Nawlz (2006 ~)
Sound Design for Online Graphic Novel
Nawlz is a project unlike any other. Difficult to label, hard to categorise – it is best described as a new type of storytelling.
It is, essentially, an online graphic novel, involving images, motion graphics, sound, text, and live software, and is created by a host of collaborators, and one guy with a super-focused vision.
It’s an onslaught of sci-fi, cyberpunk, augmented reality, acid-injected-sketched-out anime colliding with all the possibilities of the Internet and interactive software.
Directed, Illustrated, and written by Sutu, aka Stu Campbell, I have watched the project grow from its inception as simple brown paper-scroll pen drawings, to the full-blown a/v experience it is today.
I’ve known Stu since high school, and when he found out I was studying Sound Design during my fine art degree he was quick to enlist me for some sonic experimenting in Nawlz.
I jammed sounds over image with Stu and Nawlz during its pre-production phase, creating a mammoth amount of material for what seemed like a never-ending iteration of final versions, before reaching the elusive launch issue.
I left the project after designing for countless scenes and a year and a half of involvement, before handing over a huge hard drive of work for future sound designers to plunder.
Where possible I still help out Stu where I can, often having interesting conversations about where the project is headed.
I’ve always thought Nawlz would be well suited to touch devices and its awesome to see Stu and the team developing Nawlz for iPad. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Till then, check out the free online version via the link below: