Hi! I am a beginner sound designer currently working on my portfolio. I am looking for interesting projects to include in it, and yours looks nice. I like its cozy visual style! I noticed that there are still no sound effects in the teaser on your Steam page. Let me know if I can help you with sound design; it's free.

Hi everyone! I am a beginner sound designer and composer for video games, videos, and animations.Currently, I am working on my portfolio. I dont want to redesign existing finished games, which is why Im looking for interesting and unique indie projects. I believe that if Im doing some work for free, it would be great if someone could use it for their benefit. If you are a game developer and your project needs sound effects or music, I would be glad to help!

Fin Design & Effects did a great job in bringing Disneys Nautilus to life with their mastery of creating breath-taking visual effects. The team was assigned to open the film, as they introduce the famous submarine, Nautilus. They built a fully CG tall ship complete with dynamic sails, ropes, and destruction, placed seamlessly into a live action setting. The ocean environment, from calm seas to raging waves, was entirely created, with intricate interaction simulations.One of the exceptional works was on the climax sequence, where they revealed the Halvar cliffs. Fin led the creative lead on this monumental reveal under the guidance of Fin Visual Effects Supervisor Will Gammon, collaborating with other studios and crafting the cliff and pillar environment.Besides these big moments, Fin contributed to many epic underwater shots and beautiful environments that made the series rich with their visual artistry. Nautilus truly shines through their exceptional work.The post Nautilus VFX Breakdown by Fin Design & Effects appeared first on Vfxexpress.

A week after Hurricane Sandy flooded New York Citys streets and subways in 2012, the citys schools were back in business. But schools in rural North Carolina did not reopen until almost a month after Hurricane Helene roared through in late September 2024.While natural disasters and health crises may have long-lasting effects on any school system, in rural areas the lack of physical, financial, and organizational resources is amplified when disaster strikes.Fortunately, there are solutions. Based on my professional research on emergency preparednessand my experience working in educational settingsIve identified several strategies that may help.Rural schools have unique disaster challengesUnlike urban areas, rural districts often have little access to the recreation centers, cultural institutions, university campuses, and other structures that could provide temporary sites for classes after a disaster.Access to these buildings helped schools in New York City in the response to Hurricane Sandy.Rural areas also have greater distances between homes, fewer buildings that can be used for temporary schooling, and deteriorating infrastructure. Educational resources are often insufficient, transportation is difficult, and many areas lack access to broadband.Rural school districts may have weaker local funding streams. As a result, they may struggle to provide students full access to textbooks, technology, and other essential materials.Another major barrier for rural students is transportation.In many rural communities, students rely on school buses to get to and from school. When natural disasters damage roads or disrupt transportation networks, students may be unable to attend school in person for extended periods.Even after the immediate effects of a disaster subside, transportation issues can persist. For example, the North Carolina Department of Transportation estimated that it could take a year or more to repair road damage from Hurricane Helene.Digital divide contributes to impactUrban schools, with more reliable power and internet and better access to digital resources, are able to pivot quickly to online or hybrid learning when buildings are suddenly closed.Students in rural schools, however, may have no access to reliable internet services or little or no access to the internet at all. In addition, teachers in rural areas may have more difficulty shifting classes online, since they are more likely to lack training or experience in digital instruction than teachers in cities.Planning for disasterThe disruptions following a natural disaster have both immediate and long-term consequences. Studies have found that the effects of natural disasters include mental health issues, learning loss, lower graduation rates, and diminished opportunities for higher education or career advancement.Due to the challenges already facing rural schools, I believe preparing for a disaster in a rural area should occur earlier and take into account the specific needs of the community.Rural schools, even more than their urban counterparts, cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach but need to make the best of the resources available and encourage collaboration from the local community and neighboring communities.Here are a few strategies they could use.Provide offline learning materialsAlthough it may seem intuitive, one key solution to school closures is developing learning materials that do not require internet access. I have found that many teachers focus on electronic resources, such as smartphones and Apple watches, and overlook the use of old-fashioned methods.Instructional materials, such as workbooks and textbooks, should be available and used before a disaster occurs. This is to ensure that students can continue with their studies when they are cut off from school. These materials, which can be supplemented after a disaster, can include projects that students can work on independently or with their families.Use mobile technologyAnother approach incorporates mobile technology, such as smartphones. If service is available, students and teachers can communicate by phone.When internet access is unavailable, schools can use mobile learning hubs. These are vehicles equipped with Wi-Fi, computers, and other educational tools. These mobile hubs can travel to rural areas to provide students with access to digital resources. They serve as temporary classrooms or internet access points, bringing education directly to students.During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, I worked with a community college in Tennessee that provided mobile hubs at public libraries, school parking lots and on campus. Students were able to use these resources at all hours, day and night.Create a flexible learning environmentSchools can give students more flexibility in when and how they learn during the academic year. For example, schools can allow students to make up missed work at their own pace. Or schools can provide alternative learning hours to students who may need to help their families with recovery efforts.After Hurricane Helene downed power lines and closed roads in Beaufort County, South Carolina, students who were without power or internet were given five days to complete their work and other considerations.This flexibility helps ensure students do not fall too far behind. It may even help students better manage stress and maintain their mental well-being.Strengthen rural schoolsMaking rural school systems more resilient when disasters occur is essential to ensuring that students can continue learning.Advance planning, flexible learning options, and partnerships with families, community support services, and local and federal government programs can help. But I believe the underlying issues of the lack of resources, transportation challenges, and the digital divide should also be addressed to reduce the long-term impact of crises on rural education.Lee Ann Rawlins Williams is a clinical assistant professor of education, health, and behavior studies at the University of North Dakota.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

For the past few years, Ive had the same New Years resolution, which, on paper, may seem to be the antithesis of what a New Years resolution should be. But I swear its one that is slowly but surely making me a bit more successful: Each year, I vow to be a little less productive.While I like to think of myself as a sort of laid-back, laissez-faire type, the reality is, Im pretty much a type A. My list-making alone is proof of this. I start most days making long to-do lists that one could argue set me up for failure. Typically, I have one work to-do list and one life to-do list. Admittedly, I rarely check off everything but man, do I feel good the few times a year it happens.Im definitely a victim of our very American obsession with productivity (an obsession thats actually quite counterproductive). We want to do it all to have it all, be multihyphenates; and social media is full of folks who can turn anything, from skincare to simply getting up, into a multistep routine. Rise and grind! Hustle! Optimize!This mindset doesnt necessarily translate into happinesssomething that, the older I get, Im increasingly a glutton for. A big part of that is prioritizing my work-life balance, ensuring that Im not using every waking moment working or being productive, being deliberate about drawing more boundaries and intentional about spending some time where nothing productive is accomplished.Work-life balance has been in the headlines lately, as it often is this hectic time of year. New research shows that the United States has the longest average work day, with eight hours and 29 minutes, equating to American employees working more than 18% longer than their counterparts. (The same study finds that Finland has the best work-life balance and is, coincidentally, the happiest country according to the World Happiness Report.) Meanwhile, tech founder Daksh Gupta recently went viral by admitting that his own company has no work-life balance.In 2019, at the ripe old age of 35, I realized that being productive for productivitys sake isnt necessarily in my best interest, personally or professionally. Id left a pretty toxic job, and when I sat down to figure out what I learned from said experiencesomething I try to do after significant life transitionsI realized that being the first in and last out didnt necessarily make my work better. And it didnt ingratiate me with upper management. Nothing guarantees that.The next job I took was for a company that prioritized work-life balance from the top down: There was unlimited PTO you were actually encouraged to take, I never felt pressure to answer work communication after hours, and we were allowed to work a flexible schedule as long as we were communicative about it. It was a good reminder that slowing down and measuring things in quality versus quantitywhich we all intrinsically know, but is easy to forget in the dog-eat-dog world that is U.S. corporate cultureoften produces higher quality work. At least for me, it also made work that much more enjoyable.Thats when I started my quest to make each year just a little less productive.It started small. Id limit the number of things on my to-do lists, the yearly goals Id set for myself, and give myself hard workplace boundaries. (The first year, that included a hard stop at 5 p.m. when the workday concluded.)I quickly found that measuring productivity more by the outcomes of the projects versus how much I got done meant that my work got more precise and insightful. For example, writing one blog post that resonated with readers and got them to sign up for a consultation was much more valuable than five blogs published in one week that everyone skimmed. Work also became more enjoyable.Thats because enjoyable work enhances work performance.The following year, I subtracted more from those daily lists and yearly goals. I also decided to take a few breaks during the workday to do nothing. This isnt anything crazy10 to 15 minutes here and there when I have no meetingsand its easy since I work remotely.I dont go on walks. I dont read a book. Ill often just sit on my patio, listen to music, think for a few minutes, or let my mind wander.I dont know if Ill ever look back on 2024 fondly, per seit was a challenging year for various reasonsbut I will look back at it as one of the most professionally successful years of my life. I started a new job with many new opportunities, and my freelance writing career is thriving.Should I cut back a bit more in 2025? Id like to, but I also think focusing too much on prioritizing my free timeon optimizing nonproductiveness, if you willcould become a slippery slope; the kind that leads me to, say, write an article about being a little less productive, which launches into TikTok and Instagram channels dedicated to the same subject, which would support the Master Class on nonproductiveness I plan on launching in 2026 . . . Just kidding. I think what it will actually look like is limiting the daily, or sometimes twice-daily, lists I make to a set number of obtainable items.

The recent spate of unidentified drone sightings in the U.S., including some near sensitive locations such as airports and military installations, has caused significant public concern.Some of this recent increase in activity may be related to a September 2023 change in U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations that now allow drone operators to fly at night. But most of the sightings are likely airplanes or helicopters rather than drones.The inability of the U.S. government to definitively identify the aircraft in the recent incidents, however, has some people wondering, why cant they?I am an engineer who studies defense systems. I see radio frequency sensors as a promising approach to detecting, tracking and identifying drones, not least because drone detectors based on the technology are already available. But I also see challenges to using the detectors to comprehensively spot drones flying over American communities.How drones are controlledOperators communicate with drones from a distance using radio frequency signals. Radio frequency signals are widely used in everyday life such as in garage door openers, car key fobs and, of course, radios. Because the radio spectrum is used for so many different purposes, it is carefully regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.Drone communications are only allowed in narrow bands around specific frequencies such as at 5 gigahertz. Each make and model of a drone uses unique communication protocols coded within the radio frequency signals to interpret instructions from an operator and to send data back to them. In this way, a drone pilot can instruct the drone to execute a flight maneuver, and the drone can inform the pilot where it is and how fast it is flying.Identifying drones by radio signalsRadio frequency sensors can listen in to the well-known drone frequencies to detect communication protocols that are specific to each particular drone model. In a sense, these radio frequency signals represent a unique fingerprint of each type of drone.In the best-case scenario, authorities can use the radio frequency signals to determine the drones location, range, speed and flight direction. These radio frequency devices are called passive sensors because they simply listen out for and receive signals without taking any active steps. The typical range limit for detecting signals is about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the source.These sensors do not represent advanced technology, and they are readily available. So, why havent authorities made wider use of them? Challenges to using radio frequency sensorsWhile the monitoring of radio frequency signals is a promising approach to detecting and identifying drones, there are several challenges to doing so.First, its only possible for a sensor to obtain detailed information on drones that the sensor knows the communication protocols for. Getting sensors that can detect a wide range of drones will require coordination between all drone manufacturers and some central registration entity.In the absence of information that makes it possible to decode the radio frequency signals, all that can be inferred about a drone is a rough idea of its location and direction. This situation can be improved by deploying multiple sensors and coordinating their information.Second, the detection approach works best in quiet radio frequency environments where there are no buildings, machinery or people. Its not easy to confidently attribute the unique source of a radio frequency signal in urban settings and other cluttered environments. Radio frequency signals bounce off all solid surfaces, making it difficult to be sure where the original signal came from. Again, the use of multiple sensors around a particular location, and careful placement of those sensors, can help to alleviate this issue.Third, a major part of the concern over the inability to detect and identify drones is that they may be operated by criminals or terrorists. If drone operators with malicious intent know that an area targeted for a drone operation is being monitored by radio frequency sensors, they may develop effective countermeasures. For example, they may use signal frequencies that lie outside the FCC-regulated parameters, and communication protocols that have not been registered. An even more effective countermeasure is to preprogram the flight path of a drone to completely avoid the use of any radio frequency communications between the operator and the drone.Finally, widespread deployment of radio frequency sensors for tracking drones would be logistically complicated and financially expensive. There are likely thousands of locations in the U.S. alone that might require protection from hostile drone attacks. The cost of deploying a fully effective drone detection system would be significant.There are other means of detecting drones, including radar systems and networks of acoustic sensors, which listen for the unique sounds drones generate. But radar systems are relatively expensive, and acoustic drone detection is a new technology.The way forwardIt was almost guaranteed that at some point the problem of unidentified drones would arise. People are operating drones more and more in regions of the airspace that have previously been very sparsely populated.Perhaps the recent concerns over drone sightings are a wake-up call. The airspace is only going to become much more congested in the coming years as more consumers buy drones, drones are used for more commercial purposes, and air-taxis come into use. Theres only so much that drone detection technologies can do, and it might become necessary for the FAA to tighten regulation of the nations airspace by, for example, requiring drone operators to submit detailed flight plans.In the meantime, dont be too quick to assume those blinking lights you see in the night sky are drones.Iain Boyd is the director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and a professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

As part of ourreview of 2024, Dezeen digital editor Rupert Bickersteth rounds up the year's most hotly debated stories, from Jaguar's rebrand to the latest from Thomas Heatherwick's Humanise campaign.Millions of you read Dezeen each year and tens of thousands of comments are left under stories debating and discussing the finer details of a project, an opinion or interview, or the news itself.Two ongoing stories dominated the debate this year: plans for America's tallest tower in Oklahoma and the Neom news coming out of Saudi Arabia.Away from the news, Dezeen's original opinion pieces sparked lively debate amongst readers, including an article by Catherine Slessor about starchitects retiring gracefully or refusing to, as the case may be.Check out our weekly Comments Update rounding up the best of the debate and subscribe to our Dezeen Debate newsletter, which highlights the hottest discussions happening each week.Read on for the 10 most hotly debated Dezeen stories of the year:Image courtesy of AO"Completely delusional" plans for the USA's tallest tower in OklahomaWe first reported on plans for a supertall skyscraper in Oklahoma in January. The project went on to secure full funding and receive approval for "unlimited height", making it set to be the tallest building in the US when complete.Readers left nearly 400 comments under the news as it developed across the year, including concerns in early December about the tower's impact on the safety of flights, which were submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Dezeen readers decried the project, named Legends Tower, as a "white elephant" and "completely delusional especially for Oklahoma" but the architects, in an interview with Dezeen, said that they "didn't want it to be crazy or gaudy".Read all Dezeen's stories on Legends Tower Photo by Hufton + Crow"Puzzling" Studio Libeskind's social housing for seniorsAlso igniting the comments section was architecture firm Studio Libeskind's The Atrium at Sumner Houses project, an afforable housing blockwith 190 apartments for seniors inBrooklyn, New York.The full-height central atrium, which gives the building its name, was what most enflamed commenters, with one capturing the majority of reactions, good or bad, by posting "this project induced a visceral reaction in me".Both sides of the debate called it alternatively a "gorgeous prison" but also "a remarkable and surprisingly friendly" piece of residential architecture.Many found it plain "puzzling" and responded with questions, asking "apart from some quirky angles, where's the liveability, the joy, planting, human scale?"What do you think? Join the debate in the comments section Photo by Stefan Tuchila"Screw eco-friendly" climate action and the Paris Olympic Village air-conditioning debacleDezeen's regular opinionwriter Smith Mordak drew focus onto climate issues arising from the Paris 2024 Olympics and the temperature of the athletes' accommodation.The athletes' village was built to be cooled via a geothermal cooling system, so long as occupants followed simple rules such as keeping window-blinds shut during the day.Faith in this technology wavered, and many teams, including those from Britain, Japan and the US, elected to buy portable air-conditioning units, demonstrating Mordak argued the scale of the challenge we face in gaining acceptance forsustainable building technologies.Their hypothesis was arguably proved right in the comments section, with one reader posting "screw eco-friendly, I would rather not roast", while others argued that "air-conditioning is very sustainable when nuclear- or solar-powered, and modern units don't emit harmful chemicals".In a more measured comment, which other readers upvoted, it was suggested that "the question we need to ask is not just how do we live with compromise, but how do we find solutions that are truly acceptable?"Read Smith Mordak's opinion piece Photo courtesy of Heatherwick Studio"Heatherwick is the Gaudi of today" Heatherwick Studio designs first building in South AmericaIf there is one name on Dezeen that sends readers running to the comment section, it is Thomas Heatherwick. Whether he is designing gin bottles, South Korean shopping centres or putting tress on things, it provokes hot debate.We covered 11 Heatherwick stories in 2024 that garnered more than 600 comments between them. The two most explosively debated were the latest from his Humanise campaign and the unveiling of his designs for auniversityinBogot, featuring undulating columns informed by indigenous weaving practices.The colourful renders of the latter prompted one commenter to call the designer "the Gaudi of today", while others found them "embarrassing and gimmicky".When not piling in on his designs, commenters were elsewhere keen to discuss Heatherwick's Humanise campaign, which this year published "boring" versions of historic UK landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle.It triggered one of Dezeen readers' favourite debates in the comments: modernism versus classicism."A more compelling exercise would be to generate classical versions of brutalistbuildings," argued a commenter, with another agreeing that "replacing historic buildings with carefully selected modernist tropes with no reference to culture, history or society is just plain silly".Others were less polite!Check out the Heatherwick debate in the comments section Image courtesy of Jaguar"Nothing about this screams luxury British car" Jaguar unveils rebrandThe most talked-about rebrand of the year generated hundreds of comments across our coverage, with our design readers mostly concerned about the "awful mixture of upper and lower case letters".When Jaguar then revealed its electric concept car at Miami art week, there was an equal provocation among Dezeen readers, one of whom thought "Jaguar should be applauded for trying something different".Elsewhere, readers also enjoyed commenting on another car company's rebranding exercise as Audi ditched its signature logo of four interlocking rings for a new range of electric vehicles in China. Did you know the number four is considered bad luck in China?Read Dezeen's coverage of the Jaguar rebrand and concept car reveal Photo by Giles Pendleton"Just another line in the sand" Neom scales back plans for The Line in Saudi ArabiaOne of the biggest stories of the last few years continued to make headlines in 2024. In February aerial photos revealed work progressing on The Line megacity, being developed by Neom in Saudi Arabia.Commenters dismissed the progress, commenting "it's longer, but still no concrete poured". One person even said they were "just here to view the delightfully entertaining comments".Then, in April, it was revealed the original number of residents planned for the project by 2030 would be reduced. The scaling-back was because Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund hadn't approved Neom's budget.Readers rushed to the comments section to express their lack of surprise at the news. "Just another line in the sand," quipped one, while another joked "not the line then, just a dash".A more serious commenter posted: "Neom will stand as a monumental and uncompleted folly to Saudi hubris".Read all the latest news about The Line Photo by J l Cereijido/EPA courtesy of Shutterstock"Why would one stop if they are enjoying what they are doing?" the phenomenon of ageing starchitectsAnother opinion piece that sparked the ire of the majority of commenters came from Dezeen contributor Catherine Slessor, who wrote a signature tirade about architecture's famous figures working well into their old age and not knowing when to stop.Commenters broadly contested Slessor's argument, asking "why would one stop if they are enjoying what they are doing?" and "if the guy wants to keep working and clients want to keep hiring him then who are you to dictate what he can and can't do?"While many readers thought the gist of the article was ageist, one balanced commenter contributed to the debate: "it isn't ageist to say these people should retire, it's logistics. If they haven't cultivated their own replacements by now, they've failed their organisations, and failed as mentors to the next generations."What do you think? Join the discussion in the comments section Image courtesy of Oxman"Beyond gorgeous... can it be realised?" Neri Oxman unveils skyscraper plans that are AI-optimised for plantingMore than 50 readers took the to comment section to debate plans from design studio Oxmanfor a system called "ecological programming" to optimise green architecture, demonstrated with conceptual plans for a skyscraperwith multiple planted platforms.Many readers thought it showed a fundamental lack of understanding of root systems, commenting "it takes 10 seconds to check the depth of earth needed for a tree to thrive" and wondering "why don't we just make it a park?"Others thought it proved a good example of why the profession might resist the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), calling the project "some dystopian AI monument".Read about Neri Oxman's conceptual skyscraper AI-optimised for planting Photo by Julius Shulman via Paul Getty Trust"What is considered beautiful to one may be ugly to another" Chris Pratt demolishes 1950s Craig Ellwood house in LAReaders were largely unimpressed by news that the actor Chris Pratt had torn down a home by mid-century architect Craig Ellwood in LA. Commenters punned on the actor's last name and decried the behaviour of "uncultured vandals".Prompted by the news, conservation group Docomomo, speaking to Dezeen, said unprotected modernist houses are at risk of demolition as land often holds greater value than architectural heritage.Not everyone agreed in the comment section ,with one commenter counter-arguing: "I don't see many century modern-style homes being built today. The fad was very niche in its day, and not what most people want now. What is considered beautiful to one may be ugly to another. They wanted the property, but not the house. It's their right to demolish it if they wish."Where do you stand on architectural preservation? Join the debate Photo by Backgrid"Not one of Ando's best works" Ye strips Tadao Ando beach house in MalibuIn a somewhat similar story, news broke in June that the musician Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had removed the windows and gutted the interior of a concrete home in Malibuby Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Commenters were unimpressed, calling it "an act of disgraceful waste".Others joked that "the house has vastly improved" and that it "is not one of Ando's best works".Other Ando projects Dezeen reported on in 2024 includedplans for Armani Beach Residences atPalm Jumeirah inDubai, and he joined the growing trend of architects designing luxury watches with a snake-like design forBulgari's Serpenti range.Dezeen DebateTo get the week's most hotly debated stories straight to your inbox, subscribeto Dezeen Debate. Read the latest edition today.The post The 10 most hotly debated design and architecture stories of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

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