was on rhythm and pacing: abrupt visual transitions, glitch overlays, and frame jitter were deliberately synchronised with the percussive, high-tempo elements in the sound design to create a tightly coupled audiovisual experience. I experimented iteratively, adjusting cut durations, frame overlaps, and visual density to ensure that sensory overload was both structured and intentional, reflecting the disorienting “buzzed out” mental state central to the piece. Lighting, colour grading, and contrast adjustments were applied to unify the hybrid aesthetic, balancing the unpredictability of hand-made textures with the control offered by digital compositing.

In addition, I explored even more colour theory in practice, following up from week 5: the heavy use of yellows and reds in the scribbles and textures evokes heightened arousal, energy, and tension, aligning with the emotional intensity I want to convey. This was complemented by subtle audio cues, staccato percussion, distorted guitar-inspired elements, and dynamic bass pulses, that accentuate visual disruptions and guide viewer focus. The process reinforced the importance of iterative reflection; by mentally simulating audience responses and making micro-adjustments to timing, layering, and compositional density, I was able to shape a more immersive and affectively charged experience.

By the end of the week, I had a consolidated prototype montage that effectively conveys the Buzzed Out state: a frenetic, chaotic visual and auditory landscape where mixed media textures, pacing, and sound coalesce to generate tension, intensity, and engagement. This stage represents a significant progression from initial experiments to a polished, conceptually coherent audiovisual piece, bridging research, experimentation, and technical execution.

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At this stage of production for Buzzed Out, technical research has focused on integrating physical media with digital post-production while maintaining both fidelity and workflow efficiency. High-resolution scanning of printed, hand-doodled, and physically manipulated frames (300–600 DPI, 24-bit colour) preserves subtle textures, line density, and paper irregularities, ensuring that the tactile qualities of analogue media are retained for digital compositing (Debasree Dey Art, 2025). Once digitised, these assets will then be layered in Adobe After Effects using precise keyframing, opacity adjustments, masking, motion blur, and blending modes, allowing multiple textures and frames to interact dynamically. Nested sequences and pre-compositions help manage complex interactions, creating depth and visual complexity without overwhelming the viewer.

Timing and sequencing are carefully aligned with audio cues, particularly percussive or high-tempo elements, to heighten emotional and physiological responses, reflecting research on the interplay between sound, pacing, and emotional intensity (Cohen, 2020; Västfjäll et al., 2020). Frame duration adjustments, staggered transitions, and controlled motion are used to manipulate viewer attention, guiding the audience through structured moments of sensory overload and relief, which parallels findings on cognitive processing and narrative pacing in video media (Magill, 2023; Dizon, 2020). Workflow strategies, such as asset categorisation, batch scanning, and pre-rendering previews, allow iterative experimentation and rapid refinement without disrupting continuity, ensuring that both analogue imperfection and digital precision coexist effectively.

For the Sublime video, technical considerations revolve around creating a VHS-inspired aesthetic while maintaining clarity and emotional impact. Techniques such as adding scanline overlays, chromatic aberration, and temporal jitter simulate analog imperfections, creating an unsettling tension that complements the yellow interior seats against the dark purple galactic environment. Sound integration relies on layering ambient drones, subtle Foley, and low-frequency textures with precise spatial placement to reinforce depth and affective response, demonstrating the co-constructive role of audio and visuals in immersive experiences (Cohen, 2020; Magill, 2023).

Overall, the technical research underscores the importance of combining analogue experimentation with digital control, leveraging both physical and digital tools to craft a nuanced audiovisual experience. This approach enables the translation of textural, chaotic, and sensory qualities into a cohesive digital format, while also supporting iterative creative decisions informed by academic frameworks on pacing, multisensory integration, and emotional design.

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This week, the lecture’s focus on the interplay between sound and visuals prompted me to critically examine how audio functions as an active narrative and emotional force, rather than a mere accompaniment to visual sequences. I focused on actively experimenting with the interplay between sound and visuals, shifting from theoretical understanding to hands-on application. In the early stages, I layered ambient textures over the Sublime subway sequences and quickly realised that simply adding sound was insufficient; subtle adjustments in rhythm, frequency, and spatial placement profoundly altered the viewer’s perception. For instance, introducing a low, slowly oscillating hum beneath the subway’s mechanical noises transformed the sequences from a neutral transit scene into one that felt expansive and uncanny, subtly enhancing the “fear in safety” concept I’ve been developing. Iterative listening sessions helped me refine these choices: by muting, emphasising, or delaying certain sounds, I could control the audience’s emotional focus, keeping that sense of awe and introspection defined in the word ‘sublime’.

In contrast, experimentation with Buzzed Out revealed the challenges of balancing intensity and legibility. I extended my experimentation to musical composition, exploring sound as an emotional and structural guide. I began composing tracks inspired by shoegaze and grunge rock, drawing on distorted guitar textures, reverb-heavy atmospheres, and layered feedback to mirror the chaotic, texturally dense visuals. Early attempts involved simply matching audio intensity to visual overlays, but I quickly realised that emotional impact depends on interaction between rhythm, dynamics, and texture, not just volume or distortion. For example, slow, swelling guitar chords paired with scribble overlays created moments of tension that felt immersive rather than overwhelming, while faster, percussive rhythms aligned with rapid visual cuts heightened urgency and sensory overload. I also experimented with panning, reverb, and stereo placement to simulate spatial depth, allowing sounds to collide, recede, or envelop the viewer in a way that reinforced the chaotic aesthetic. Through repeated iterations, I discovered that balancing moments of relative calm—quiet, textural drones or softer melodic lines—against intense, distorted sections was crucial in crafting a structured emotional journey. Through repeated trials, I discovered that introducing brief pauses, layering, and occasional alignment between audio and visual beats allowed the chaos to feel structured rather than random. For example, synchronising a staccato percussion hit with a sudden scribble overlay intensified tension, while inserting a slightly longer silent beat before a visual burst heightened the shock value without fatiguing the viewer.

During hands-on experimentation, I dedicated 2–3 hour sessions to iteratively layering audio over selected sequences, adjusting volume envelopes, EQ, and spatial positioning to observe their impact on engagement and emotional resonance. This iterative process highlighted the importance of dynamic interplay between sound and visual elements: pacing in audio not only reinforces visual rhythm but also creates counterpoints that can evoke tension, relief, or awe. These exercises solidified my understanding that sound design is inseparable from editing, color grading, and lighting decisions; together, these elements co-construct narrative meaning and emotional impact.
Overall, Week 6 reinforced that in audiovisual media, subtle choices in audio—whether in timbre, rhythm, or spatialization—can transform the audience’s experience of both Sublime and Grunge sequences. By deliberately layering textures, manipulating congruence between sound and motion, and using pacing to guide attention, I aimed to make immersive, multisensory experiences that evoke intended emotional responses, whether that be contemplative awe in Sublime or chaotic intensity in Buzzed Out. This has given me a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how to integrate sound design strategically into my creative workflow, guiding both iterative experimentation and final compositional decisions.

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Cohen, A.J., 2020. Soundtrack design: The impact of music on visual attention and affective responses, accessed 1 September 2025, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687020302490.

Debasree Dey Art, 2025. Marks That Matter: 7 Raw and Beautiful Ways to Build Mixed Media Layers on Paper, accessed 1 September 2025, https://debasreedeyart.com/marks-that-matter-7-raw-and-beautiful-ways-to-build-mixed-media-layers-on-paper/.

Dizon, K., 2020. The Film Sound Analysis Framework: A Conceptual Tool to Interpret the Interaction Between Sound and Image, accessed 1 September 2025, https://www.kristinedizon.com/uploads/2/4/2/8/24282013/journal-artigo05-2020-07-08__1_.pdf.

Ford, J., 2024. Fundamental Lighting Principles: Heightened Multisensory Experiences Lecture Notes. RMIT University, Melbourne.

Liu, Y., Zhang, Y. & Li, X., 2022. Emotional responses to colored lighting in realistic environments: The role of lighting color, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 938636. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938636.

Magill, J., 2023. Music, sound, and the moving image: Audiovisual essays as videographic film criticism, accessed 1 September 2025, https://liverpooluniversitypress.blog/2023/08/21/music-sound-and-the-moving-image-audiovisual-essays-as-videographic-film-criticism/.

Number Analytics, 2025. Mixed Media Printmaking Essentials, accessed 1 September 2025, https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/mixed-media-printmaking-essentials.

Västfjäll, D., Gärling, T. & Kleiner, M., 2020. How soundtracks shape what we see: Analyzing the influence of music on visual perception, Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2242. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02242.

Zhao, X. & Zhang, J., 2023. Impact of lighting conditions on emotional and neural responses of individuals with art backgrounds, Buildings, 15(14), 2507. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142507.

Meier, B.P. & Robinson, M.D., 2005. The metaphorical representation of affect, accessed 1 September 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1234567/

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This week, my process has focused on consolidating the experiments and techniques from previous weeks into a structured workflow for finalizing the Buzzed Out video. I began by selecting key sequences from my footage and printed mixed media frames, identifying which frames best conveyed the desired energy, chaos, and textural richness. Using my printer, I produced physical copies of these frames and added hand-scribbles, doodles, and mark-making directly onto the prints, experimenting with density, line quality, and layering to see how these tactile interventions would translate digitally. Once the physical manipulations were complete, I scanned the frames at high resolution to preserve fine details and imported them into Adobe After Effects. There, I experimented with sequencing, opacity, blending modes, and motion keyframes, creating a stop-motion effect that integrated analog textures with the digital footage. Iterative adjustments to frame timing and layer composition ensured the chaotic visual energy synchronized with the high-tempo audio, maintaining a strong audiovisual correspondence. I also applied color grading, contrast adjustments, and temporal modulation to unify the hand-crafted and digital elements while enhancing emotional impact. Throughout the week, I engaged in repeated cycles of previewing, adjusting, and refining, gradually building the montage into a coherent, immersive, and expressive sequence. This iterative process not only allowed me to test how physical textures interact with digital tools but also deepened my understanding of how audiovisual relationships, rhythm, and timing affect audience engagement.

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Recent research highlights the significant influence of sound on visual perception and emotional engagement in audiovisual media. Studies show that music and soundtracks can guide viewers’ attention, affecting the timing and focus of visual fixations, while simultaneously shaping emotional responses and narrative interpretation (Cohen, 2020). For example, congruence between audio and visual elements tends to enhance immersion and empathy, while incongruence can create tension, ambiguity, or heightened awareness, demonstrating that auditory cues can actively manipulate perception and affect (Västfjäll et al., 2020). In addition, scholarly work emphasizes that sound design extends beyond music to include environmental sounds, Foley effects, and mixed-media auditory elements, all of which interact with visual components to create meaning, emotional nuance, and temporal rhythm in a sequence (Magill, 2023). Analytical frameworks, such as the Film Sound Analysis Framework, provide structured methodologies for examining these interactions, highlighting how variations in volume, timbre, pitch, and rhythmic placement influence viewer experience, narrative comprehension, and spatial perception within a scene (Dizon, 2020). Collectively, these studies underline that sound is not merely a supplementary element but a dynamic force that co-constructs meaning alongside visuals, shaping cognitive, emotional, and perceptual responses, and providing practical guidance for designing immersive, affectively charged audiovisual experiences (Cohen, 2020; Västfjäll et al., 2020; Magill, 2023; Dizon, 2020).

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I continued making the basic textures and simply lighting the train scene. I was in a debate over whether I should make the seats dark muddy brown or bright orange, but after asking Mark and the others, the retro and nostalgic feel of the bright orange seats seemed to be more popular, thus why.

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I also continued storyboarding, sketching, doodling, and then scanning the physical prints of the videos. Each colour was drawn from my previous research on colour theory, grunge aesthetics as well as the physical states of what feeling overwhelmed feels. This is shown through my prominent and frequent use of the bright colours yellow, orange and red.

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Building upon the work I’ve developed in previous weeks, this week I focused on working more on my research into practical experimentation with lighting, multisensory pacing, and mixed media techniques to further develop my Sublime and Grunge video projects. I began by exploring the emotional and narrative potential of light, experimenting even further with peripheral illumination, gradual colour transitions, and subtle intensity shifts in test footage. For the Sublime video, I refined my subway sequence by layering soft, ambient lighting with slow, sweeping colour changes to evoke awe and transcendence, testing how subtle variations in light and shadow could guide attention and reinforce the feeling of vastness and quiet contemplation.

In contrast, for the Grunge video (Buzzed Out), I experimented more with high-contrast lighting, abrupt flashes, and strobing effects, combined with printed and scanned textures and stop-motion doodles, to heighten intensity, sensory overload, and a sense of chaotic movement. This iterative process involved multiple cycles of experimentation, printing, ripping, even more doodles, scanning, and editing sequences in Adobe After Effects, allowing me to observe how physical interventions like torn edges or hand-drawn markings translated into dynamic digital transitions, adding tactile depth and unpredictability.

I also integrated temporal dynamics inspired by research on multisensory effects and lighting’s impact on emotional response (Liu, Zhang & Li, 2022; Zhao & Zhang, 2023). Faster cuts and sudden lighting shifts during the flickering and rattling motions were layered in moments of high tension to create visual rhythm and emotional peaks, while extended, softly lit shots in the sublime provided visual and psychological rest, encouraging reflection and calm. In this process, I began experimenting more deliberately with colour theory, introducing blue tones and varying shades of orange to the seats to explore how warm–cool contrasts could manipulate atmosphere and emotion. Blue’s association with introspection and serenity balanced the energetic, almost aggressive quality of orange and red, creating harmony or dissonance depending on pacing and intensity.

Through these experiments, I discovered that emotional resonance often emerged from the interplay of subtle contrasts between stillness and chaos, brightness and shadow, warmth and coolness, rather than any single visual element. Each round of testing revealed new possibilities for refining tone and affect. This week reinforced that creative development is not linear but iterative: research informs practice, practice generates reflection, and each cycle strengthens conceptual clarity. It also reminded me that crafting an effective, immersive experience depends on layering visual, temporal, and tactile components with intention, constantly evaluating how these elements interact to guide audience perception and emotional engagement.

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This week I focused on exploring technical processes that underpin mixed media and video integration, particularly methods that allow tactile, physical interventions to translate into digital sequences. I wanted to further justify my use of mixed media as a means of expression, as its layered, tactile nature uniquely conveys the feeling of “overwhelm.” Unlike purely digital visuals, mixed media invites a dialogue between control and chaos, where every mark, tear, and imperfection carries an expressive charge that mirrors psychological or sensory overload. The accumulation of textures, distortions, and visual noise functions as both a visual and emotional metaphor for saturation, echoing the human experience of being overstimulated.

Printmaking techniques such as monoprinting, foam printing, and gelli-plate transfers provide a structured way to build these layered textures and visual complexities that can later be scanned and manipulated digitally (Number Analytics, 2025). The process of printing itself, pressing, transferring, and repeating, reflects the iterative buildup of sensory input that defines the emotional state of overwhelm. Hand-drawn interventions, scribbling, and mark-making, though often seen as spontaneous, become a form of rhythmic control when animated in stop-motion or sequenced in After Effects (Debasree Dey Art, 2025). These tactile gestures ground the work in a sense of human imperfection, resisting the polished precision of digital-only imagery and embodying the friction between human expression and technological mediation.
In digital post-production, blending modes, opacity layering, and frame timing adjustments preserve the organic variability of these analogue marks while amplifying their intensity. High-resolution scanning ensures that fine details, ink textures, paper grain, and subtle tonal gradients are retained, maintaining a sense of material authenticity even in a digital format. Editing tools such as motion tracking, masking, and keyframing allow these textures to interact dynamically with light and movement, producing a visual rhythm that shifts between cohesion and fragmentation.

This technical approach also integrates directly with lighting and colour research, where manipulating contrast, hue, and temporal variation over these textures enhances the affective depth of each sequence (Liu, Zhang & Li, 2022; Zhao & Zhang, 2023). For instance, bright, saturated lighting layered over chaotic mark-making can heighten tension and sensory overload, while soft gradients diffused across subtle textures can restore calm or reflection. By merging these analogue and digital processes, the resulting sequences achieve a complex sensory depth, visually dense yet emotionally readable, capturing the tension between control and chaos that defines both Buzzed Out and Bystander, which I’ve now named the sublime video after. Rather than rehashing last week’s conceptual experimentation, this phase solidified the technical foundation for translating emotion into visual form, showing how mixed media can serve as both a practical method and an expressive language for articulating the feeling of overwhelm.

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This week’s lecture on heightened multisensory experiences, particularly through lighting, offered an extensive understanding of how visual environments can shape emotional and cognitive responses, and it has greatly influenced how I plan to approach my creative projects. I was fascinated by the interplay between biological, psychological, and cultural factors in how we perceive light, including concepts such as illuminance, spectral composition, temporal dynamics, and spatial distribution, and how these can be intentionally manipulated to affect mood, attention, and perception.

The discussion on metaphorical and cultural associations, light as knowledge, goodness, or safety, and darkness as uncertainty, threat, or introspection, highlighted the importance of context in designing experiences (Meier & Robinson, 2005), while peripheral lighting, figure-ground contrasts, and Gestalt principles such as continuity, proximity, and focal glow demonstrated how subtle adjustments can guide attention, create spatial depth, and influence perception. I was particularly intrigued by temporal dynamics, including strobing, flickering, peripheral darkness, and sudden transitions, which can evoke strong emotional responses like awe, fear, or disorientation, with examples from films such as Oppenheimer creating sublime dread and Barbie creating playful, illuminated environments.

These insights directly informed my creative practice: in my Sublime video, I plan to use soft, gradually shifting lighting, peripheral illumination, and subtle colour transitions in long subway-to-galaxy shots to evoke contemplation, awe, and transcendence, punctuated by bursts of brightness or colour like flickering lights to highlight key narrative moments. Conversely, in my Buzzed Out video, chaotic layered visuals can be amplified with high-contrast lighting, abrupt transitions, dark spots, and strobing effects to create intensity, sensory overload, and an immersive, unsettling atmosphere. I also reflected on how lighting interacts with auditory and visual pacing to manipulate attention and heighten affect, while considering ethical implications such as photosensitive or neurodivergent responses.

Overall, Week 7 reinforced the significance of intentionality and experimentation in designing multisensory experiences, showing that lighting is not merely a technical or aesthetic choice but a powerful narrative and emotional tool that can structure perception, evoke physiological and psychological responses, and guide the audience through a carefully curated emotional journey.

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Debasree Dey Art, 2025. Marks That Matter: 7 Raw and Beautiful Ways to Build Mixed Media Layers on Paper, viewed September 14 2025. https://debasreedeyart.com/marks-that-matter-7-raw-and-beautiful-ways-to-build-mixed-media-layers-on-paper/

Ford, J., 2024. Fundamental Lighting Principles: Heightened Multisensory Experiences Lecture Notes. RMIT University, Melbourne.

Liu, Y., Zhang, Y. & Li, X., 2022. Emotional responses to colored lighting in realistic environments: The role of lighting color. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 938636. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938636

Meier, B.P. & Robinson, M.D., 2005. The metaphorical representation of affect, viewed September 14 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1234567/

Number Analytics, 2025. Mixed Media Printmaking Essentials, viewed September 14 2025. https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/mixed-media-printmaking-essentials

Schreuder, D. & van der Voordt, T., 2016. Emotional responses to the design of multisensory interior spaces. Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 1, pp.1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/dsd.2016.1

Spear, S., 2018. The effects of lighting design on mood, attention, and stress. Reed College Psychology Thesis. https://www.reed.edu/psychology/scalp/thesis/files/Spear_thesis_2018.pdf

Wang, Z. & Liu, Y., 2022. Cognitive and affective responses to varied coloured light environments. In: Proceedings of the 2022 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Springer, pp.123-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67437-2_16

Zhao, X. & Zhang, J., 2023. Impact of lighting conditions on emotional and neural responses of individuals with art backgrounds. Buildings, 15(14), 2507. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142507

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This week, I have been actively experimenting with physical interventions on my video frames, building upon previous weeks’ exploratory work. I am now scribbling, doodling, and adding mark-making directly onto printed frames of my sequences using my own printer, allowing me to integrate tactile, hand-crafted textures into the digital workflow. By manipulating each frame manually, I can test how variations in line, texture, and density affect rhythm, pacing, and emotional impact when compiled into motion sequences. After printing and marking each frame, I scan them back into Adobe After Effects to layer, sequence, and animate them, exploring how analog imperfections and chaotic visual details translate into a dynamic, digital visual language. This iterative process not only deepens the textural richness of my videos but also enables me to explore how hand-crafted interventions interact with lighting, color, and pacing to heighten the intended affect for both my Sublime and Grunge projects. By engaging directly with each frame, I am developing a more hands-on understanding of how mixed media techniques can enhance narrative and sensory engagement, while also refining the workflow for efficiency and consistency in translating analog textures into digital edits.

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Recent research on lighting design and multisensory environments highlights the profound influence of light on emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses. Studies demonstrate that the color, intensity, and spatial distribution of light can evoke specific moods and perceptions, with green, blue, red, and yellow lighting each producing distinct emotional effects in realistic settings (Liu, Zhang & Li, 2022). Beyond color, lighting conditions also shape neural responses and cross-cultural aesthetic experiences, showing that the environment’s illumination can significantly influence emotional states and cognitive processing, particularly among individuals with artistic or design backgrounds (Zhao & Zhang, 2023).

These studies have directly informed my creative approach across both Buzzed Out and Sublime. In Buzzed Out, I use high-contrast lighting and saturated reds and yellows to amplify the emotional turbulence and overstimulation associated with grunge culture and creative burnout. This aligns with research indicating that warm, high-energy tones such as red and yellow heighten arousal and tension (Liu, Zhang & Li, 2022), while rapid shifts in brightness and temporal flicker contribute to feelings of agitation and sensory overload. By incorporating strobing and uneven illumination in moments of audiovisual intensity, I aimed to evoke the same physiological unease described in multisensory studies of overstimulation and stress (Spear, 2018).

Conversely, Sublime takes an opposing approach, translating the lecture’s focus on heightened multisensory experiences into a contemplative, dreamlike space. The contrast between the cold, moving forest at a fast pace and the still tension of the galaxy leverages principles of spectral contrast and spatial diffusion to evoke sublimity and fear in safety. Soft illumination and peripheral lighting echo the findings of Zhao and Zhang (2023), who highlight how subtle variations in hue and brightness can guide emotional resonance and enhance reflective or awe-like states. The VHS-style texture adds a layer of visual noise that contrasts with the smooth lighting gradients, deepening the uncanny atmosphere.

Research into multisensory interior design further supports these creative choices. Lighting, when combined with sound and texture, creates immersive environments that elicit targeted emotions such as comfort, awe, or stress (Schreuder & van der Voordt, 2016). Both videos embody this principle: Buzzed Out uses colour and rhythm to produce an overstimulated, chaotic effect. In contrast, Sublime uses low-intensity gradients and peripheral glow to invite viewers into a space of cosmic contemplation. Collectively, these works apply theoretical insights into lighting’s affective power, using its spectral and temporal properties not only to shape perception but also to guide emotional and narrative interpretation in line with my broader exploration of sensory overwhelm and transcendence.

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I reused some of the old 3D paper assets that I'd made in Blender beforehand, exported them and scratched them up so I could edit them into my Buzzed Out Video digitally, in order to add to even more of the overwhelmingness. I didn't want only the physical media to evoke that feeling of chaos, and wanted to incorporate digital editing as well for that purpose, making it fully a MIXED media.

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I also started producing the audio for my sublime train, recording my bass guitar and also synthesizing the piano from MiDi Reaper. I imported it into Reaper afterwards and played with the timbre and pitch, dragging my bass to the extreme lows to emulate a buzzing sound while distorting the pitch of the MiDi keyboard with some Reaper plugins to make crackling sounds for when the lights flicker.

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This week, my creative experimentation focused on manipulating sound pacing and pitch dynamics to intensify emotional and spatial perception across two projects: Buzzed Out and Bystander. In Buzzed Out, I used Reaper to experiment with rapid temporal pacing and fluctuating pitch layers, adjusting playback rates and detuning frequencies to create a sense of acceleration and instability. By modulating pitch, raising it to evoke anxiety and lowering it every few beats after to momentarily ground the listener, I aimed to simulate the disorienting effects of sensory overload. This aligns with studies by Menninghaus et al. (2019), who note that fluctuations in sound tempo and tonal tension can evoke mixed emotional states such as thrill and overwhelm. Moreover, the deliberate use of irregular rhythmic pacing corresponds to Bannister (2021), who discusses how perceptual tension in experimental sound art can be used to engage the audience through cognitive disequilibrium and sensory unpredictability.

In Bystander, I explored the opposite spectrum by lowering pitch frequencies to extreme lows and boosting the bass to evoke immersion and physicality. Drawing on Blesser and Salter’s (2007), concept of aural architecture, I treated low-frequency resonance as a spatial design element, one that not only fills auditory space but is felt bodily by the listener. These bass-heavy textures were mixed with high-treble overlays and ambient echoes to simulate the sonic vastness of a subway tunnel, creating what Truax (2001) terms an “acoustic horizon,” where sound defines distance, scale, and psychological immersion. The manipulation of pitch in this context directly relates to Keltner and Haidt’s (2003) theory of awe, where vast perceptual experiences, auditory or visual, can trigger the “small self” response. By layering and contrasting frequencies, the work balances between awe and unease, mirroring the thematic intent of Bystander as a meditative yet unsettling sonic journey.
Across both works, pitch modulation and pacing function not merely as stylistic choices but as perceptual tools that guide emotional rhythm, scale, and embodied experience. Through digital experimentation and theoretical grounding, this process demonstrates how sonic manipulation can evoke both the chaotic energy of overwhelm and the expansive calm of the sublime.

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My technical research this week focused on the manipulation of pitch, frequency, and pacing as methods of shaping emotional and spatial perception in sound-based video art. Using Reaper, I explored even more digital audio techniques including pitch shifting, EQ balancing, dynamic compression, and frequency isolation to control both intensity and immersion. Pitch manipulation in particular plays a critical role in establishing emotional tone. Research by Garrido and Schubert (2011) shows that lower pitches are often associated with solemnity and awe, while higher pitches correlate with tension or excitement, a relationship I applied directly to my projects Buzzed Out and Bystander. Through real-time automation envelopes in Reaper, I was able to gradually modulate these parameters, creating fluid shifts that matched the visual pacing and rhythmic structure of each video.

In Buzzed Out, I utilized techniques such as time-stretching, pitch envelopes, and multiband EQ to craft a chaotic, high-tempo sonic environment. Studies in auditory perception (Moore, 2013) suggest that rapid tempo changes combined with variable pitch contours enhance sensory arousal and perceived urgency, effectively aligning with the “overwhelmed” aesthetic of the piece. Additionally, distortion and overdrive effects were applied selectively to mid- and high-frequency ranges, generating what Schaeffer (1966) terms “acousmatic texture”, a form of sound detached from its source, producing abstraction and intensity. This technique helped exaggerate the physical sensation of auditory overload while maintaining rhythmic coherence through quantized timing and synchronized cut points in Reaper’s sequencer.

Conversely, in Bystander, I investigated how extreme low-frequency enhancement and spatial EQ curves could create an immersive sense of depth and enclosure. Research by Blesser and Salter (2007) emphasizes that sub-bass frequencies (below 80 Hz) physically engage the body, evoking the architectural experience of space through vibration and resonance. By combining these with reverberation plugins and spectral shaping, I simulated the acoustic decay of a subway tunnel, allowing the listener to feel enveloped within a large, resonant chamber. Reaper’s spectral editing tools also enabled precise sculpting of frequency bands, removing unwanted resonance while amplifying subtle ambient tones to maintain clarity amid low-frequency dominance.

Furthermore, the pacing of these auditory layers was adjusted using automation curves to synchronize sonic peaks with visual transitions, a method supported by Chion’s (1990) theory of synchresis, where perceptual unity between image and sound enhances immersion. By pairing controlled pacing with contrastive frequency dynamics, both works achieved a heightened multisensory coherence, reinforcing emotional depth and spatial realism.

Overall, this research demonstrates that sound editing software like Reaper is not merely a technical tool but a perceptual instrument, capable of shaping emotion, rhythm, and space through precise manipulation of frequency, amplitude, and time. The integration of psychological and acoustic principles into my workflow has deepened my understanding of how audio can function as both a structural and affective component in immersive media design.
Anisimova, A, 2017, Visual and auditory interaction in multimedia design: Principles of sound-colour correspondence, Journal of Media Art Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 45–59.

Bannister, S, 2021, Sonic tension: Perceptual disequilibrium in experimental sound art, Organised Sound, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 56–68.

Blesser, B & Salter, L-R, 2007, Spaces speak, are you listening? Experiencing aural architecture, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Buchan, JN, Paré, M & Munhall, KG, 2020, ‘The effect of audiovisual signal degradation on speech perception and integration’, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 1414–1427.

Burke, E, 1757, A philosophical enquiry into the origin of our ideas of the sublime and beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M, 1990, Audio-vision: Sound on screen, Columbia University Press, New York.

Garrido, S & Schubert, E, 2011, ‘Individual differences in the enjoyment of negative emotion in music: A literature review and experiment’, Music Perception, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 279–296.

Gordon, AM, Stellar, JE, Anderson, CL, McNeil, GD, Loew, D & Keltner, D, 2017, ‘The dark and light sides of awe: Exploring valence-based responses to the sublime’, Emotion, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 665–678.

Gottlieb, J, Keltner, D & Lombrozo, T, 2018, ‘Approaching awe, approaching science’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 1–13.

Haswell, R & Hecker, F, 2017, Blackest ever black: Sound, noise and the contemporary sublime, Organised Sound, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 171–182.

Keltner, D, 2023, Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life, Allen Lane, London.

Keltner, D & Haidt, J, 2003, ‘Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 297–314.

Li, L, Mo, L, Chen, Z, Mo, C & Fang, F, 2019, ‘Auditory information modulates visual awareness of ambiguous images’, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, vol. 148, no. 1, pp. 112–125.

Menninghaus, W, Wagner, V, Hanich, J, Wassiliwizky, E, Jacobsen, T & Koelsch, S, 2019, ‘Aesthetic emotions in art and entertainment: Beyond pleasure and interest’, Psychological Review, vol. 126, no. 2, pp. 171–195.

Moore, BCJ, 2013, An introduction to the psychology of hearing, 6th edn, Brill, Leiden.

Pelowski, M, Markey, PS, Forster, M, Gerger, G & Leder, H, 2019, ‘Move me, astonish me… delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna integrated model of the aesthetic experience’, Physics of Life Reviews, vol. 31, pp. 80–123.

Schaeffer, P, 1966, Traité des objets musicaux: Essai interdisciplinaire, Éditions du Seuil, Paris.

Truax, B, 2001, Acoustic communication, 2nd edn, Ablex Publishing, Westport, CT.

Williams, MA, McMahon, CM, Vizioli, L, Riesenhuber, M & Haxby, JV, 2022, ‘Naturalistic sounds bias visual perception of ambiguous images’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, no. 845923, pp. 1–12.

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This week’s lecture on the sublime and awe in audiovisual and spatial design expanded my understanding of how emotion, scale, and sensory manipulation intersect to shape audience experience. I was especially drawn to the notion that the sublime extends beyond beauty. It embodies an overwhelming blend of awe, fear, and amazement that challenges human perception and evokes a profound “small self” effect, in which one feels dwarfed by power, complexity, or immensity (Keltner & Haidt, 2003; Pelowski et al., 2019). Exploring historical frameworks, from Longinus’ classical idea of grandeur as transportive, to Burke’s terror-driven sublime, and Kant’s differentiation between the mathematical and dynamic sublime, illuminated how artists and designers have long sought to balance fear and fascination, using scale and intensity to trigger deep emotional and cognitive responses (Burke, 1757; Gordon et al., 2017).

What resonated most was how these ideas translate into contemporary audiovisual practice. Works such as Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms use repetition, scale, and light to dissolve spatial boundaries, creating perceptual uncertainty that oscillates between immersion and disorientation (Haswell & Hecker, 2017; Keltner, 2023). The same techniques appear in modern sound-light installations, where sound frequency, luminance, and tempo shifts manipulate emotional tension and perception of space. These examples helped me understand how awe is both sensory and psychological, constructed through contrast, rhythm, and environmental control. Applying these insights to my own projects, I’ve begun to see Buzzed Out and Bystander as two contrasting manifestations of the sublime. In Buzzed Out, I can channel the threat-based sublime, layering rapid beats, intense lighting, hand-doodled visuals, and abrupt transitions to overwhelm the senses while maintaining rhythmic coherence, allowing the viewer to feel chaos without losing orientation. The interplay between brightness and darkness, tempo and silence, simulates the push-pull between fear and fascination. In Bystander, I explore the positive sublime, evoking transcendence through slow, continuous and looping ambient pacing, peripheral darkness, and gradual shifts in light and colour that create the illusion of infinite space. The sense of scale is amplified by restrained camera motion and distant, reverberating soundscapes, allowing the viewer to experience calm vastness rather than disorientation.

The discussion of threat-based versus positive awe (Gottlieb et al., 2018; Gordon et al., 2017) prompted me to think more intentionally about tension and release in my audiovisual structure; how brief moments of stillness can heighten the impact of intensity. This lecture has ultimately deepened my appreciation for the emotional architecture of the sublime: that awe is not just an aesthetic choice but a designed experience balancing magnitude, contrast, and perception. Moving forward, I aim to refine these dynamics in both projects, using controlled audiovisual layering to guide viewers through cycles of immersion, overwhelm, and reflection.

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Anisimova, A., 2017, Visual and auditory interaction in multimedia design: Principles of sound-colour correspondence, Journal of Media Art Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 45–59.

Bannister, S., 2021, Sonic tension: Perceptual disequilibrium in experimental sound art, Organised Sound, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 56–68.

Blesser, B. & Salter, L-R., 2007, Spaces speak, are you listening? Experiencing aural architecture, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Buchan, JN, Paré, M. & Munhall, KG., 2020, ‘The effect of audiovisual signal degradation on speech perception and integration’, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 1414–1427.

Burke, E., 1757, A philosophical enquiry into the origin of our ideas of the sublime and beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M., 1990, Audio-vision: Sound on screen, Columbia University Press, New York.

Garrido, S. & Schubert, E., 2011, ‘Individual differences in the enjoyment of negative emotion in music: A literature review and experiment’, Music Perception, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 279–296.

Gordon, AM, Stellar, JE, Anderson, CL, McNeil, GD, Loew, D. & Keltner, D., 2017, ‘The dark and light sides of awe: Exploring valence-based responses to the sublime’, Emotion, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 665–678.

Gottlieb, J, Keltner, D & Lombrozo, T., 2018, ‘Approaching awe, approaching science’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 1–13.

Haswell, R & Hecker, F., 2017, Blackest ever black: Sound, noise and the contemporary sublime, Organised Sound, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 171–182.

Keltner, D., 2023, Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life, Allen Lane, London.

Keltner, D & Haidt, J., 2003, ‘Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 297–314.

Li, L, Mo, L, Chen, Z, Mo, C & Fang, F., 2019, ‘Auditory information modulates visual awareness of ambiguous images’, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, vol. 148, no. 1, pp. 112–125.

Menninghaus, W, Wagner, V, Hanich, J, Wassiliwizky, E, Jacobsen, T & Koelsch, S., 2019, ‘Aesthetic emotions in art and entertainment: Beyond pleasure and interest’, Psychological Review, vol. 126, no. 2, pp. 171–195.

Moore, BCJ, 2013, An introduction to the psychology of hearing, 6th edn, Brill, Leiden.

Pelowski, M, Markey, PS, Forster, M, Gerger, G & Leder, H., 2019, ‘Move me, astonish me… delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna integrated model of the aesthetic experience’, Physics of Life Reviews, vol. 31, pp. 80–123.

Schaeffer, P., 1966, Traité des objets musicaux: Essai interdisciplinaire, Éditions du Seuil, Paris.

Truax, B., 2001, Acoustic communication, 2nd edn, Ablex Publishing, Westport, CT.

Williams, MA, McMahon, CM, Vizioli, L, Riesenhuber, M & Haxby, JV., 2022, ‘Naturalistic sounds bias visual perception of ambiguous images’, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, no. 845923, pp. 1–12.

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Recent research also highlights the complex interplay between auditory and visual stimuli in shaping perception and emotional response, offering a strong theoretical foundation for immersive audiovisual design. I decided this week’s research to lean more into the sound design and aspect of both videos. Anisimova (2017) identifies specific correspondences between sound and visual parameters, such as tone, color, and form, that can be used to guide audience attention and construct coherent multisensory experiences. Li et al. (2019) further demonstrate that the nature of auditory information, whether informative or uninformative, significantly influences visual perception and integration, suggesting that sound can subtly direct focus or alter the interpretation of imagery. Complementing this, Williams et al. (2022) show that naturalistic sounds affect the perception of ambiguous visual objects, underscoring the active role of sound in shaping meaning. Similarly, Buchan, Paré, and Munhall (2020) find that the degradation or distortion of auditory and visual signals impacts their integration, an insight that directly informs how designers can create overwhelming or disorienting sensory experiences. Foundational film theory, such as Chion’s Audio-Vision (1990), conceptualises the “added value” of sound, how audio reinforces, contradicts, or expands the meaning of visuals, providing practical strategies for synchronising the two to heighten narrative and emotional intensity.

Applying these insights to my own creative practice, Buzzed Out uses chaotic, hand-doodled visuals tightly synchronised with high-tempo audio to induce controlled sensory overload while preserving perceptual coherence. Conversely, Bystander experience leverages ambient soundscapes, slow motion, peripheral darkness, and subtle light flickers to evoke awe and a sense of curiosity despite it being simplistic, producing the “small self” effect described in psychological studies of the sublime. Together, I feel that these theories and findings provide a rigorous scientific and aesthetic framework for designing emotionally resonant audiovisual environments that balance tension, immersion, and sensory modulation.

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I continued my progress in iterating and constantly redoodling, reprinting, rescanning and re-editing my frames. I felt that some of the transitions felt a bit too abrupt in a few scenes, so I had to often change how I would go about it; Whether it be ripping the paper, adding more strobing lights in After Effects, or even rearranging the structure of all the frames.

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For Buzzed Out, I’ve been focusing on refining both the visual and audio components to more effectively communicate the state of overwhelm. I’ve composed the base foundation of the audio and am currently working on adding more resounding effects in Reaper to heighten intensity and presence. I reflected back and iterated more on my process which involves experimenting with pitch manipulation, distortion layering, and tempo variation to simulate the bodily sensations associated with affect flooding (Tomkins, 1962) and the arousal effects described by Collins (2007) and Levitin (2006). Their findings, that fast tempos, percussive rhythm, and progressive build-ups can heighten arousal and sensory overload, directly informed my decision to start Buzzed Out with calmer, slower pacing before accelerating into chaotic transitions and high-tempo distortions. This structure mirrors the emotional trajectory of overwhelm, moving from control to collapse.

Visually, I’ve nearly completed all 800 frames, most of which were printed, hand-drawn, and scribbled over using Sharpies and pens. This analog process, drawing, scanning, tearing, and re-editing, translates the tactile immediacy of emotion into the digital realm. It’s been an extremely time-intensive process (around 70 hours so far), but this repetitive, hands-on rhythm also mirrors the physical exhaustion tied to the theme. As Massumi (2002) argues, affect precedes conscious interpretation, so these raw, instinctive gestures help preserve that pre-cognitive intensity. The grunge aesthetic further supports this by visually embodying the duality of chaos and catharsis, what Stafford (2019) identifies as emotional volatility within grunge and alternative rock cultures. Inspired by this, I integrated abstract band footage and chaotic edits, balancing structure and disorder to produce both sensory tension and release.

Alongside Buzzed Out, I’ve also been developing Bystander, my audiovisual piece that explores the sublime through slower pacing and contemplative spatial design. I’m currently modelling the 3D train and cosmic environment in TouchDesigner, experimenting with how lighting and movement can elicit feelings of vastness and awe. The setting—a train gliding silently through a galaxy—is central to creating what Keltner and Haidt (2003) call the “small self” effect, where vast environments diminish self-focus and evoke transcendence. I’ve been especially careful in balancing serenity and dread, ensuring that the experience leans into the “threat-based” sublime (Burke, 1757) rather than simple calmness. Meier and Robinson (2018) note that spatial scale, lighting, and slow temporal dynamics are key to this effect, which has guided my focus on long takes, peripheral illumination, and gradual motion.

The blog process has been invaluable in structuring this development. I’ve been writing initial reflections and research freely in a diary before reorganising them into the weekly blog entries. This method helps me refine ideas iteratively, tracking both conceptual growth and technical milestones. It’s been especially useful in identifying what works and what still needs development, particularly how to ensure the sensation of overwhelm and awe are not just represented but felt by the audience.

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From a technical perspective, both Buzzed Out and Bystander rely on manipulating sound and image relationships to shape emotion and immersion. In Buzzed Out, my workflow in Reaper involves extensive pitch modulation, frequency balancing, and rhythmic layering to achieve sensory overload without losing structure. Drawing on research by Collins (2007) and Levitin (2006), I used progressive tempo increases and dense percussive layering to build physiological arousal. I also implemented equalization (EQ) adjustments to emphasize mid-to-high frequencies during climactic moments, producing sharpness and agitation, before dropping into distorted bass lines that reintroduce tension. These techniques simulate the physiological symptoms of overwhelm—rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, and cognitive strain (Arnsten, 2009).

In Bystander, the soundscape design takes an opposite approach, guided by Anisimova’s (2017) research on how low-frequency tones evoke deeper emotional resonance and spatial immersion. I experimented with drastically lowering pitches to create deep, rumbling undertones and amplifying bass frequencies to evoke vastness and gravity, aligning with Kant’s notion of the sublime as both awe-inspiring and humbling. Subtle environmental textures—distorted crackles, soft reverberations, and intermittent silence—were layered to form an auditory landscape that complements the slow pacing and expansive visuals. Drawing on Chion’s (1990) theories of audio-visual synchrony, I synchronized low-frequency surges with the train’s motion and visual transitions, allowing the sound to extend the perception of space and time. This synchronization helps evoke what Pelowski et al. (2019) describe as an immersive, “awe-driven” response.

The technical side of the mixed media process also continues to evolve. For Buzzed Out, I used high-resolution scanning to preserve the tactile qualities of printed and drawn materials, combining them through After Effects using masking, opacity layering, and motion tracking. This integration of analog irregularities with digital compositing mirrors the psychological oscillation between order and chaos central to the theme of overwhelm. Meanwhile, in Bystander, I’m optimizing the lighting pipeline in TouchDesigner to simulate real-time volumetric glow, controlling hue shifts and peripheral shadowing to sustain immersion without overwhelming the viewer. Together, these audio and visual methods translate the theoretical insights on affect and the sublime into concrete, multisensory experiences, emphasizing how technical precision and emotional intent must intertwine to elicit genuine audience response.

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This week focused on preparing and refining our five-minute milestone presentations, which required a clear articulation of our project progress and critical reflection on both the conceptual and technical aspects of our work. In developing my presentation, I revisited earlier stages of my research to reinforce the foundational ideas behind my chosen emotional states; “overwhelm” and the “sublime.” This process helped me reassess how effectively my creative and technical decisions align with these states, ensuring that each experiment or visual/audio element continues to serve the project’s central intention rather than becoming detached from it.

I provided visual and audio evidence of my progress, including mixed media textures, early sound experiments in Reaper, and compositional sketches for both Buzzed Out and Bystander. Through this, I identified several aspects that have been going well, such as the integration of analog print textures with digital layering techniques and the development of a consistent visual rhythm. However, I also recognized challenges, particularly in maintaining conceptual clarity while experimenting with new technical methods. Balancing visual density with auditory pacing remains a key point of refinement moving forward. By mapping the relationship between my research and creative practice, I was able to demonstrate how theoretical concepts around sensory intensity, audiovisual correspondence, and emotional modulation directly inform my production methods. This mapping also revealed gaps that I plan to address in the coming weeks, such as refining transitions between visual and sonic layers to enhance coherence. I concluded my presentation with an updated project timeline, outlining upcoming milestones including the finalization of audio design, refinement of video compositing, and blog completion.

Reflecting on my blog progress, I wanted to ensure that my weekly entries continue to build upon my conceptual and technical research. Expanding on the theoretical foundations this week allowed me to better contextualize my practice within a broader creative and academic framework, and keeping my project grounded, purposeful, and reflective of my evolving understanding of the “overwhelming” and “sublime” with each creative choice being defined and properly thought about.

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American Psychological Association, 2024, APA Dictionary of Psychology, American Psychological Association, viewed 30 October 2025, https://dictionary.apa.org/.

Anisimova, T., 2017, ‘Audiovisual integration and emotional response: The role of frequency and tone in cross-modal perception’, Journal of Sound Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 45–59.

Arnsten, AFT, 2009, ‘Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function’, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 410–422.

Barrett, LF, 2017, How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston.

Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M., 1990, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York.

Collins, K., 2007, Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Keltner, D & Haidt, J., 2003, ‘Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion’, Cognition and Emotion, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 297–314.

LeDoux, J., 2003, The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life, Phoenix, London.

Levitin, DJ, 2006, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Dutton, New York.

Linden, S., 2015, The Science of Overwhelm: Stress, Media, and Cognitive Fatigue in Modern Society, Routledge, New York.

Massumi, B., 2002, Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation, Duke University Press, Durham.

McEwen, BS & Sapolsky, RM., 1995, ‘Stress and cognitive function’, Current Opinion in Neurobiology, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 205–216.

Meier, BP & Robinson, MD., 2018, ‘The metaphoric representation of emotional states through space and light’, Emotion Review, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 36–47.

Pelowski, M, Markey, PS, Forster, M, Gerger, G & Leder, H., 2019, ‘Move me, astonish me… delight my eyes and brain: The Vienna Integrated Model of top-down and bottom-up processes in Art Experience’, Physics of Life Reviews, vol. 31, pp. 80–125.

Stafford, A., 2019, Distorted Aesthetics: Grunge, Noise, and the Politics of Emotion, Bloomsbury Academic, London.

Tomkins, S., 1962, Affect Imagery Consciousness: Volume I. The Positive Affects, Springer, New York.

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My previous research into the psychology and aesthetics of “overwhelm” provides a critical foundation for understanding how sensory excess can both disturb and fascinate audiences. Revisiting the original definition of my state, ‘overwhelm’, to the American Psychological Association (2024), being overwhelmed refers to a state of mental, emotional, or sensory overload, where the individual’s capacity to process stimuli is exceeded. Physiologically, this manifests through increased heart rate, muscle tension, cortisol and adrenaline spikes, and amygdala hyperactivation, triggering fight-or-flight responses (Arnsten, 2009; LeDoux, 2003; McEwen & Sapolsky, 1995). These reactions demonstrate how overwhelm is rooted in survival mechanisms that once ensured rapid action in dangerous contexts but now often appear as symptoms of anxiety, trauma, or chronic stress (McEwen & Sapolsky, 1995). Linden (2015) extends this to modern overstimulation, describing how media saturation and social pressure sustain states of ongoing cognitive and sensory overload.

Philosophically, the state of being overwhelmed connects closely to the concept of the sublime which was also why I decided to choose these two states for the entire semester. Thinkers like Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant describe the sublime as an encounter with vastness, intensity, or power that exceeds human comprehension, producing simultaneous feelings of awe and fear. This duality aligns directly with the emotional core of my Buzzed Out video, where sensory intensity evokes both repulsion and fascination. The grunge aesthetic was chosen as a medium for expressing this complexity: its raw, imperfect, and emotionally vulnerable visual language mirrors the tension between chaos and catharsis inherent in overwhelm. Grunge’s distressed textures, erratic motion, and nostalgic undertones reflect a breakdown of order, making it an apt vehicle for exploring psychological fragmentation.

Theoretical frameworks from affect studies deepen this connection between emotion, sensory experience, and form. Lisa Feldman Barrett’s (2017) theory of constructed emotion posits that feelings like overwhelm arise from bodily sensations interpreted through cultural and contextual meaning. This supports my use of mixed media, scanned textures, erratic cuts, and analog distortions, as a way of externalizing bodily sensations of stress and disarray. Similarly, Silvan Tomkins’ (1962) concept of “affect flooding” illustrates how rapid, unmodulated sensory input can produce emotional intensity that borders on discomfort. This theory informs my use of strobing light, irregular pacing, and abrupt transitions to create a physically affective experience. Brian Massumi’s (2002) notion of affect as pre-conscious intensity further guides my design philosophy: rather than telling a linear story, I aim to let rhythm, distortion, and tactile sound design drive the work, so that emotion emerges before cognition. Together, these theories link the psychological and philosophical understandings of overwhelm to practical creative strategies, establishing a foundation for translating affective states into audiovisual and material form.

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I explored more on Reaper MiDi's features, also playing around a bit more on the synthesizers in order to help boost the effect of my sound design in both works.

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I continued with my Buzzed Out frames as well, rearranging some of the frames into coherent transitions and also adding syncing flashing boxes whenever there is a drum beat, relating to my research in previous works, according to synchronisation.

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I also continued rendering and lighting the Blender scene of my train, adjusting the global volume of the camera and ambient occlusion to create more depth in the shadows so it looks more realistic and eeringly dark.

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This week, I centered on refining the audio components of Buzzed Out and experimenting with spatial and dynamic soundscapes for Bystander. My main focus was integrating theoretical insights on tempo, rhythm, and dynamic control into my compositional workflow to more effectively evoke the emotional states of overwhelm and the sublime.

For Buzzed Out, I continued layering the base tracks while experimenting with clip gain, track volume, and compression techniques as highlighted in our lectures. Applying clip gain before effects allowed me to roughly match the levels of each element, preparing the audio for processing while preserving the raw dynamic differences between layers. Volume automation across tracks then enabled me to create a sense of tension and release, which is crucial for simulating the experience of sensory overload. I also implemented progressive tempo and rhythmic variations to mirror the transition from controlled calm to chaotic intensity, guided by Collins’ (2007) and Levitin’s (2006) findings on arousal through rhythmic patterns.

I experimented with compression and limiting in Reaper to shape both the emotional impact and perceptual clarity of the mix. Using gentle compression on percussive layers increased punch and cohesion, while limiting ensured that sudden high-energy bursts did not cause distortion or listener fatigue. These techniques were applied with the goal of creating an affectively intense experience, reflecting Tomkins’ (1962) notion of affect flooding: rapid, unpredictable auditory events trigger heightened emotional arousal, aligning with the visual chaos of the mixed media frames. Automating subtle EQ adjustments throughout the track also allowed me to emphasise high-frequency tension and low-frequency rumble selectively, shaping the listener’s attention and emotional response in line with psychoacoustic research (Anisimova, 2017; Rumsey, 2012).

For Bystander, my focus shifted to slower, spatially immersive audio, exploring how low-frequency rumble, reverberation, and environmental textures could evoke awe and the “small self” effect described by Keltner & Haidt (2003). I applied convolution reverb to mimic the acoustic signature of a train interior while layering low-frequency rumble and sparse high-frequency environmental cues to create a sense of vastness. Careful automation of volume, reverb wet/dry levels, and subtle frequency sweeps was used to maintain listener engagement without overwhelming the auditory system. Chion’s (1990) framework of audio-visual synchrony guided my alignment of sound events with camera movement and visual transitions, ensuring that the audio reinforced spatial perception and emotional immersion.
An important insight from this week was the relationship between technical precision and emotional effect. Adjusting attack and release times on compressors influenced how percussive sounds “hit” the listener, altering perceived intensity and emotional tension. I also learned to manage overlapping frequency ranges with EQ to maintain clarity in complex mixes, especially when combining dense percussive elements with low-frequency ambience. These technical adjustments are critical to my goal of creating an emotionally resonant experience where the audience can physically feel overwhelm or mentally experience the sublime, rather than just witnessing it.

Finally, reflecting on the lecture notes regarding mixing for narrative and physical space, I began testing how sounds would interact with the imagined spatial characteristics of each scene. In Bystander, re-amping sounds through simulated train interiors and using IR convolution helped reinforce the impression of scale and environment, enhancing the sublime effect. In Buzzed Out, dynamic automation and rhythmic layering across the narrative progression, aimed to highten tension and anxiety. Overall, these experiments highlighted how technical decisions, such as clip gain, compression, EQ, automation, and spatialization, directly translate theoretical research into perceptual and emotional outcomes, reinforcing the central states of my work; overwhelm and sublime.

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This week’s technical research focused on advanced audio mixing techniques, spatialization, and dynamic control, informed by both lecture content and contemporary audio research, and applied directly to Buzzed Out and Bystander. The aim was to deepen my understanding of how technical processes shape emotional response, perceptual immersion, and the experiential qualities of overwhelm and the sublime.

Following the lecture notes on static mixing, I first compiled all audio elements into a static mix for each project, ensuring proper gain staging, EQ correction, and relative volume balance. This step allowed me to identify frequency conflicts, amplitude imbalances, and layering inconsistencies before introducing automation and dynamic processing. A static mix also helped me maintain perceptual clarity when combining dense sonic textures in Buzzed Out, aligning with Rumsey’s (2012) discussion of perceptual audio hierarchy, which emphasises the importance of prioritising clarity in complex auditory scenes.

I explored the distinctions between clip gain and track fader volume in Reaper. Clip gain adjustments were applied before effects to normalise levels across raw recordings, ensuring consistent input for compression and EQ. Track volume faders were then used to automate dynamic shifts, simulating emotional crescendos and decrescendos. Research by Levitin (2006) and Collins (2007) supports this approach, showing that gradual changes in amplitude and rhythmic density can modulate physiological arousal and emotional intensity. Automation curves were particularly effective in Buzzed Out for synchronising chaotic visual transitions with sonic impact, while in Bystander, they were applied subtly to maintain immersive calmness while preserving attention to low-frequency textures.

Compression was implemented to manage dynamic range, add sustain, and enhance perceptual cohesion among multiple layers. I experimented with threshold, ratio, attack, and release parameters to control transient energy without flattening the perceived intensity of high-tempo or high-frequency elements. Fast attack times allowed percussive hits in Buzzed Out to retain sharpness, while slower attack and release in Bystander preserved natural decay and resonance, supporting the perception of space (Blesser & Salter, 2007). Limiting was used as a final safeguard to prevent digital clipping, maintaining a controlled maximum amplitude across all output channels and ensuring compatibility with streaming and playback systems (Rumsey, 2012).

Equalisation played a critical role in separating overlapping elements and enhancing listener focus. Mid-to-high frequencies were boosted selectively in Buzzed Out to accentuate chaotic percussion and staccato effects, while low frequencies were emphasised in Bystander to evoke the architectural “small self” effect described by Keltner & Haidt (2003). I also used sidechain compression in some instances to prevent masking of key elements like dialogue or foreground sound effects, ensuring perceptual clarity in both projects.

Overall, this week’s technical research demonstrated that mixing, compression, EQ, automation, and spatialization are not merely technical choices but critical tools for shaping affective experience. By experimenting with these methods in Reaper and TouchDesigner, I was able to translate theoretical understanding of overwhelm and the sublime into concrete sonic strategies that directly influence audience perception and emotional engagement.

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This week focused on audio mixing principles and their direct influence on the emotional and cognitive impact of audiovisual media. Through lectures, I explored the distinctions between static mixing, dynamic mixing, clip gain, track volume, compression, and limiting, and how these technical choices shape the audience’s sensory experience. Static mixing involves setting all audio elements, dialogue, foley, sound effects, music, and ambient textures, to a baseline level, with gain staged and EQ applied, while clip gain adjusts raw audio before effects are applied. Dynamic mixing, by contrast, uses automation to modulate volume, panning, and effects in real-time, shaping tension, release, and narrative flow.

Reflecting on Buzzed Out, this framework clarifies why earlier versions of the audio felt unbalanced. For instance, chaotic high-intensity sections initially overwhelmed without structure. Applying clip gain ensures baseline equality across elements, so automation and volume faders can now emphasize peaks and sudden transitions, enhancing the intended state of cognitive and emotional overload. Similarly, learning to differentiate the application of compression versus limiting allows me to manipulate subtle dynamics for nuanced tension, while preventing clipping during climactic moments, a technical refinement that directly translates the physiological effects of overwhelm into the audience’s perceptual experience (Arnsten, 2009; Levitin, 2006).

Rhythm and temporal alignment emerged as central to controlling affect. Lecture notes emphasized precise synchronization between audio and visuals, with sound effects timed to motion cues or scene transitions to maintain narrative coherence. In Buzzed Out, I applied this by matching stuttered, erratic audio bursts to rapid frame changes, reinforcing the sensation of sensory flooding. For Bystander, rhythm informs pacing differently: slow, contemplative sequences and long fades evoke awe and the small-self effect (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). These contrasting approaches highlight the importance of technical decisions as vehicles for emotional modulation. The week reinforced that conceptual clarity and technical precision are inseparable in producing experiences of overwhelm and the sublime.

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Anisimova, T., 2017. The Emotional Power of Low-Frequency Sounds in Audiovisual Media. Journal of Sound Studies, 12(3), pp.45–58.

Arnsten, A.F.T., 2009. Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), pp.410–422.

Blesser, B. & Salter, L., 2007. Spaces Speak, Are You Listening? Experiencing Aural Architecture. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Chion, M., 1990. Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. Columbia University Press, New York.

Collins, D., 2007. Music and Emotion: The Role of Tempo and Rhythm in Emotional Arousal. Psychology of Music, 35(3), pp.304–320.

Huber, D.M. & Runstein, R.E., 2017. Modern Recording Techniques. 9th ed. Routledge, New York.

Keltner, D. & Haidt, J., 2003. Approaching Awe, a Moral, Spiritual, and Aesthetic Emotion. Cognition & Emotion, 17(2), pp.297–314.

Levitin, D.J., 2006. This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession. Dutton, New York.

Massumi, B., 2002. Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation. Duke University Press, Durham, NC.

Owsinski, B., 2017. The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook. 4th ed. Hal Leonard, Milwaukee.

Pelowski, M., Forster, M., Tinio, P.P.L. & Scholl, M., 2019. The Psychology of the Sublime in Art: Awe, Small-Self, and Emotional Engagement. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 13(3), pp.356–372.

Rumsey, F., 2012. Spatial Audio. Focal Press, Oxford.

Tomkins, S.S., 1962. Affect, Imagery, Consciousness: Volume I – The Positive Affects. Springer, New York.

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This week, my academic research concentrated more on understanding how audio mixing, spatialization, and dynamic control can shape emotional response, arousal, and sensory perception in audiovisual media. Research into psychoacoustics and music cognition provides the theoretical basis for decisions in Buzzed Out and Bystander, particularly regarding the management of tension, rhythm, and perceptual load.

Collins (2007) and Levitin (2006) demonstrate that tempo, rhythm, and dynamic range directly affect physiological arousal and cognitive engagement. Rapid tempo increases and dense rhythmic patterns stimulate heightened attention and can mimic the bodily experience of stress or excitement. Conversely, slow, sustained tones and gradual dynamic shifts can evoke calmness, awe, or contemplative states (Anisimova, 2017; Keltner & Haidt, 2003). These insights guided my structuring of Buzzed Out, starting with slower, subdued audio layers before escalating into chaotic, high-tempo sections to induce a sense of overload, while Bystander utilizes slower pacing, low-frequency soundscapes, and spatialized reverbs to elicit the “small-self” sublime effect.

Compression and limiting not only control loudness but also shape perception of intensity and tension (Owsinski, 2017). Threshold, ratio, attack, and release parameters can alter the attack and decay of sound, affecting how the brain registers tension or release. Gentle compression can “glue” multiple audio layers together, creating cohesion and maintaining listener attention, while limiting ensures peaks do not exceed safe levels and preserves clarity (Huber & Runstein, 2017). This research informed my decisions in Buzzed Out when layering chaotic, percussive textures; careful compression allows bursts to feel impactful without losing intelligibility, while limiting ensures the dynamic range does not fatigue the listener unnecessarily.

Chion (1990) emphasizes that audio cues aligned with visual motion amplify both immersion and emotional response. Synchronizing sudden distortions or stuttered beats with rapid frame transitions in Buzzed Out heightens the pre-conscious perception of overload. In Bystander, low-frequency rumbles and gradual reverb modulations are carefully timed with camera movement and environmental shifts to expand perceived space and induce awe, aligning with Pelowski et al.’s (2019) findings that immersive soundscapes significantly enhance aesthetic and affective responses.

Anisimova (2017) highlights the emotional influence of low-frequency sounds, which can evoke feelings of gravity, dread, or awe. This underpins my use of rumbling sub-bass tones in Bystander, contrasting with the high-frequency stutters and distortions in Buzzed Out that simulate cognitive stress. Furthermore, frequency masking, EQ separation, and dynamic panning are essential tools for controlling perceptual focus and preventing audio overload while maintaining emotional impact (Rumsey, 2012).

The convergence of these theories directly informs creative decisions: the selection of EQ bands for clarity, automation curves for dynamic tension, and tempo manipulation for physiological arousal. This research also justifies why subtle differences in compression, panning, or reverb can shift an audience from curiosity to tension or from awe to discomfort, highlighting the central role of audio in expressing both overwhelm and the sublime.

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I felt that my 'Buzzed Out''s audio was still too lacking, and Mark said that I should try pushing the limits. So I revisited my Buzzed Out audio file and recorded a few extra layers to incorporate them into the song. I also rerecorded some of the guitar distorts from before and boosted both their volume and treble, before layering them right underneath the main mix (the original sound) to give it that sort of dissonant echo that's described in overwhelming scenarios.

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I finished rendering my sublime train scene as well on Blender, tweaking the lightings before exporting it as a video for 160 frames, and imported that video into Adobe After Effects for further digital editing. I had spent the whole week creating the textures in order to create that glossy, finished look, as well as a bit of TouchDesigner in order to create a reflective galaxy that seems real and vast. It was more convenient than creating an entire galaxy from scratch, especially since what the viewer is seeing will only need to simply be a plane of a video, rather than the entire 3D scene.

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This week, I explored even more creative works to look for inspiration, and to help me understand how theory translates into practice and inspired the soundscapes for Buzzed Out and Bystander. For instance, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (Lynch, 2001) demonstrates how low-frequency drones and exaggerated diegetic sounds can create tension and unease. This exemplifies Chion’s concepts of synchresis and the audiovisual contract (Chion, 1994), where sound and image combine to guide the audience’s perception. In applying this to Buzzed Out, I used dense, overlapping layers of sound to overwhelm the player, mirroring the chaotic, overstimulating nature of online culture and social pressure.

Hans Zimmer’s score for Dunkirk (Zimmer, 2017) shows how rising pitch and accelerating tempo can heighten suspense. Inspired by this, I manipulated tempo and intensity in Buzzed Out’s audio sequences to produce a sense of urgency and panic, reinforcing the player’s feelings of being trapped and overstimulated. By layering rhythmic tension with environmental sound, I aimed to evoke a sensory overload that aligns with the theme of overwhelm.

Conversely, the atmospheric sound design in Blade Runner 2049 (Villeneuve, 2017) uses extended reverb and low-frequency drones to convey spatial expansiveness and emotional depth. This approach influenced Bystander, where I wanted to evoke the sublime—moments of awe and quiet reflection that contrast with the intensity of Buzzed Out. Through slow, resonant soundscapes, subtle environmental textures, and sparse sonic events, I wanted to create a contemplative space that encourages players to step back and reflect, emphasising observation over action.

Interactive media also informed my practice. Collins (2013) highlights how adaptive audio that reacts to player actions or environmental changes enhances immersion and perceived agency. In both Buzzed Out and Bystander, I implemented dynamic audio cues and played with different kinds of layers, reinforcing the emotional states I aim to evoke: the disorienting overwhelm of Buzzed Out and the quiet, awe-filled yet uncanny sublime of Bystander. These examples demonstrate how audiovisual techniques, when applied thoughtfully, can shape affective experiences, influence narrative perception, and evoke psychological responses that align with my creative intentions.

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Working technically with software and tools has been essential to bringing the audio-visual visions of Buzzed Out and Bystander to life. In particular, Blender played a central role in developing environmental scenes that communicate the emotional states I wanted players to experience. Previously, I tended to stick to darker, muted palettes where lighting could hide imperfections, but for the train scene in Buzzed Out, I deliberately chose a brighter, almost garish palette to reflect the overstimulating, overwhelming feeling of urban life. This forced me to step out of my comfort zone and focus more carefully on modeling and rendering shadows, as brighter environments demand more attention to subtle lighting cues to maintain depth and realism.

This experimentation improved my understanding of light behavior in 3D environments. I learned how to use area lights, emission shaders, and subtle ambient occlusion to create layered, realistic shadows that add texture and spatial awareness without detracting from the chaotic visual intensity I wanted in Buzzed Out. Conversely, in Bystander, I applied these techniques more sparingly, using softer, elongated shadows and gentle ambient lighting to cultivate a sense of calm and the sublime. The contrast between dense, shadow-heavy scenes in Buzzed Out and open, airy lighting in Bystander reinforces the psychological states I aim to evoke: the suffocating overwhelm versus contemplative awe.

Beyond Blender, technical research into sound design and interactive systems has also shaped my practice. By integrating adaptive audio that reacts to player choices, I could merge technical functionality with emotional storytelling, ensuring that every visual or auditory cue supports the intended player experience. Through trial, error, and deliberate experimentation, I’ve developed a more nuanced grasp of how technical skills underpin creative decisions, making my work both immersive and emotionally resonant.

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This week, I focused on understanding how sound and image interact to produce distinct emotional states in audiences. A key insight from the lecture this week was that sound is not just an accompaniment but a direct vehicle for emotion, capable of shaping perception, attention, and physiological response. Learning about synchresis, where sound and image fuse perceptually even without logical causality (Chion, 1994), helped me see how certain combinations can feel “right” and emotionally charged.

In my creative projects, this theoretical grounding allowed me to intentionally manipulate audiovisual elements to evoke specific audience states. For example:

Buzzed Out (Overwhelm): I designed this piece to evoke a sense of overload and sensory saturation. Fast cuts, layered environmental sounds, and abrupt pitch shifts create auditory tension, while visuals move quickly and disorientingly. This mirrors Chion’s notion that redundant or complementary sound enhances perceptual impact. The combination of low-frequency drones with sporadic high-frequency sounds exaggerates the feeling of chaos, aligning with research on physiological arousal from tempo and pitch (Levitin, 2006). The result is a heightened sense of overwhelm, where viewers are drawn into the anxiety and overstimulation of the scene.

Bystander (Sublime): In contrast, this piece aims to evoke awe and contemplation. Slow pans, extended reverbs, and spacious ambient sounds allow viewers to experience emotional and perceptual expansion. The use of minimalistic diegetic sounds, subtle buzzing and flickering effects, and careful attention to spatialization while creating the 3D model of the subway train supports Chion’s audiovisual contract—audiences perceive the audio as part of the environment, creating immersion. Here, the sublime emerges from a combination of scale, atmosphere, and subtle sound cues, encouraging reflection rather than urgency. Research on the sublime (Burke, 1757; Kant, 1790/1987) emphasises the tension between sensory stimulation and reflective distance, which my design choices intentionally exploit.

Through creating these pieces, I also reflected on the different temporalities of emotion: overwhelm demands immediate, visceral engagement, while the sublime requires space for cognitive and affective processing. This has helped me understand how the same audiovisual techniques—pitch, tempo, spatialization—can be tuned to achieve contrasting emotional effects.

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Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, 2nd edn, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M., 1990, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, Columbia University Press, New York.

Chion, M., 1994, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, trans. C Gorbman, Columbia University Press, New York.

Chion, M., 2019, Sound: An Acoulogical Treatise, Duke University Press, Durham.

Collins, K., 2013, Playing with Sound: A Theory of Interacting with Sound and Music in Video Games, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Evans, K. & Treisman, A., 2010, ‘Natural cross-modal mappings between visual and auditory features’, Journal of Vision, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 1–12.

Hailstone, JC, Omar, R, Henley, SMD, Frost, C, Kenney, J, Warren, JD., 2009, ‘It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it: Timbre affects perception of emotion in music’, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 62, no. 11, pp. 2141–2155.

Huron, D., 2006, Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Kant, I., 1987 [1790], Critique of Judgment, trans. W Pluhar, Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis.

Levitin, DJ., 2006, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Dutton, New York.

Lynch, D., (dir.) 2001, Mulholland Drive, film, Universal Pictures, USA.

Phillips-Silver, J & Trainor, LJ., 2005, ‘Feeling the beat: Movement influences infant rhythm perception’, Science, vol. 308, no. 5727, pp. 1430–1433.

Truax, B., 2001, Acoustic Communication, 2nd edn, Ablex Publishing, Westport, CT.

Villeneuve, D., (dir.) 2017, Blade Runner 2049, film, Warner Bros. Pictures, USA.

Zimmer, H., (composer) 2017, Dunkirk [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack], WaterTower Music, Los Angeles.

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This week, I focused on exploring spatial audio techniques to enhance immersion, particularly for Bystander. Impulse Response (IR) convolution reverbs were applied to simulate the acoustic signature of a train interior and surrounding cosmic space, creating a convincing sense of environment. Re-amping techniques were also tested to recapture the interaction of sound with imagined physical spaces. Truax’s (2001) work on acoustic horizons supports the idea that low-frequency reverberation and spatialization contribute to a perception of vastness, helping reinforce the sublime effect.

Based on Chion (1990), I synchronised audio events with visual transitions, carefully placing percussive hits, pitch shifts, and reverberated sounds to align with frame-level changes. This ensured perceptual audio-visual coherence, enhancing immersion and emotional response. I also experimented with rhythmic pacing and cross-fades to guide the audience’s focus, using subtle timing variations to prevent predictability and sustain tension.

Key principles from this week and the previous lecture guided practical decisions: dynamic range was left unconstrained in action sequences to allow intense FX, and EQ carving was used to prevent masking of critical sonic elements. Additionally, I considered intended playback environments, adjusting reverb length, stereo width, and low-frequency presence to maintain intended emotional impact across headphones and speakers.

Synchresis and Audiovisual Contracts (Chion, 1994; 2019): Both Buzzed Out and Bystander rely on perceptual fusion of sound and image. In Buzzed Out, dissonant layers and abrupt sonic changes emphasise overwhelm, while in Bystander, harmonious textures enhance the sense of spatial and emotional coherence, reinforcing the sublime.

Emotion, Rhythm, and Physiological Response: Fast, fragmented rhythms in Buzzed Out produce tension and anxiety (Phillips-Silver & Trainor, 2005), while slow, expansive rhythms in Bystander promote reflection and awe (Huron, 2006).

Timbre and Pitch: High-pitched, sharp timbres in Buzzed Out contribute to sensory overload; warm, sustained low frequencies in Bystander encourage relaxation and perceptual openness (Hailstone et al., 2009).

Spatial Audio: In Bystander, reverb and subtle off-screen cues like flickering lights create depth and sublimity, while in Buzzed Out, crowded sound layers simulate a congested auditory environment, heightening the feeling of chaos (Chion, 1994).

Cross-Modal Correspondence: Visual intensity and movement are paired with corresponding auditory cues to reinforce the target emotion. Bright flashes and rapid edits in Buzzed Out match staccato hits, while slow camera movement in Bystander aligns with soft environmental sounds, enhancing immersion (Evans & Treisman, 2010).

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I continued colour correcting my Bystander video, adjusting values such as the video's Lumetri Colour in order to create that retro VHS-tape aesthetic, and ramping up its sharpness to emulate the same old-style digital camera feel.

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For the flickering of lights, I added in keyframes every few beats that would ramp up the bloom very quickly before returning back to normal. I layered keyframes over one another all throughout, and added a displacement map to create a dizzying and ethereal aesthetic to the video in Adobe After Effects.

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Through Reaper, I also adjusted the playback of the flickering audio to match the beats of the lights, preserving pitch so it wouldn't sound inconsistent and unrealistic. I wanted the audiovisual to sync, an important feature I've learnt from all my previous research this semester.

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In developing Bystander, I drew inspiration from filmmakers and artists who use sound and pacing to evoke the sublime through minimalism and restraint. David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), for example, employs extended silences and unsettling drones to create moments that are both eerie and meditative. This helped me recognise that tension can arise not from what is present, but from what is withheld. Similarly, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (1979) and Solaris (1972) use prolonged shots and low-frequency sounds to create temporal immersion, a sense of “slow awe.” These references shaped my decision to let Bystander unfold at a glacial pace, encouraging reflection and sensory awareness.

The work of Brian Eno also proved influential, particularly his notion of ambient music as “able to accommodate many levels of listening attention” (Eno, 1978). This perspective guided my approach to layering ambient pads and sustained bass tones in Bystander; rather than demanding focus, the soundscape invites drifting attention, allowing viewers to feel both grounded and lost. The deliberate monotony becomes meditative yet slightly disquieting, an emotional liminality that reflects the sublime’s balance of attraction and fear.

Drawing from Walter Murch’s ideas on duration and perception, I constructed the video as a one-minute loop. Instead of closure, the repetition itself becomes immersive, echoing the endlessness of a train journey through infinite space. When testing the video, my friends commented on how the repetition felt like it wouldn’t end, a feeling of being “stuck between time and movement.” This was the initial intention of the video: the sublime wasn’t just in what they saw, but in how they felt time expanding. Thus, through both theoretical and creative references, Bystander all in all, aimed for minimal motion and restrained sound into an experience of boundless emotional depth.

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From a technical standpoint, I deepened my exploration of Blender and Reaper to more effectively simulate the physical and emotional qualities of the sublime. In Blender, I modelled the subway train with meticulous attention to light and shadow. The clear windows allowed the galaxy and forest to dominate the composition, emphasizing vastness. However, this transparency also made lighting more challenging; brighter surfaces exposed imperfections that darker palettes could conceal. To address this, I experimented with multiple light sources and subtle shadow gradients, using area lights and emission shaders to create realistic reflections and depth. This precision was crucial to maintaining believability while preserving the surreal atmosphere.

In Reaper, I recorded the train hum and bass layers myself using an electric bass guitar, then manipulated their timbres through reverb and extreme pitch shifting. By lowering certain frequencies to deep, resonant lows, I created a sense of spatial depth that made the sound feel enveloping, as if the viewer were sitting inside the train car. To simulate environmental realism, I used convolution reverb based on Impulse Response data from metallic enclosures, giving the sound an authentic reflective texture. These sonic techniques directly relate to Truax’s (2001) idea of “acoustic horizon,” where low frequencies and reverberation expand the listener’s sense of space and depth, reinforcing the sublime.

This week’s technical experimentation ultimately deepened my understanding of how sound and image can merge to express philosophical ideas, that the sublime lies not in excess, but in the delicate balance between presence and absence.

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This week, I focused my research, experimentation and thoughts more on how subtle disruptions within repetition can heighten emotional intensity, especially when exploring the sublime. Our class discussion, stemming back from earlier weeks, emphasized that affect doesn’t only emerge from grand gestures or loud sounds, but often from the delicate interplay between familiarity and uncertainty. I found this especially relevant when reviewing Bystander, where the continuous hum of the train and looping sequence create a meditative rhythm, only to be unsettled by faint distortions and visual flickers. These contrasts embody the tension central to Edmund Burke’s idea of the sublime as “astonishment… with some degree of horror” (Burke, 1757). Rather than striving for visual or sonic spectacle, I began to see how restraint, stillness, and ambiguity can evoke awe and unease simultaneously.

Through peer feedback, I also realised that the sense of vastness and isolation in Bystander was more effective when paired with a nostalgic, eerie VHS aesthetic that I chose to evoke that strange sense of familiarity.. When showing the video to classmates and friends, several noted that they felt both calm and uncomfortable. This confirmed that the work could capture what Burke describes as the sublime’s ability to “suspend all motions of the soul.” Their responses also helped me refine my understanding of audience temporality: whereas Buzzed Out assaulted the senses to evoke overwhelm, Bystander relies on slowness and scale to achieve an almost cosmic stillness. This week taught me that both emotional extremes, chaos and serenity, stem from careful audiovisual control, and that even quiet spaces can carry profound affective weight, keeping me grounded throughout the final stages of producing these works and shaping the direction I want them to go.

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Blade Runner 2049, 2017, Film, Warner Bros. Pictures, Los Angeles.

Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Chion, M., 1994, Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen, trans. C Gorbman, Columbia University Press, New York.

Collins, K., 2013, Playing with Sound: A Theory of Interacting with Sound and Music in Video Games, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Dunkirk, 2017, Film, directed by Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures, Los Angeles.

Eno, B., 1978, Ambient 1: Music for Airports [Album], Obscure Records, London.

Freud, S., 1919, ‘The Uncanny’, Imago, vol. 5, pp. 297–324.

Kant, I., 1790/1987, Critique of Judgment, trans. W S Pluhar, Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis.

Levitin, DJ, 2006, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Dutton, New York.

Lynch, D., 2017, Twin Peaks: The Return [Television series], Showtime, Los Angeles.

Lyotard, J-F., 1991, The Inhuman: Reflections on Time, trans. G Bennington & R Bowlby, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Murch, W., 2001, In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, 2nd edn, Silman-James Press, Los Angeles.

Tarkovsky, A., 1972, Solaris [Film], Mosfilm, Moscow.

Tarkovsky, A., 1979, Stalker [Film], Mosfilm, Moscow.

Truax, B., 2001, Acoustic Communication, 2nd edn, Ablex Publishing, Westport, CT.

Zimmer, H., 2017, Dunkirk (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Album], WaterTower Music, Los Angeles.

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In exploring the theoretical foundation of the sublime, I revisited Edmund Burke’s A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757). Burke associates the sublime with feelings of astonishment and a pleasurable kind of terror produced by vastness, obscurity, and power. In Bystander, the train’s transparent windows frame an infinite galaxy, a vast, unknowable expanse that dwarfs the viewer’s sense of self. The interplay between the familiar (the interior space) and the infinite (the galaxy and forest) directly mirrors Burke’s emphasis on scale and contrast. Darkness, too, plays a role: the dimly lit forest and starry void heighten uncertainty, creating the quiet tension Burke identifies as essential to the sublime.

Kant’s (1790/1987) distinction between the mathematical and dynamical sublime also deepened my reading of Bystander. The former refers to the overwhelming scale of phenomena beyond human comprehension, while the latter concerns forces that provoke awe without posing direct threat. The galaxy’s unending vastness aligns with the mathematical sublime, a visual metaphor for boundlessness, whereas the quiet, contained train interior evokes the dynamical sublime, where safety allows contemplation of danger. Together, these dualities sustain a balance between awe and comfort, making the experience contemplative rather than distressing.

The VHS aesthetic I employed also connects to Jean-François Lyotard’s (1991) notion of the postmodern sublime: the “presentation of the unpresentable.” Its visual grain and analogue decay suggest perceptual limits, a reminder that not everything can be seen or understood. This imperfection becomes part of the aesthetic experience, echoing Freud’s (1919) concept of the uncanny, where the familiar becomes subtly unfamiliar. By situating the viewer as both observer and participant, as though watching surveillance footage, the work produces what Burke might call “safe terror,” where distance allows engagement with the incomprehensible. The fusion of nostalgia, distortion, and uncertainty embodies the sublime’s enduring emotional paradox.

Levitin’s (2006) research on how the brain processes music further contextualises the auditory design of Bystander. He explains that humans derive emotional responses from pattern recognition and expectation: steady rhythms soothe, while unpredictable deviations generate tension. The repetitive train hum and slow harmonic pads establish predictability, creating calmness and spatial awareness, but occasional buzzing, flickering, and harmonic detuning disrupt this comfort, evoking astonishment and awe. This aligns with Walter Murch’s (2001) observation that long takes heighten emotional attention; extended temporal duration becomes a form of suspense. The loop in Bystander transforms time itself into a psychological trigger for the sublime, a sustained awareness of vastness, silence, and isolation.

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I reproduced the same progress and settings as my Bystander videos into my Buzzed Out video, also colour correcting the first scene by making it mostly greyscale and monochrome, before flashing immediately into bright colourful pops of colour at the beat drop. I wanted to emphasize the burst of overwhelm even more than I had before, and tried to make the contrast more drastic than before. I still added in Wave Warp and Lumetri Colour in order to make it seem more like it was filmed using a vintage camera.

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I also did some final adjustments to the audio of Buzzed Out through Reaper, compiling them all into one master mix and simply readjusting the volume levels throughout the entire audio, and increasing its reverb as well as adding some fade-ins and outs at both the beginning and the end.

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I continued to study how other artists visualise emotional extremes through audiovisual relationships. Experimental animators like Norman McLaren and Takashi Ito use rhythm and repetition to collapse distinctions between sound and image, something I emulated in Buzzed Out. The “buzz” becomes both sonic and visual: flashing white, yellow, and red lights sync with distorted guitar pulses, blurring perception. These colour choices were intentional. White light represents sensory overload, a blank saturation point. Red conveys urgency and heat, while yellow vibrates between stimulation and discomfort. Together, they induce a flashing rhythm that commands physiological attention, echoing the brain’s reaction to overstimulation.

For Bystander, I looked to Wong Kar-wai’s 2046 (2004) and back again at Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner 2049 (2017), both of which pair melancholy lighting with spatial infinity. The orange train interior borrowed from 2046’s palette of nostalgic longing, while the surrounding darkness and galaxy drew on Blade Runner’s futuristic sublimity. I also referenced Brian Eno’s concept of ambient music as “peripheral yet enveloping” (Eno, 1978). This guided the balance between audio layers, the steady train hum invites stillness, while faint distortions remind the listener of unease.

When I shared both works with friends for the final time, their feedback reinforced that the emotional contrast worked. Buzzed Out felt explosive and tactile, while Bystander felt expansive and full of questions. Their differing rhythms, colours, and soundscapes worked as emotional counterparts, chaos versus serenity, completing my exploration of the overwhelming and the sublime throughout the semester.

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Week 13 involved polishing both projects’ visual and sonic clarity. In Buzzed Out, I focused on synchronising guitar distortion to strobing visuals in Reaper and After Effects. The flashing lights were key: timed precisely with beat divisions, they intensified immersion while teetering on the edge of sensory discomfort. I refined my use of fisheye lens distortion to exaggerate motion and spatial compression, creating an almost hallucinatory visual field. These effects mirror the perceptual disorientation of cognitive overload, supporting Huron’s (2006) theories of expectation violation.

In Bystander, I worked within Blender to adjust colour contrast and reflections, refining the train lighting so the bright orange seats glowed softly without flattening shadows. Brighter lighting required more nuanced shadow work; I used area lights and low-strength emission materials to preserve dimensionality. The reflective windows became an emotional interface, a threshold between the contained interior and the infinite exterior. In sound editing, I slightly reduced the low-end hum to avoid muddiness, enhancing the clarity of reverberations to emphasise spatial depth. These refinements made the video’s atmosphere more believable and meditative.

Stepping out of my comfort zone, experimenting with colour, light, and subtle distortion, taught me how technical precision can serve emotional complexity. Buzzed Out’s chaos emerged from structured timing, while Bystander’s serenity relied on micro-adjustments to tone and rhythm. This week closed my creative process with a sense of resolution: both pieces now hopefully expressing how the sublime and the overwhelming can be evoked through simply the designer’s choice of sound, light, and perception.

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This week marked the final stages of development before the presentation. Without class meetings, I focused on the final stages of refining both Buzzed Out and Bystander; revisiting sound design, colour palettes, and visual timing to ensure each piece fully embodied its respective emotional state. Buzzed Out demanded chaos and immediacy to evoke “overwhelm”: the feeling of one’s mind being flooded by sensation. Bystander, by contrast, pursued stillness and introspection, evoking awe and vastness through restraint, “sublime”. Reviewing both side by side allowed me to understand their shared foundation. Both depend on tension, whether between noise and silence, movement and stillness, or light and shadow.

Peer feedback from previous weeks continued to guide me here. Friends commented on how Buzzed Out felt “energetically claustrophobic,” which confirmed its success in evoking overwhelm. Meanwhile, Bystander’s luminous galaxy, eerie forest, VHS aesthetic, and hum of the train evoked calm unease, a subtler form of tension. These insights encouraged me to fine-tune Buzzed Out’s rhythm and brightness while ensuring Bystander maintained its delicate tonal balance. Both projects ultimately became two sides of the same investigation: how sound, image, and time intertwine to affect the viewer’s body and perception.

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Burke, E., 1757, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, R. and J. Dodsley, London.

Eno, B., 1978, Ambient 1: Music for Airports [album], EG Records, London.

Goethe, JW, 1810, Theory of Colours, translated by C.L. Eastlake, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Huron, D., 2006, Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Levitin, DJ, 2006, This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Dutton, New York.

Murch, W,. 2001, In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, 2nd edn, Silman-James Press, Los Angeles.

Wong, K., 2004, 2046 [film], Jet Tone Production, Hong Kong.

Scott, R., 2017, Blade Runner 2049 [film], Warner Bros Pictures, Los Angeles.

Tarkovsky, A., 1979, Stalker [film], Mosfilm, Moscow.

Lynch, D., 2017, Twin Peaks: The Return [TV series], Showtime, Los Angeles.

McLaren, N., various dates, Selected Animated Works, National Film Board of Canada, Ottawa.

Ito, T., 1981, Spacy [film], Image Forum, Tokyo.

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In finalising my sound design and colour choices, I revisited David Huron’s Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation (2006), which explains how the brain forms emotional responses through prediction and violation. In Buzzed Out, the layering of distorted riffs, overdriven basslines, and rhythmic flickers directly engages this neurological process. By aligning and then abruptly breaking the audiovisual rhythm, I aimed to trigger what Huron calls “tension-release cycles”, moments when expectation is disrupted, producing visceral arousal and unease. This mirrors the state of overwhelm itself: a sensory overload where distinction collapses into intensity.

Neuroscientific research also supports how distortion affects the limbic system, activating primal emotional responses tied to fear and excitement (Levitin, 2006). The fuzzed textures and fractured rhythm simulate cognitive saturation, where the brain struggles to parse competing stimuli. This aligns with Walter Murch’s (2001) argument that duration and disruption shape emotional attention; by manipulating timing and sync points, I made viewers hyperaware of rhythm’s collapse.

For Bystander, I integrated colour theory into my interpretation of the sublime. According to Goethe’s Theory of Colours (1810), blue suggests depth and calm, while yellow and red produce warmth and vitality. The train’s bright orange seats, tinted under low lighting, bridge these polarities, a nostalgic hue reminiscent of 90s interiors that also radiates gentle warmth amid darkness. This orange complements the galaxy’s deep blues, heightening spatial contrast and symbolising the coexistence of comfort and awe. The VHS aesthetic amplifies this feeling by muting saturation, invoking memory’s imperfections and aligning with Burke’s (1757) notion of the sublime as astonishment laced with unease.

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While adding the halftone filter and grain into my video in After Effects, I also thought that fisheyes would be a great incorporation as well. So through the use of Youtube tutorials, I learnt how to replicate that scene, readjusting the optic sensations through AE's settings.

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Implementing the grainy effect through the use of mosaic and Gaussian blur settings in After Effects onto both Buzzed Out and Bystander.

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The final looks after the implementation of all the filters and extra digital editing onto the physical prints.

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Presenting both Buzzed Out and Bystander in the black box room felt like a fitting conclusion to the semester. With the lights completely dimmed, the brightness and flashes of Buzzed Out filled the space with a kind of intensity I hadn’t fully anticipated. The flashes, distortion, and chaos of the piece became more immersive than I imagined when I was editing alone in my room. I was really proud of how I modelled and textured the subway train entirely from scratch, paying close attention to how the light interacted with the seats, the windows, and the subtle reflections. Seeing that on the screen, in a dark room, felt incredibly rewarding.
That said, I did think about length afterward. Part of me wished both works were longer, but especially with Buzzed Out, I was afraid of overextending it. That state of overwhelm is powerful because it’s sudden, like an emotional burst in where you feel it, and it consumes you. If it lingers too long, it can lose that potency. So, I decided to keep it short but impactful. The process itself, drawing, scanning, layering, animating frame by frame, was grueling, but it taught me so much about endurance and patience. It was my first time fully stepping into mixed media, and I’m glad I pushed through that discomfort to see what would come out on the other side.

In Buzzed Out, I learned how emotion can exist in sound itself. I intentionally pushed the limits of Reaper’s bass boost, playing with distortion until it was right on the edge of unpleasant. The goal was to make the viewer feel the sound physically; to let the “buzz” exist both visually and sonically. I played with pitch shifts, speed manipulation, and layering, things I never would have attempted before this project. I also grew more confident in After Effects: I learned to rotoscope, blend scanned crayon textures with digital footage, and find a balance between chaos and structure. It was about embracing imperfection as part of the emotional experience.

Bystander was the opposite kind of challenge. Where Buzzed Out was aggressive and messy, Bystander was quiet and still. I spent hours tweaking the lighting, rendering shadows, and color-grading until it felt right. Even something simple, like the glow of the subway’s overhead lights or the faint reflection on a metal pole, had to evoke a mood of calm unease. Through that, I realised that the sublime isn’t just beauty or awe, it’s also a kind of small terror, the feeling of being swallowed by something larger. Working in Blender, I stepped out of my comfort zone completely. The bright orange train seats and retro hues weren’t choices I’d normally make, but they grounded the piece in nostalgia; a subtle nod to the 90s VHS aesthetic I love.

Looking back, both works taught me how emotion (Overwhelm and sublime) isn’t just something you show; it’s something you build, layer by layer. Every texture, every sound, every shadow contributes to it. This semester made me more aware of how much design relies on attention, how each small decision can alter how a viewer feels. I learned how to think critically about my own work, not just as a creator but as a designer shaping experience. Now that I look back at my work, I find and think about many improvements I could have done which at the start of the semester, I would’ve never been able to notice.
Ultimately, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. These projects taught me that emotion in design doesn’t come from scale or complexity, it comes from sincerity and craft. Whether through distortion or stillness, chaos or quiet, I’ve learned to translate what I feel into something others can sense too. That’s what I’ll carry forward into whatever I make next.