This short animation was painted entirely by hand in virtual reality (VR) using Oculus Quill. The minimalist, stripped back, duotone aesthetic puts the focus on the soundscape, whilst the POV camera and calm narration immerses us in the environment and guides us through the hospital setting.

The purpose of the film was initially to promote & demystify the topics within Victoria Bates’ new book titled Making Noise in the Modern Hospital.

But as we developed the script and style, we found that by broadening the audience and centering the patient experience the film could also serve a therapeutic and educational purpose. If this film can help us reframe how we hear and listen within hospitals, maybe then it can help us cope in future moments of distress or anxiety.

A visit to hospital can be a uncomfortable experience and noise is often a source of complaints. Over the years, the NHS has spent significant amounts of money on things like sound-proofing and internal communications campaigns to try and reduce noise within the hospital, but as our film makes clear – silence is never the goal.

Through the calmness of Victoria’s narration, we call for compassion, patience and understanding – encouraging an appreciation for the layers of people and place that make our NHS tick.

“The sounds you hear tell us people are being cared for.

These machines keep people alive and help them recover.

When you next visit the hospital, take a moment to consider the sounds that surround you…

Because these sounds save lives.” 

Client: Sensing Spaces of Healthcare
Funding: UKRI / University of Bristol
Direction: Reuben + Jamie
Copywriting: Jamie Neale
Animation: Reuben Armstrong
Voiceover: Victoria Bates
Sound Design: Jamie Frye