"Bait" is a graduation film by Alika Vissers from HKU Media and Technology, which earned her degree and was featured as part of Blikvangers in Utrecht in September 2024. This absurdist thriller follows the intriguing story of Amira, who discovers a mysterious pink door leading to an enchanting fish shop. As her fascination with the vibrant fish deepens, she becomes entangled in the enigmatic intentions of the shopkeeper, Kohaku, resulting in a surreal and gripping narrative. The film was also presented as an installation at HKU Exposure in June 2024, where audiences could immerse themselves in the experience by sitting inside the fish shop set, watching the film on a TV, and observing holographic fish projected in aquariums.
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In this project, I served as both the music composer and sound designer. With no dialogue in the film, my role was crucial in conveying the emotional depth and narrative progression through sound. The score and sound design were divided into three distinct parts: the beginning (outside), inside the shop, and the plot twist at the end.
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For the opening scenes, I employed subtle melodic elements and focused on creating an organic outdoor soundscape with bird calls, wind, and rustling grass to establish a realistic setting. As the scene transitions inside the shop, I transformed the atmosphere to evoke a sense of magic and otherworldliness. A blend of music and sound design was used to create an underwater-like ambiance, with subtle echoes that added to the shop's enchanting and mysterious quality. Additionally, vocal elements were incorporated to symbolize the people trapped and transformed into fish, adding a haunting layer to the aquarium scenes.
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As the film approached its climactic plot twist, I built tension through a combination of sound design and music. The moment of the black screen was accentuated by a carefully crafted soundscape to heighten suspense, followed by intense, thriller-like music that amplified the drama.
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The final mix was delivered in both 5.1 surround sound and stereo. Every sound was intentionally crafted, with careful attention given to polishing and cleaning the recorded audio from the set, as well as designing additional sounds where necessary to create a seamless auditory experience.
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"Bait" provided a unique opportunity to explore the power of sound in storytelling, particularly in a film without dialogue, where sound design and music played a pivotal role in driving the narrative and evoking emotion.