Portend, Portage, Portico

an intermedia project with composer julie zhu, filmmaker Ellie schmidt, and hub new music

About the Project

In the coastal fishing town of Sitka, Alaska, volcanic geology interacts directly with the forces of the Pacific Ocean. Wave action is positively correlated with biodiversity; powerful storms create surges that sustain a uniquely rich concentration of marine life, which in turn supports vibrant animal and human communities. Although visually beautiful and ecologically essential, these volcanic tidal landscapes are difficult to observe, due to the violent nature of the waves and the nature of the coast – slippery, steep, and requiring exposure gear and local knowledge. Local filmmaker Ellie Schmidt has collected hours of footage drawing from years of free diving and small boat expeditions surrounding Sitka.

Zhu’s 45-minute score for Hub New Music and electronics serves as narrative driver and emotional anchor for Schmidt’s visuals. Designed to depart from the nature documentary genre, this project is a visual and musical spectacle, inviting the audience to spend extended time in the world of littoral creatures through intricately-composed musical objects. Musical gestures will pull the viewers from submerged volcanic reefs to crowded tidal flats. RED Cameras and SoundFish hydrophone recordings will be used to create cutting edge recordings of remote places.

Collaborators