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In focus: Hearing

Sound plays an important role in shaping our experience – a horror film without sound feels a lot less scary91. Recent VR-horror games with realistic ambient sound have shown almost double the self-reported fear levels by comparison with silent conditions92. Rapid recent advancements in 3D audio and beamforming technology (for directing sound to specific locations) can also unlock exciting creative opportunities for immersive experience and spatial sound designers.

Case study: Arcade ​

DARKFIELD are renowned for their innovative use of binaural sound in complete darkness. Usually located inside a shipping container, their experiences locate stories in space with an innovative use of audio, expanding our understanding of the importance and potential of sound for storytelling.

Arcade is a 25-minute, choose-your-own-path experience run in pitch-blackness. Wearing noise-isolating headphones, participants are guided solely by a 360-degree binaural soundtrack whose branching narrative responds to a button press and coins inserted into a cabinet's slot.Arcade also incorporates additional sensory elements such as sudden splashes of water (see []Case study: water droplets) and 3D-printed props.

Photograph of a row of black gaming or VR stations with headsets hanging on each unit, illuminated by vibrant neon lights in green, purple, and blue. The setup suggests a futuristic gaming or virtual reality arcade environment with reflective surfaces enhancing the colorful lighting effects.

DARKFIELD's ARCADE, Nottingham Lakeside Arts. Neon-lit interior with a row of arcade cabinets and over-ear headphones inside a shipping-container installation. © Katie Edwards, 2024.

"When we begin thinking about a new show we always think about what new multisensory elements we can explore. Our work is less interested in a traditional narrative structure and the special effects we use are as integral to the story we tell as the script. Because of the branch narrative structure of Arcade, it was clear that any sensory events needed to be individual to each audience member (in all our other shows the effects are universal to everyone). Often the smallest effect can have the biggest impact, the water spray in Arcade is the one that most people mention. It's important though that any effect we use is integral to the story; its primary function is to augment the audio."— Glen Neath, Artistic Director and Co-Founder at DARKFIELD