The vocal composition was made using layers of screams. Laments are traditionally collective expressions of grief. Through effects on the voice, textures and depth are created, and the concept of many voices is conveyed. The visual shows one scream, my own. As the layers of sound build, so do layers of the video. Each layer of the video is placed slightly off centre with lowered opacity, and this escalates throughout the video, with the image becoming increasingly distorted as time goes on.     

Ableton track lay.

I recorded many voice samples using different microphones and effects. For the final version, I used a Neumann KMS 105 microphone.

Effects used to treat the voice: EQ, reverb, feedback, compression, saturation, spectral blur.

I composed the samples together and then added reverb to add cohesion to the individual recordings, making them sound more like one.

Using Adobe Premiere Pro, I layered footage of myself screaming with staggered start points. The footage layers build and blur to the composition, and by the end of the film, the audio and visual turn towards chaos.

I was very unsure which audio track to use within the video, I put both compositions with the video, soloing the tracks to compare the effect of the audio and video together. Composition one had a much more abrasive quality compared to composition two. I thought that this could be effective for a lament, however, I chose to use the more sonically aesthetic version (composition two) as the tones and texture had an evocativeness I felt very drawn to.

Composition one:

If I were to work with screams and silence in a future project, I would definitely create a live performance, as I think both silence and screams are perceived entirely differently in a live context. Needless to say, I am very satisfied with the outcome of this project.