Overview
Mathivanan (2017, p. 374) defines presence as the psychological experience of feeling completely enveloped within a virtual environment. Expanding on this concept, our group is inspired to craft an interactive, immersive installation to create an audio-visual virtual environment.
This project, Thalassophobia, is an immersive audiovisual installation that explores the fear of the deep sea. We aim to create an immersive experience using Max, sensors, and surround sound techniques to fully immerse the audience in the depths of fear.
The idea of having Thalassophobia as the theme is inspired by sea-based horror films, such as Jaws (Spielberg, 1975), Deep Blue Sea (Harlin, 1999), and Open Water (Kentis, 2003). Our project has four different layers. Throughout the immersive journey, the visuals and soundscape will gradually expand, unveiling different layers of Thalassophobia into the experience.
Our original plan was to structure the experience linearly, guiding audiences through escalating levels of fear toward eventual calmness. However, our project took a different approach in the final presentation, opting for a non-linear looping structure that allows participants to shape their experience through the depths of Thalassophobia. We designed four distinct levels, each presenting a different progressive level of phobia using sounds and visuals.
Participants will navigate these levels by actively engaging with sensors and a level controller, allowing for a dynamic and interactive experience. The first level explores the realm of sea monsters, providing a concrete and general understanding of Thalassophobia. The second level explores the physical and mental responses triggered by Thalassophobia, offering insight into its internal impact.
The journey then deepens with the third level, confronting participants with the abstract fear of the unknown inherent in Thalassophobia. Finally, the fourth level offers a peaceful state, reflecting upon and contrasting the deep-seated fears of the ocean’s depths. This four-level loop allows participants to choose their starting and ending points, allowing for a more personalized and creative journey into the depths of Thalassophobia.
Through dynamic audiovisual elements and interactive storytelling, Thalassaphobia aims to evoke a range of emotions and sensations, allowing participants to engage with their creations in an immersive way.
Similar Art Work
PlayLoop
PlayLoop (Wong, 2023) is an innovative interactive installation merging sound and light, allowing participants to craft distinct audio compositions through physical interaction with multiple audio loops within an immersive soundscape. Employing light-emitting diodes and motion-activated sensors, this project offers a dynamic platform for interaction and creativity.
The work embodies two core concepts. Firstly, the most important idea of this project is ‘Group Creation'(Wong, 2023). The installation is designed for multiple participants. The more individuals engage with it, the richer and more complex the sounds become. This installation encourages collaboration, inviting participants to collectively shape the auditory experience through harmonious melodies, discordant rhythms, minimalist arrangements, or complex soundscapes. The second concept of this project is ‘Co-creation’. Participants are encouraged to collaborate with the artist to create soundscape together. Every participant is essential and becomes a creator in creating the auditory and visual environment.
This project is similar to our project in how participants are involved and the core ideas of ‘Group Creation’ and ‘Co-creation’. Our project utilizes sensors for real-time interactions. We offer opportunities for participants to craft their soundscapes freely by interacting with the different sensors and the main controller. The more people interact with the sensors. The soundscape would be chaotic and scary. In addition, participants do not just collaborate with each other in the presentation. They also co-create the soundscape with us by randomly switching between different sound effects, chords, and filters.
Promo Video
-made by Ruojing Chen & Yuan Mei
References
Harlin, R. (1999) The Deep Blue Sea. Warner Bros.
Kentis, C. (2003) Open Water. Lions Gate Films.
Mathivanan, K. et al. (2017) ‘A Study of Virtual Reality’, International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, 4(3), pp. 374-377.
Papersneaker (2019) ‘PLAYLOOP – Interactive Sound & Light Installation’. Youtube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvQCBNEG-Rc (Assessed: 15 April 2024).
Spielberg, S. (1975) Jaws. Universal Pictures.
Wong, N. (2023) PLAYLOOP – Interactive Sound & Light Installation. Available at: https://www.papersneaker.com/single-post/2019/09/09/playloop-interactive-sound-light-installation#:~:text=%E2%80%9CPlayLoop%E2%80%9D%20is%20an%20interactive%20sound,speakers%20within%20twelve%20cylindrical%20structures (Assessed: 15 April 2024).
