Sound Design Case Study: 60" (1-Minute Short)

For this 1-minute piece, the creative challenge was to shift the entire narrative perspective entirely into the protagonist’s internal, psychological state while the world races around him in hyper-lapse.

The Sonic Strategy:

Internal Subjectivity: I used a dynamic low-pass filter sweep on the environmental soundscape to muffle the bustling plaza, pulling the audience directly inside the character’s isolated, racing mind.

Building Tension: As the character experiences anxiety, a precise interplay of a ticking clock and a Shepard Tone builds continuous psychological pressure, paired closely with heavy, accelerated breathing.

The Release: A sudden cut to black leaves only a reverberant breath echoing, followed by an abrupt snap back to the raw, unfiltered reality of the square, instantly lifting the low-pass filter to shock the audience’s senses right at the title card.

Designed entirely in REAPER, focusing on custom-layered sound effects, granular tension, and seamless frequency automation to match picture pacing.

Click here to view the video https://www.twine.net/signin/in/cesar-contreras-503317424