In this rescore of Denis Villeneuve’s Next Floor (2008), every sound—from footsteps and chewing to creaking wood and ambient room tone—was crafted from manipulated orchestral recordings. The intention was to blur the boundary between diegetic and nondiegetic sound, transforming traditional instruments into immersive sonic textures. All original audio was stripped away, and the film’s entire sound world was rebuilt through a fusion of composition and sound design.

For example, the sound of eating was constructed by layering flutes performing key clicks and flutter-tonguing with pizzicato and staccato strings. These textures were then processed to evoke the tactile intensity of chewing. Throughout the film, orchestral gestures were reshaped into functional sound design elements, creating a metadiegetic soundscape—one rooted in the character’s inner experience.

This project marked a pivotal moment in the development of a hybrid practice: where orchestral sound becomes a raw material for storytelling, and sound design is elevated to a narrative force. It demonstrated the potential for audio processing to completely transform source material, and in doing so, opened the door to collaborations with directors interested in sound as a central storytelling tool.

At its core, this work reflects a belief that every sound—whether instrumental, environmental, or abstract—can be deconstructed, layered, and reimagined to serve a narrative. The orchestral palette offers an especially rich terrain: its timbres can be stretched beyond recognition, yet remain emotionally resonant. The goal was to transcend traditional categories, placing sound in a space where it can inhabit multiple diegetic layers at once. Sound becomes a canvas—limitless in expressive potential, always ready to be explored anew.