EAR_WASH
A satirical short film set against the backdrop of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
A course project by Markus Axt, Tim Lindemann and René Seele, 6th semester, 2020
Supervising lecturers: Prof. Dr Kyrill Fischer, Prof. Felix Krückels, Prof. Moritz Bergfeld, Prof. Carsten Kümmel
As part of the semester workshop, we used the silent film *Fear of the Microbes* (1908) – which has now come back into the spotlight – and our own footage, we produced a short film in binaural 3D that takes a humorous look at the public’s reactions to the measures imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fifty years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the protagonist of the short film recounts the moment when humanity ‘almost went under’ and, as a virologist who formerly worked in research, describes his experiences at the time with those who opposed the mandated protective regulations and hygiene measures.
The ‘IEM Ambisonics Plugin Suite’, released by the ‘Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics Graz’ (IEM), was used for the 3D sound design and mixing; this enabled the 3D mix to be implemented easily within Cockos’ Reaper.
The soundtrack is intended to highlight the additional possibilities offered by 3D audio formats for cinematic storytelling and to captivate the audience with its enhanced immersion, particularly given the topical nature of the subject matter.