Sanctuary/Cemetery
A portfolio documenting the creation and dissemination of a work of spatial audio, comprising texts, audio recordings and images.
- Submitting institution
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The University of Surrey
- Unit of assessment
- 33 - Music, Drama, Dance, Performing Arts, Film and Screen Studies
- Output identifier
- 9018458_3
- Type
- J - Composition
- Month
- -
- Year
- 2020
- URL
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https://ref2021uoa33portfolios_9018458_3.surrey.ac.uk/
- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
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- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
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- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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- Research group(s)
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- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Sanctuary/Cemetery is a collaborative work of live cinema by Carlos Casas, Chris Watson and Tony Myatt. The work includes a 23-minute dark-screen segment that features a work of spatial electronic music, produced and performed by Watson and Myatt.
This work of electronic music is the primary research output, and integrates research in:
full-spectrum 3D-surround sound reproduction methods;
perceptually informed spatial audio capture, production and presentation methodologies, and
compositional practice.
Sanctuary pays homage to classic adventure films and documentaries, and deals with themes related to species extinction, interspecies communication, and the “cinematic” creation of the imaginary.
Research was led by the question of how it might be possible to expose audiences to realistic audio encounters with elephants and their environments. A unique infrasound reproduction system was developed for this work.
A series of international presentations have included a world-first live performance using a 70-audio-channel 5th-order Ambisonic surround-sound system in combination with a 496-audio-channel wavefield synthesis array and infrasound generation.
The work was commissioned and premiered by Tate Modern (London, UK), and has been performed at the Fondation Cartier (Paris), Kunsten Festival Des Arts (Brussels), Short Theatre Festival (Rome), EMPAC (Troy, USA), and the Marseille International Film Festival 2019 (France). The film was streamed to 128 countries during November 2020 by the MUBI digital film channel, disseminated as a Dolby cinema release, and a vinyl record (Touch, Tone75, UK).
Cemetery was awarded the Prix de la Fondation Culturelle Meta, Prix Marseille Espérance and the Mention Spéciale du Jury Lycéens at the Marseille International Film Festival 2019.
Film direction, Carlos Casas.
Audio materials recorded by Chris Watson and Tony Myatt on location in Kenya.
Audio production by Chris Watson and Tony Myatt.
Audio realisation, spatial audio and infrasound production, post-production and live reproduction by Tony Myatt.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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