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Author: s2328976

Submission 1_Presence

Brochure

PDF

Background

Presence refers to the psychological sensation of being fully immersed in and surrounded by a virtual environment (Mathivanan, 2017, p. 374). Building upon the concept of presence, our group’s project will aim to create an interactive, immersive experience focusing on thalassophobia and the journey towards calmness.

The popularity of sea-based horror films, such as Jaws (Spielberg, 1975), Deep Blue Sea (Harlin, 1999), and Open Water (Kentis, 2003), shows the power of deep water to trigger fear. Drawing inspiration from these films, our project will explore sensations associated with thalassophobia to set the foundation for this immersive experience. As the immersive experience progresses, the visuals and the soundscape will broaden the scope to present different layers of thalassophobia, incorporating more abstract and generalized fears. The various layers of thalassophobia include the immersion in a dangerous deep-sea environment, the chaotic psychical and mental responses triggered by the deep-sea environment, and the fear of the unknown. The progress of getting through the three layers of thalassophobia will be achieved through participants’ interaction, enhancing the immersive experience and evoking deeper emotional experiences. Throughout the journey, participants will need to interact with the visuals and audio to get through various layers of thalassophobia, ultimately transitioning to calmness.

 

Research

Our project will first start by exploring the studies on thalassophobia, aiming to gain information into the factors contributing to this specific type of fear and the environments that may evoke thalassophobia. Following this, we will focus on the symptoms of thalassophobia to have a deeper understanding of the physical and mental reactions that thalassophobia can trigger. These findings will inform and develop our project design. Lastly, we will look at immersive interactive art created by other artists, drawing insights and inspiration from their innovative approaches and techniques.

More details … 

 

Design

This section will present the ideas of our project design from four aspects, including sound design, composition, visual component and interaction installation.

More details … 

 

Prototype

Below is a testing prototype for user interaction using different types of sensors, such as sound sensor, and temperature and humidity sensor. The prototype is designed to explore different ways of interaction. We also test our visual component in MaxMSD.

 

Venue and Setting

Location:

  • West Court

Equipment:

  • Projections
  • Projection Screens
  • Speakers
  • Sensors
  • Laptop

More details …

 

Member’s Responsibilities

Yuan Mei：Sound Editing
Surround Sound Design
Location Setup

Ruojing Chen：Sound effects design
Maxmsp visual effect design

Jingqi Chen：Arduino code setting
Sensor connecting

Craig Morrison：Music design

 

References

Bence, S. (2023) How Do I Know if I Have Thalassophobia?. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/thalassophobia-5093770 (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Content Engine LLC (2023) Find out what “thalassophobia” is, a condition that causes fear of deep water, sea animals and immensity. English ed. Miami: ContentEngine LLC.

Denys-Montfort, P. (1801) A “colossal octopus” that attacked a ship. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraken (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Doré, G. (1865) The Destruction of Leviathan. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Fineberg, J. (2000) Guide to the basic concepts and techniques of spectral music. Contemporary music review. 19 (2), pp. 81–113.

Gepp, K. (2023) ‘Thalassophobia: How to Overcome Your Fear of the Ocean’, Heathline. 13 April. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/fear-of-the-ocean (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Harlin, R. (1999) The Deep Blue Sea. Warner Bros.

Harvey, J. (2000) Spectralism. Contemporary music review. [Online] 19 (3), pp. 11–14.

Hasegawa, R. (2009) Gérard Grisey and The “Nature” of Harmony. Music analysis. 28 (2/3), pp. 349–371.

Hill, S. C. (2018) A “Sound” Approach: John Cage and Music Education. Philosophy of music education review. 26 (1), pp. 46–62.

Hott, B. (2021) Discovering the Value of the Invaluable Deep Sea. Available at: https://www.themarinediaries.com/tmd-blog/discovering-the-value-of-the-invaluable-deep-sea (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Jamieson, Alan J. et al. (2021) ‘Fear and Loathing of the Deep Ocean: Why Don’t People Care about the Deep Sea?’ ICES journal of marine science, 78(3), pp. 797–809.

Jarrett, C. (2022) ‘Thalassophobia: Everything you need to know’, BBC Science Focus, 16 July. Available at: https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/thalassophobia (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Kentis, C. (2003) Open Water. Lions Gate Films.

Latham, A. (2011). The Oxford Companion to Music. Revised 1st Edition ed. Oxford University Press.

Levin, G.  (2000) Audiovisual Environment Suite. Available at: https://www.flong.com/archive/projects/aves/index.html (Accessed: 11 February 2024).

Mathivanan, K. et al. (2017) ‘A Study of Virtual Reality’, International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, 4(3), pp. 374-377.

Persichetti, V. (1961). Twentieth Century Harmony: Creative aspects and practice. New York: W.W Norton

Spielberg, S. (1975) Jaws. Universal Pictures.

Tmema & Ars Electronica Futurelab (2002) Tmema & Ars Electronica Futurelab. Available at: https://vimeo.com/17229647 (Accessed: 11 February 2024).

Varvara & Mar (2014) Wishing Wall with audio explanation. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX0Z6aHZYDw&ab_channel=MarCanet (Accessed: 11 February 2024).

Villamirella (2024) The legend of Siren Molpé. Available at: https://www.villamirella.it/en-blog/myth-sirena-molpe-palinuro (Accessed: 12 February 2024).

Research

What is Thalassophobia?

Thalassophobia is an intense phobia or fear of large or deep water, such as oceans and lakes (Jarrett, 2022). Thalassophobia differs from aquaphobia, a more general fear of water, such as showers, baths, or drinking water.

 

What are the causes?

Like most phobias, thalassophobia is likely to develop from experiences (Jarrett, 2022). A traumatic or non-traumatic event can generate thalassophobia. For example, people who have drowned or witnessed a drowning are often susceptible to thalassophobia. Also, being frightened by films and other people’s traumatic stories about the sea can be a starting point for fear (Content Engine LLC, 2023). For instance, images on social media that relate to a deep fear of the immensity of the waters and the creatures that inhabit these environments can trigger thalassophobia (Content Engine LLC, 2023).

Furthermore, genetic components can cause thalassophobia. Studies show that a child raised by parents scared of deep water is likely to be at greater risk of developing thalassophobia (Jarrett, 2022).

In addition, cultural influence is a significant factor in evoking thalassophobia, as evidenced by research showing a relationship between thalassophobia and mythology (Jarrett, 2022). Deep-sea monsters are prominently featured in ancient and modern myths, particularly among seafaring peoples (Jarrett, 2022). Examples include Beisht Kione (Irish), Cetus, Charybdis, Scylla, Siren, and Hydra (Greek), Jörmungandr and Kraken (Norse), and Kappa (Japanese) (Jarrett, 2022). The myth of sea monsters, such as the Loch Ness Monster and Cthulhu, continues in cryptozoology (Jarrett, 2022). These mythologies from various cultures shape modern perceptions and fears surrounding the deep-sea environment, thus influencing individuals’ experiences of thalassophobia.

What are the symptoms?

People with thalassophobia experience intense panic when they are exposed to or even just thinking about deep water. The closer and more immediate the exposure to deep water, the more intense the physiological reactions will be (Jarrett, 2022). Thalassophobia symptoms are similar to anxiety (Gepp, 2023). Psychical symptoms can include (Bence, 2023):

  • Shaking 
  • Sweating
  • Dry mouth
  • Increased heart rate or heart palpitations
  • Difficulty breathing, including hyperventilating
  • Chest pain
  • Feeling faint or dizzy
  • Nausea or stomach cramps
  • Chills
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands

 

Similar Artists’ Works

The Hidden Worlds of Noise and Voice (Tmema & Ars Electronica Futurelab, 2002) is an interactive audiovisual installation that presents the relationship between speech and virtual visuals, successfully creating a shared immersion among participants. Through the innovative use of special see-through glasses, participants can immerse in a virtual world where their voices are translated into dynamic and vibrant graphics. As participants speak, colourful and abstract graphics emerge from their mouths, creating a visual representation that reflects the qualities of their voices. Learning from this project, we are inspired to design an interactive audiovisual installation. Participants can not only interact with sounds but also with the visuals, enhancing the immersive experience of thalassophobia. The abstract visuals can change depending on the interactive sounds’ timbre, texture or feeling.

Wishing Wall (Varvara & Mar, 2014) is an interactive installation that transforms spoken words into butterflies. The butterflies are diverse in form and colour as they represent the emotion of the spoken words. The used equipment includes 3 projectors, 6 computers, 3 microphones, sensors, LED electronics, etc. Learning from the interactive techniques employed in Wishing Wall, we plan to utilize projectors, sensors, and projection screens to implement our project. Like Wishing Wall, we will use projectors to cast dynamic visuals onto projection screens. These projection screens will serve as the canvas, allowing for a display of colour and motion of abstract visuals. Also, we will integrate sensors into the installation to enable real-time interaction. For example, these sensors might detect the presence and movement of participants to change the visuals and audio. By integrating sensors into the environment, we can create a responsive and engaging experience that adapts to the actions of the participants.

Audiovisual Environment Suite (Levin, 2000) is another example similar to our project. Audiovisual Environment Suite is a set of seven interactive software systems that allow people to create and perform abstract animation and synthetic sound gesturally in real-time. However, while Audiovisual Environment Suite emphasizes creativity and personal expression, our project diverges in focus. Our project focuses on providing an interactive, immersive experience to captivate participants through dynamic engagement rather than offering freedom for individual performance creation.

Design

Sound Design

Regarding sound design, we created sound effects and ambiences by drawing from mythology and pictures of deep-sea environments to deliver a sense of thalassophobia.

Figure 1: A Picture of Kraken.

Inspired by the Kraken, we crafted a sound effect according to its physical features, designed to evoke a sense of encountering a terrifying sea monster. Kraken is an octopus-like monster with enormous size and slimy skin (see Figure 1). Thus, the created sound effect is boosted at low frequency to highlight this giant monster. Building upon this, we also added liquid features in the sound effect to convey the slimy texture of the monster’s skin.

 

Figure 2: A Picture of Sirens.

Sirens, according to ancient Greek mythology, are humanoid creatures with alluring voices, upper human bodies, and fishtails (see Figure 2). They lured the sailors to their deaths with their songs. Therefore, we designed a sound effect with a harsh, high-frequency tone associated with Sirens’ haunting melodies.

 

Figure 3: A Picture of Leviathan.

Leviathan is described as a colossal sea serpent or whale-like creature with formidable features (see Figure 3). To present its features, we crafted a low-frequency hollow sound effect.

 

Figure 4: A Picture of Deep-sea Ambience.

The underwater ambient sound we crafted reflected the fear of the deep sea. Instead of pursuing realism, we created an abstract undersea ambience, intensifying feelings of oppression. This sound effect focused on low frequency and had significant reverb, creating a fear of the unknown and an unfathomable expanse.

 

The gentle white noise presented a sense of calmness with a minimalist approach.

 

Composition

The ‘composition’ section of the project only considers certain aspects of the sound-world. Arguably all of the sound-world can be considered part of the music composition. This is particularly true if one echoes composer John Cage’s philosophy towards music, as Cage believed that all sounds, in any form, are music (Hill, 2018). However, the separation between ‘sound design’ and ‘composition’ in discussing this project serves the purpose of separating and understanding each of our own disciplines. In this project, the discussion around ‘sound design’ deals much more with the broader soundscape, whilst the ‘composition’ deals more with harmony, and more ‘defined’ pitch (although it must be acknowledged that these ideas will overlap).

The harmonic content is going to be ordered in an aleatoric, or at least a quasi-aleatoric, manner. Aleatoric music is a form of musical composition where aspects of the composition are left up to chance, either in the pre-compositional stage, or left to the control of someone outwith the initial composition process (Latham, 2011, p. 10). The aleatoric aspect will be based on the audience’s interaction with the installation, likely being connected to the visual responses.

The harmonic construction is based on the theme of thalassophobia. From this theme, there were two methods of harmonic construction: mirror harmony and spectral harmonic techniques. Mirror harmony is a form of harmony where the same space between intervals occurs both ascending and descending from a central pitch (Persichetti, 1961, p. 173). Here are four examples.

Figure 5: Mirror Harmony 1

Figure 6: Mirror Harmony 2

 

Figure 7: Mirror Harmony 3

 

Figure 8: Mirror Harmony 4

The use of these harmonies is tied to the deep-sea aesthetic, mostly because of the reflective nature of the ocean. Further emphasizing the theme of the sea is the timbre used. The instrumentation used is a reversed MIDI vibraphone, that was then saturated with reverb, delay and chorus. This gives a timbral quality somewhat similar to the glass harmonica, an instrument which requires the use of water to produce sound (Latham, 2011, p. 23).

The other approach taken is a common technique used in spectral music. Spectral music, or spectralism, is a musical style emerging in the 1970s where the musical compositions are based on the natural spectra and/or acoustics of certain sounds (Harvey, 2000). A common spectral technique involves deriving harmony based off of the prominent partials that are shown in a spectrogram of a sound (Fineberg, 2000). This can be seen in the Gérard Grisey work Partiels, where the harmony is based on the spectral analysis of a low E on a trombone (Hasegawa, 2009). For this project, the harmony was based on the spectral analysis of whale song. Two chords are based on a whale chorus, and the other two are based on a blue whale. These chords were formed by using SPEAR for the spectral analysis, and then Openmusic, to translate the partials into sheet music, forming these ‘whalesong chords’.

Figure 9: Image of a spectrogram-chord generator on Openmusic.

Here are the chords that were created from this.

Figure 10: Blue whale chord 1

 

Figure 11: Blue whale chord 2

Figure 12: Whale chorus chord 1

 

Figure 13: Whale chorus chord 2

The deep-sea representation is arguably quite obvious. However, there is broader representation of thalassophobia within these chords. For example, the fear of the unknown; the spectral harmony ‘masks’ the real sounds of a whale to something much more abstract and unidentifiable.

Both of the harmonic approaches also have deeper implications to the broader themes of fear/thalassophobia. The ‘whalesong chords’ have differing degrees of density and sparseness, which can arguably represent physical fear and calmness respectively. Returning to the mirror harmony, the chromatic ‘dissonant’ chords (mirror harmony 1 and 2) and the diatonic ‘consonant’ chords (mirror harmony 2 and 4) also can represent physical fear and calmness.

These latter concepts of physical fear and calmness, also occur within the production. The instrumentation uses sounds with initial attacks and long resonances (electric piano, vibraphone), which are then reversed and effected with reverb and delay. This creates a building tension, which could be seen as a representation of physical fear, and then a release of echoes fading away. This arguably functions as a release of tension, that then settles into a state of calm.

A final point to make on these chords, is that none of them fall clearly into the conventions of functional harmony. This means that they can be effectively used in an immersive sound instillation without creating any obvious harmonic direction towards an inevitable tonic.

The general conclusion to make about the harmonic construction is it’s both designed to fit with the themes of the project, whilst also being highly adaptable. These harmonies are, in general, suited well to an immersive installation, as their ordering can be very flexible.

Links to all sounds used here: DSMP chords examples (submission 1) – YouTube 

 

Visual Component 

In this project, we will utilize MaxMSP to achieve interactive visuals.

Figure 14: A Screenshot from MaxMSP.

By using matrix space, we can design the background colour and display the visuals with jit.window. We can also use the object sfplay to introduce sounds to the visuals. The sound is only used as the input source. The jit.catch~ is utilized to convert sound signals into matrix signals that can be used for images.

The visuals we intend to design will consist of abstract lines, waveforms or patterns with a dark background (see Figure 5). The deep-sea environment can significantly trigger fear because of its deep and dark characteristics (Bajwa et al., 2014, cited in Jamieson et al., 2021). Therefore, we will use Jitter to generate lines and waveforms with a pure black background, evoking abstract sensations of thalassophobia in different layers.

Furthermore, to present the final calm environment, the images can transition from a dark background with deep blue lines to a light greenish-blue background with white lines or patterns. This shift is inspired by the contrast between the deep-sea environment and shallow waters’ verdant, sunlit habitats, symbolizing new life (Jamieson et al., 2021).

The lines and waveforms produced by Jitter will possess the flexibility to transition between chaotic and peaceful states through participant interactions. This adaptability allows for dynamic changes in the interactive visuals and effectively reflects the different layers of thalassophobia experienced by participants.

 

Interactive Installation 

The interactive installation consists of four components: the user, the sensor, the sound, and the visual projection. This setup can be divided into two subsections: first, the user triggers the sensor, and then the sensor communicates with the visuals and sounds (see Figure 6).

Figure 15: The Process of the Interactive Installation.

The first subsection is mainly achieved through Arduino, and the second subsection is mainly accomplished through MaxMSP and Jitter. In the first subsection, users can trigger the sensor by meeting specific trigger conditions tailored to different types of sensors (see Figure 7, Figure 8, and Figure 9). For instance, emitting a sound above a certain threshold activates the sound sensor.

Figure 16: A Screenshot of the Sound Sensor from Arduino.

Figure 17: A Screenshot of the Temperature & Humidity Sensor from Arduino.

Figure 18: A Screenshot of the Temperature & Humidity Sensor from Arduino.

The second subsection primarily involves collaboration between the sensor and sounds and visuals. After triggering the sound sensor, MaxMSP and Jitter can process the data received from the sensor and translate it into dynamic changes in abstract visuals and sounds.

 

 

 

Venue and Setting

Firstly, the ideal venue for our project will be West Court or similar quiet, large spaces capable of producing a significant impulse response and offering complete darkness. Implementing our installation in an empty environment will enrich the auditory experience with natural reverb. Additionally, the absence of ambient light in a completely dark space will enhance the performance of the visual projections, allowing them to create an immersive environment for participants without distractions.

Secondly, we will set up four projections and corresponding projection screens to create a fully immersive environment. This comprehensive visual arrangement will surround participants, further enhancing the immersive experience.

Thirdly, in combination with the four projection screens, we will implement a 5.1 surround sound system to heighten immersion through spatialized audio. This setup will require six speakers positioned in the venue to provide a rich soundscape and enhance overall sensory engagement.

Lastly, we will incorporate sensors and a laptop into the setup to facilitate real-time interaction and responsiveness. These essential components will enable participants to actively engage with the installation, allowing their interaction to influence the visual and sound elements.

 

Week2_Idea_Yuan_Mei

Immerse in dreams and emotions

  • Presence is the psychological sense of “being there”, of actually being immersed in and surrounded by the environment (Mathivanan, 2017).

Overview

From my point of view, presence means immersion. This word makes me think of immersing in dreams and emotions with music, sound and visuals.

This idea is inspired by Tarkovsky’s film, Mirror. In the scene where the mother washes her hair in the bathroom, the soundscape does not match the moving image, creating dissonance and a mysterious dream-like feeling.

Regarding what we discussed in the class,  Jingqi’s idea of being in between reality and the virtual world, as well as the idea from Ruojing, who talked about getting tired in reality and escaping from reality to a relaxing place, can be combined with my idea of immersing in emotions. Integrating my idea of doing an immersive environment, I think we can create a visual virtual component by using unity to design two spaces with two opposite emotions through music and sound, immersing people in these emotions. The first space can represent reality, and in this space, we might have some negative emotions in several scenarios in real life, such as depression, anger,  pressure, etc. After entering a portal, audiences can reach the second space, a dreamlike place with soft, gentle sounds and music. In this space, the background in the visual could be empty (just pure white), and at the centre, there is a piano playing music.

Software 

  • Unity
  • Wwise
  • VR

Sound Design

  • Interactive Audio
  • Emotions

Visuals:

  • Abstract Images

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