ABOUT

Eden is a short film about three clandestine encounters between people who desire to touch and be touched. I was hired by director Leendert Roosenbrand to compose the music and sound design, as well as execute the final mix. Sonically, we wanted each scene in the film to have its own unique voice and environment, yet it was very important for the film as a whole to be cohesive sound wise. As there is no dialogue in the film (other than the voice over at the beginning and the end) it was very important the the music and sound design help to tell the story. For me it was very important that the film come first, it is easy to over compose when there is no dialogue present, and I wanted to be sure that the music would complement the on screen action and not overwhelm it.

On a musical level it adheres to an exacting standard I employ when working, namely to use only original sounds. Even more importantly I was very excited to create a musical dialogue between the characters in the scene. The woman's curiosity represented by the high piano arpeggios, and the call of the man with the firm repetition of piano. The way the music changes and begins to rise in intensity as she approaches and draws closer. The way an increase in tension is achieved not by adding more layers or density, but through simplicity and dynamism in how the instruments are played. Furthermore, to my ears, this is a beautiful piece of music. Dissonance has its place, however for me the creation of a beautiful musical moment is quite rewarding.

On the sound design level I was also able to create a subtle dialogue between characters. The woman is represented by the sound of wind, again inferring a sort of playful curiosity, and the man is represented by a very special sound, that of a distantly approaching freight train. These two opposing sound worlds subtly draw closer together, and finally as the woman approaches they drop in volume, and we are drawn in by the music.

That film is capable of conveying so many layers of meaning is what makes it such a profound and complex art. This scene represents what I hope to achieve with sound on every film I work, to deliver the emotion and meaning of a film through a sonic tapestry

Having control over the final mix of this scene allowed my to articulate fully the expression of each layer, to create the tapestry of sound which best told the story of the film.