CULMINATING EXPERIENCE
“SPIRAL”

Iker Cedeno
Music Production, Technology and Innovation
July 2019

Table of Contents

Abstract

iii

Introduction

1

Review of the State of the Art

2

Description

4

Innovative Aspects

6

New Skills Acquired

7

Challenges

8

Future Ramifications

8

Conclusion

9

Appendix A. Plan of Action

10

Appendix B. Budget

11

Bibliography

12

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Abstract
Spiral is music video production divided in tree parts. The theme of the first part is the
Universe, the creation and evolution of galaxies. The second part is about nature and its vastness,
its richness and the interconnection between the micro cosmos and the macro cosmos. The final
part of Spiral is about civilization and its isolation from nature and the Universe and his direction
to an uncertain future. The artist will use the skills acquired in video production, photography
and sound design to make his CE project.

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Introduction
Through an aesthetic visual and musical approach, the project intents to agree with the
basic premise of the Ying Yang philosophy which says that “all things exist as not only
inseparable but they attract and complement each other, for example; good and bad”1, while
disagreeing with Western dualism that says “opposites are separate and independent; good or
Bad”2. However, the intention of the artist is also to convey that while both Chinese and Western
philosophies only consider two fundamental kinds, there are many variables or categories
between the extremes. Spiral will include some examples of opposites to illustrate the
aforementioned philosophies: Macro cosmos & Micro cosmos, Nature & Civilization, Past &
Future, Chaos & Order, War & Peace. Each video and song will take the viewer through a
journey of beautiful images, compositions and landscapes with the intention to evoke prefund
emotions and consciousness of the duality humans have to bare.
One of the purposes of this project is that the creator applies the many tools as well as the
acquired knowledge obtained in each semester of the Music Production, Technology &
Innovation master’s program (MPTI). The artist has in mind to create music in Ableton Live,
using the different techniques learned in the Electronic Production class such as warping and
sampling, remixing and MIDI extraction. The Professional and Creative Music Sound Design

1. Mark Cartwright. "Yin and Yang." Ancient History Encyclopedia,
https://www.ancient.eu/Yin_and_Yang/ (accessed October 31, 2018)
2. Zalta Edward N (ed.), <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/dualism/
(accessed October 31, 2018)

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class will be taken as well in order to assist the development of the variety of sounds of the
project.
The student will also be putting in practice some of the procedures learned in the Hybrid
Recording Methods and Strategies to record the instruments utilized to make the music of Spiral.
Some of those instruments include but are not limited to: guitar, cello, djembe, violin and
percussion. The Advanced Hybrid Recording and Strategies class will also be taken during the
Spring semester so that a full understanding of the newest mixing techniques are applied to the
project. Recording, mixing and mastering were the main factors that made the student be
interested in the MPTI program, so attaining a great sound and music quality will be a measure
of the progress achieved during the scholar year.
As of the beginning of the Fall semester, the student did not have experience neither
using DSLR cameras, nor video composition, nor editing or any of the rules and techniques to
make a video/movie. The hands-on application of the material covered in the Studio Music
Video Production class and its advanced version will be crucial to successfully bring this artistic
work to completion. This Culminating Experience will include scenes of different natural
landmarks in Valencia as well as a vast palette of architectural structures from the past and
present of Spain.

Review of the state of the art

The visual aspect of this Culminating Experience is influenced by several artists, special
effects creators, film makers, photographers and several camera techniques. The most
fundamental influence for the technical aspect and realization of the visual effects for Spiral is

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Douglas Trumbull. He is an American film director, special effects supervisor and inventor who
has contributed and has been responsible for the special photographic effects in some of the
biggest sci-fi films such as Star Trek: The Motion Picture,3 Blade Runner,4 and Close
Encounters of the Third Kind,5 to name a few.
Fabian Oefner is an international renowned artist born in Switzerland, who uses
photography to bring art, science and natural events together. His photographs have been
displayed in various countries around the globe and has spoken about his art at TEDx. Fabian’s
work “Corona”6 has motivated the desire to carry out the creation of Spiral.
Terrence Malick is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His movies
have encounter praise but also critic and opinion regarding his work which is very devise among
film scholars to say the less. Nonetheless, five of his films have ranked highly in retrospective
decade-end and all-time polls. Terrence Malick’s feature “The Tree of Life”7 was awarded the
Palme d’Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and won FIPRESCI Award for Best Film Of The
Year. This film is also a key influence in the creation of Spiral.
One of the most challenging parts of Spiral is the recreation of the universe and a
supernova by using a technique called fluid motion. This method has been used in the past in sci3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Directed by Robert Wise. United States. Paramount
Pictures.1979. Film
4. Blade Runner. Directed by Ridley Scott. United States. Warner Bros. 1982. Film
5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Directed by Steven Spieldberg. United States.
Columbia Pictures. (1977). Film
6 Fabian Oefner. “Corona.” OEFNER, fabianoefner.com/. (accessed October 31, 2018)
7. The Tree of Life. Directed by Terrence Malick. United States. Belga Films. 2011. Film

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fi and action movies specially before the use of computer-generated visual effects. However, it is
until very recently that liquid motion has been used with artistic purposes mainly by
photographers. One of them is Fabian Oefner who has experimented with this technique to create
a diverse collection of photos for his expositions.
What makes this project unique and different is that the aforementioned technique
and the video sequence will be just a part of a whole project. Each song will have a different
visual theme, for one of the songs the goal is to make the viewer to be amazed by the beauty of
the outer space. The liquid motion technique will be also used to recreate the reproduction of
cells and the exploration of the micro universe. The main theme for another song will be nature,
in this case, the music video will feature several natural locations. Another video will cover
different types of inquietude, from antique to modern. Each song and video will have the
intention to portrait the original concept of complementary opposites.

Description
Spiral is a music video production divided in three parts. The main theme of the first part
is the Universe. The video begins with a massive explosion representing the Big Bang that gives
birth to light and the creation of matter and time , while the first guitar chords resonate loudly.
Sequence after sequence the cosmos expands infinitely and helium, hydrogen and interstellar
dust form the nebulas that reveal themselves. Stars emerge, molecular clouds gather to make
galaxies and spread across the dark background. They are the furnaces in which the elements of
future life are melted. An ocean of fire, resembling pure concentrated energy fills the entire
screen, boiling and waiting until it cannot be contained any longer. Several supernovas, one after

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the other, explode just as the guitar chords arise, reminding the viewer of the constant evolution
and trial and error that has and will continue to occur in the millions of years to come. The
intention of the artist in this first part of Spiral is to re-create with the use of practical effects all
the succession of events and incidents that happen constantly outside planet Earth in the
immensity of the Universe.
The main theme of the second part of Spiral is Nature. The whole video was shot in the
city of Valencia and the Valencian Community, particularly a region called Chulilla. This
journey through mother Earth begins with a choir singing both in joy and sadness as sun rays
leak through leaves and the branches of a tree, just to immediately display a beautiful blue,
orange and black feathered bird of the specie called Lampronornis Superbus, small flowers yet to
blossom are shaken by the wind. As the singing choir fades out, we can see the reflections of the
Sun over the surface of the ancient Mediterranean Sea that never runs dry. The music starts to
build up to accompany images of clouds and birds as they moved and fly over the blue Valencian
sky. The immensity and beauty of nature are represented in Spiral by the display of the green
hills of Chulilla that are so large that the camera needs to pan in order to capture the majesty of
the landscape. Images of rocks eroded through thousands of years are proof of the geological
history of the planet. Sequences of Ladybirds, ants, wasp, cells and the Universe show the
abundance of life at the macroscopic and microscopic level with the intention to remind the
audience that everything is interlinked. The natural elements devour and give birth to themselves
in a spiral effect.
The main theme of the third and last part of Spiral is Civilization. The main objective of
this third part was to convey the idea that humans have been gradually losing touch with nature.
Contrasting with the second part which contains images of the micro and macro cosmos to

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express the idea that everything is part of a whole, this final video is self-contained. The music is
also more melancholic, contrary to the music in the second video which is brighter in mood. For
this video the artist wanted to give the idea of hours passing by, so the video begins in the
afternoon showing flowers and a field of tall grass that is near a rusty truck and an old house. As
sunset approaches, the journey takes the audience to an abandoned factory which artist uses as a
symbol of humans forgetting their past. Is night now and we see the moon moving in the dark
sky. A new day begins and the exploration around Valencia continues. The camera focuses in
things that can be considered insignificant, such as a lock hanging from a chain that has two
names and a hart on it, a red petal on the ground or a snail shell stuck to a wooden pole. The goal
is to find beauty even in what can be considered insignificant. A new sunset approaches and
Spiral ends with the shot of a plant that has grown out from a crack in the pavement and the sun
behind it disappearing in the horizon.

Innovative Aspects
Use of practical effects
The main objective for the production of Spiral was to use exclusively practical effects to
recreate the Universe and cells with the intention of getting all the content on camera instead of
being generated with software. This gives a more organic feel to the images.

Use of paints and chemicals in a creative way.
The artist had to learn how to use a variety of paints and consistencies to recreate nebulas,
galaxies and supernovas. Experimentation with different combinations was necessary in order to

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produce different chemical reactions when the liquids interact with each other. Every shot is
unique and cannot be replicated.

None expensive gear
Spiral was made with tools that are affordable and easy to find in hardware stores and
online.

New Skills acquired

Filmmaking
Before the making of Spiral, the artist did not have previous experience in how to make a
film. This process has provided new knowledge regarding the process of making a film.

Cinematography
For the realization of this CE, it was necessary to learn about different lenses and focal
lengths as well as lighting.

Editing
Editing is essential to create a video. Premiere Pro was used to edit Spiral.

Sound Design.
Ableton and Serum were fundamental to make the music on the project. The artist did not
have previous experience using them before the Master program.

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Challenges
Becoming efficient at using the camera was of extreme important since the CE project is
completely video based. Shooting in natural light was a very good way at learning how to expose
since natural light changes constantly. Learning the process of video shooting, editing, story
telling and color grading in a short period of time was challenging but also very rewarding
fulfilling. The re-creation of Space was an expected as well as unexpected challenge. The
Universe part was very difficult to make since it required much experimentation with paints and
how to mix them. For some shots a denser consistency was needed to create nebulas while for
other shots a more water-like consistency was necessary to recreate supernovas and galaxies. To
finish the whole CE project on time for delivery was challenging as well, the Space part took
longer than expected to make and caused delays in the making and editing of the other videos.

Future Ramifications
In its inception, Spiral was planned to be a four-part project, with the fourth part being
about Artificial Intelligence. The artist plans to make that forth part to give Spiral a conclusion.
Experimentation with microscopes to create abstract videos and photos is also an important goal
for the future. The artist also wants to photograph and film wildlife as well as well as
underwater. Selling and licensing footage and artistic work is also part of the plans for the future.
Make all types of video work such as corporate video, music video and commercials.

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Conclusion

Spiral is a music video production divided in three parts, Space, Nature and Civilization.
The goal of the first video is to recreate the beginning of the Universe and the formation and
evolution of nebulas, galaxies and supernova explosions to portray the vastness of Space. The
goal of the second video is to show the beauty of nature, the micro cosmos and the macro
cosmos and how everything is interconnected. The final video is about how society isolates itself
from nature and moves to an uncertain future. Both video and music were created by the artist.
The student went to Berklee College of Music Campus Valencia with the goal of acquiring new
skills in other areas, by the end of the program he has obtained knowledge in sound design, audio
recording and video production. The goal was achieved.

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Appendix A. Plan of Action

10

Appendix B. Budget

11

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Biliography

Cartwright, Mark. "Yin and Yang." Ancient History Encyclopedia,
https://www.ancient.eu/Yin_and_Yang/ (accessed October 31, 2018)
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/dualism/ (accessed
October 31, 2018)
The Tree of Life. Directed by Malick, Terrence. United States. Belga Films. 2011. Film
Oefner, Fabian. “OEFNER.” OEFNER, fabianoefner.com/. (accessed October 31, 2018)
Robinson, Howard, "Dualism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 Edition)
Blade Runner. Directed by Scott, Ridley. United States. Warner Bros. 1982. Film
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Directed by Spieldberg, Steven. United States. Columbia
Pictures. (1977). Film
Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Directed by Wise, Robert. United States. Paramount
Pictures.1979. Film

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