Sound Design
Sound design work is either completely transparent and unnoticeable (such as footsteps, clothes rustling), or the primary focus and emotional or creative driver of the media. Find examples of both below.
Ark van Nomi - Storm Scene
Ark van Nomi brings us into the creative world of children. With an underlying stress of strained parent dynamics, our two main characters are brought into their world of imagination through play leading to cathartic release.
​
With only dialogue recorded on set, all elements here were added in post. The storm's energy and intensity slowing rises, as sounds of a boat rocking on the waves, ropes pulled out of hand, and a moving mast come into focus. Extensive use of samples and recordings at my studio were utilized to match both subtle movements of the characters and the greater soundscape.
Dissonance
Shot in a studio in Amsterdam, ‘Dissonance’ offers a new approach to the classic sex scene, pairing tight close-up shots of two women with a surreal soundscape. The film invites the viewer to consciously explore how aural perception influences their understanding of the intimate visuals, creating a disorienting yet focused cinematic experience.​
​
With a complete blank slate, I constructed all the sounds heard here. The director wanted to invert the sounds typically associated with a scene of intimacy, for a full world and soundscape. Samples and field recordings were combined with elements recorded at my studio, utilizing the creative use of everyday objects (a straw in a bowl of water, etc).
Komt Wel Goed - Football scene
Komt Wel Goed is an intimate film about two young adults facing very different struggles: Saar with workplace sexism, and Mark with grief and mental health issues. When they get stuck in an elevator together, an unexpected connection forms.​
​
The character's inner world is revealed here through subtle sound design, as we feel the outside environment move from the the foreground to the background as his emotional state sets in. The sounds of feet scuffling, a whistle, and crowd noise slip away leaving us with the internal high pitch sound of stress and anxiety (noted specifically by the director). Combined, sound engages itself directly with amplifying the storytelling and emotional feeling of the visuals.
Komt Wel Goed - Elevator scene
An example of subtle sound design, a mostly silent scene is brought to life through sound design done in post production: a hand rattling the elevator doors to keep it open, the sound of the lights/movement, a power failure and breakdown combined with an internally felt high pitch whine (requested by the director) to evoke stress and tension building.