The Soundtrack of the Sea
an Animated Short
Project Summary
The soundtrack of the sea is an animated short made in an attempt to educate all audiences on the importance of underwater acoustics and the way noise pollution from over boating is affecting underwater ecosystems all throughout the ocean. The short follows the main character, Snappy, through his experience of noise pollution at his home reef and what he does to help his friends and family.
Project Description
3-minute animation of a snapping shrimp character whose life on a coral reef gets turned upside down as it must learn to survive the damaging effects of noise pollution due to over boating. The story will introduce you to the loveable snapping shrimp named Snappy. Creating a relationship between the fish and the viewer is crucial in order to evoke an emotional and empathetic reaction when things go wrong later on. The visuals and audio will give the viewer an underwater representation of the shrimp's noise pollution experience. When noise pollution is too high it causes severe disorientation and thus the inability to protect oneself.
THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE SEA
THE TEAM
Lili Gillmor
Creative Director
Writer
Executive Producer
Storyboard Artist
2D Animator
Sound Engineer
Producer
Head of Post Production
Composer
2D Animator
Creative Supervisor
Sound Engineer
Sound Designer
Sound Mixer
Davey Newton
Emma Berrigan
Concept Artist
Lead 2D Animator
Digital Supervisor
Character Design
Colorist
Ramina Nejad
Concept Artist
Lead 2D Animator
Set Design
Colorist
Isabella Droz
RESEARCH
Inspiration
Our inspiration for this project came from a TEDx Short about noise pollution caused by overpopulated boating areas changes the soundtrack of the ocean. Fish use their hearing to navigate similarly to how we use our eyes, noise pollution in the oceans is confusing fish and compromising their ability to recognize and avoid predators, and thus compromising fish habitats around the oceans. As the population of coral reef fish decreases, they are losing their symbiotic relationships with the coral reefs leaving them lifeless. It is a negative cycle in which fish are harmed, resulting in the destruction of their reefs, which leads to the harm of more sea animals as their habitats are destroyed.
FUTURE APPLICATIONS
Our project can be used for educational purposes for generations to come. The animated short talks about mature concepts, such as the environmental issues associated with noise pollution. However, we open up this discussion in a way that is easily digestible and entertaining for viewers of all ages. The story follows the battle between an aquatic community and a shipping boat that has been tormenting them. Once the new equilibrium is reached in the ending, it is important to note that the bigger issue of noise pollution is still very much present - but this specific reef has come out victorious. We wanted to make sure that our message would resonate with viewers, therefore it was important to maintain a balance between a strong story arch, compelling characters, and a serious topic. We hope that our Snappy has helped to shed light on the effects of noise pollution for all future viewers.
THE TRAILER
