River's blog

Author: Han Wen

  • Analysing field recording practices

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    Han Wen
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    This week I explored the work of Chris Watson and other field recording artists. I was interested in how recordings of natural environments are presented as realistic and immersive experiences. However, I realised that field recordings involve many decisions, including microphone placement, editing, timing, and sound selection. This means recordings are not simply direct captures…

  • Reflection

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    Han Wen
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    Through this project, my understanding of sound as a medium has become clearer. Sound is not only a functional or supporting element, but can also play a deeper role in building narrative structure and influencing how the audience perceives time, space, and emotion. During the process, I realised that sound design is not just a…

  • SFX

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    Han Wen
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    In this animation project, my sound design is primarily built on realistic sound materials, including field recordings, Foley, and room tone. However, these sounds are not used to reproduce a realistic domestic environment. Instead, they are reorganised into a structured sound system that operates through emotional and psychological logic. Rather than designing sound effects as…

  • Researching the idea of “natural sound”

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    Han Wen
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    This week I began researching the concept of “natural sound” within sound art and field recording. I was initially interested in why certain sounds, such as birdsong, wind, or flowing water, are commonly understood as “natural,” while urban sounds like traffic, machinery, or electronic noise are often excluded from this category. I started thinking about…

  • Temporal Sound Design in the Elevator Structure: Piano as a Unit of Time

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    Han Wen
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    In this animation project, the elevator functions as the core structural element that runs throughout the narrative. Rather than treating it as a physical space, I understand it as a “vehicle for the movement of time.” Therefore, in my sound design approach, I chose to work primarily with relatively realistic sound materials while constructing a…

  • Animation Project — Brief、Concept

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    Han Wen
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    This animation project is an interdisciplinary collaboration in which I am responsible for the sound design component. The work explores autobiographical memory through spatial storytelling, focusing on how repeated relocation and unstable domestic environments shape emotional attachment. The central concept of the animation is based on my personal experience of frequently moving between different homes.…

  • Audio Structure and Creative Design

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    Han Wen
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    At this stage, I planned the overall structure of the audio paper to clearly show how broadcast gymnastics functions as a disciplinary soundscape. The audio lasts about 10 minutes and is divided into several sections: introduction, music and command analysis, collective behavior discussion, individual autonomy, and memory/cultural reflections. To help listeners experience the soundscape, I…

  • Soundscape Analysis

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    Han Wen
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    Broadcast gymnastics is a typical example of a disciplinary soundscape because it combines music, voice commands, and synchronized movements to directly influence students’ bodies and behaviour. At a fixed time every day, the broadcast plays, and students line up neatly, following the rhythm and commands. The music and voice create a strict time and rhythm…

  • Using Microphones in My Practice

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    Han Wen
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    In my sound work, microphones are very important. A microphone captures sound and turns it into a signal that can be recorded, processed, or amplified. It doesn’t just record— it also shapes how we hear and feel the sound. I use microphones to capture natural sounds and created sounds. I also like to use special…

  • Exploring Sound Synthesis with Pure Data 

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    Han Wen
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    Recently, I’ve been learning Pure Data and Bela, and trying to combine them to build my own noise box. The whole process is new but exciting to me, and it makes me gradually understand the structure and logic behind the world of sound. I started by designing the system on the Pure Data side. My…