Defenceless Giants - Graham Beaumont - DES304

This project has been inspired by a few different aspects. The first being, my relationship with the Sunshine Coast, Caloundra region has flourished since the very beginning of me coming to Australia, as it was the first place my family and I stayed at. I have spent countless hours exploring all the different streets, nooks and crannies within the area. Secondly, the Caloundra cinema was the first cinema which played a movie written and directed by me, creating very important core memories for me. Lastly, the Caloundra cinema is one of the first cinemas on the coast, making it a special location for many locals. For this project I decided to take my photographs using a film camera. This allowed me to think critically before capturing every special moment. Additionally, using film would be an appropriate medium as it gave the photos the appropriate vintage look according to the environment. The sounds you hear in this experience have been carefully recorded, selected and edited, being layered allowing for an immersive and realistic experience. I hope you get to experience the Caloundra region and cinema through my lens!

Take an audio immersive tour through the F1 Melbourne Grand Prix! WARNING: Engines are loud.

The geolocated audio installation “Avian Harmonies” uses Echoes to create a rich and immersive experience that aims to encapsulate the diverse biospheres of the sunshine coast area by allowing listeners to enjoy their various bird calls on a single walk. The audio experience features the iconic sounds from a range of Australia’s native birds, such as Magpies, Ibises, Willie Wagtails, Rainbow Lorikeets, and many more. The audio tour was recorded using a H2 Microphone, allowing for a crisp surround sound experience that transports listeners to the environment it was captured in. Also incorporated into the project are a series of minimalist digital artworks, which aimed to combine my personal memories of these bird calls with a dream-like abstract art style. Each artwork was designed to reflect its respective audio file to create a harmonious experience. Highlighted in this project is the stunning diversity and complexity of bird calls, allowing the vast array of melodies to take centre stage with minimal disruption from other sounds. Furthermore, these soundscapes have been carefully recorded at the most opportune times of day when many bird species are highly active. By using Echoes to present the experience, it can be enjoyed at any time of day by anyone with the means to access the app, allowing a wide range of people to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of avian harmonies.

The walk centres around the concept that everything in nature happens in its own cycles. The cycles that are most obviously depicted in the walk are Mooloolah River National Park's forest and plant life cycles. Each part of the walk has been titled reflecting the point in this cycle. The images are of plants in the Mooloolah River National Park that reflect each point. The audio also matches as the lead tracks are recordings of the corresponding plant. It is an immersive experience as all elements link and the walk can be stopped or started at any point or go on forever, just as these cycles do.

Sounds By Light is a different approach to how we perceive sound and imagery through interpretive digital art. This pieces’ aim was to capture different sound recordings from a variety of natural environments, along with photography from the same locations.

*no-body was harmed in the making of this*

Welcome to Sounds of the Forest. This immersive audio visual experience will expose you to the diverse sounds and sights of Buderim Forest Park. You'll experience everything this location has to offer from chittering birds to bubbling creeks and raging waterfalls. For the best viewing experience, start at the primary echo located at the beginning of E block. This audio-visual project is best appreciated through headphones, so get set and dive into this relaxing experience.

Highly recommend using headphones to get the full experience. 'The World of Animals' shows the different worlds that are close to you, but you might not realise. This provides the sounds that animals might hear. This consists of six themes: Tadpoles, Kangaroos, Swamphens, Microbats, Ants and Possums. Recordings were mostly carried out at the spots on campus where I encountered each animal, and the GPS locations were placed at almost the same spots as the recording spots. Enjoy the world of animals by comparing the sounds you usually hear!