“Dragon and moon / Dragon y Luna” by Aztlek is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
I chose to include an image of a dragon because this week I have been engrossed in the newest addition to the Empyrean Series written by Rebecca Yarros. This series is a romantic fantasy about dragons, wyverns, gryphons, and more magical creatures. I coupled the audio of pages turning with this image to convey the feeling of an onlooker watching me read this series. This series is intense and has its dark moments, and it’s strange to think about how the soothing the sound of turning pages is all that can be heard as I am transported into this magical realm of dragons.
Originally I thought to accompany this image with sounds of war, fire, or ‘fantasy music,’ but I think the juxtaposition of pages quietly turning is more impactful.
Terms of Use: “Physically Present, Mentally Elsewhere” by Grace Bayliss is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Grace,
Your post is a compelling meditation on genre aesthetics. Initially, I was struck by the contrast between the drama of the image and the quiet, sparsely populated soundscape you chose. It brought to mind traditions of storytelling and the dispersal of legends in popular culture. Taking a closer look at the image, I believe that it is a well-lit and composed piece of macrophotography of a model/figure of a dragon- perhaps a standee for a tabletop roleplaying game. The sound itself is laid back, if a little bit creepy, for its repetition and relative lack of context. Together, they create a small narrative which is confirmed by the text in your post. I have never read Yarros’ work, but I definitely identify with your connection to the imaginative power of fantasy literature. I agree with your observation that a more ‘action-packed’ soundscape would lean into cliché territory, though I wonder if a similarly quiet soundscape that lends itself more to a fantasy context could still strike that balance- perhaps whispering, or the sound of rustling trees.
Technically, your post is solid. I wish the image was slightly larger, as I had to use the Flickr link to read more detail in the image, but all of your link text works well and is formatted nicely. The audio plays without issue and I was able to listen to it a few times while I read over your post.
Nice work!
Hi Grace,
My initial reaction was to the image of the dragon. It is intriguing and evokes the power and mystery of dragons, symbolizing the magical and otherworldly feelings felt by someone looking at this image. Since I was a little kid, I’ve always loved the idea of dragons. The image reminded me of Game of Thrones, which does a fantastic job of portraying dragons.
When I played the sound you paired with it, I was transported to one of my favorite books of all time, the Eragon series. This series is full of fantasy, with characters ranging from elves to dragons. Is it similar to the Empyrean Series you mentioned?
The audio is peaceful and brings about feelings of immersion. I like your idea of using page-turning audio with the image from the fantasy world. Audio like stormy weather or fire crackling could have made an eerie contrast to the peaceful page-turning sound. I think your choice works great and is a unique pairing that I wasn’t expecting. Your image, audio, and copyrights look good and correct. Great job!