Designer’s Desk: Sound
The countdown continues: Less than three weeks until this journey begins.
This is probably the biggest designing challenge I might ever encounter. The themes have been discussed previously by other designers: Human connection, technology, how we connect the past to now…but what does it SOUND like?
Right now, my process consists of 2 parts.
The first is to ask questions: What does humanity sound like? What does technology sound like? More importantly, what is considered human vs. technological? What happens if I reverse these roles? What happens if I don’t?
Technology sounds like a text message or a phone ringtone. Technology sounds like a computer or the futuristic sounds of a Dr. Who episode. However, is technology the sound of a hammer pounding a nail into a piece of wood? Is technology the sound of flint against steel, or the friction of two sticks as they create fire? What if Humanity is turning into technology?
Humanity sounds like the voice of a mother comforting her child. Humanity sounds organic…like a piano playing a romantic tune. I think of Humanity as a softer sound, but is this really the case? Humans argue and shout; they stomp and use harsh tones. There is happiness in addition to anger…warm vs. cool. Maybe Humanity is about emotion…if that’s the case, what does emotion sound like?
The second part of my process is simply to listen. I am acutely aware of every sound…the sound of my fingers on the keyboard, the sound of the TV playing in the background, the birds outside, the sounds of other cars as I drive, the sound and tone of people’s voices, the sound of a ratchet spinning…all of these could be in the show. All of them might not be. We’ll see as the process continues.
I’ve got some sounds already picked out that I’d like to work in, and soon, Forget Fire will be in motion! I’m so excited!
-Madison Fortney
