I wasn't meant to feel
Role: composer/ Sound designer/ sound editor/ Mix & masterIng
Role: composer/ Sound designer/ sound editor/ Mix & masterIng
collaboration with akral studios
In a dark, motionless world, a forgotten AI keeps "living"- fueled only by memory. Created by a real-life couple, I wasn't meant to feel is an experimental short film about loss, time, and what it means to be left behind in a world that keeps moving.
about the film
Conceived in Los Angeles,
I wasn't meant to feel was born during a period of reflection on the
relentless pace of innovation and the quiet extinction of tools, systems, and people
once considered essential. It began as an intimate conversation between two creatives,
and real-life partners, about memory, obsolescence, and emotional neglect.
I wasn't meant to feel was born during a period of reflection on the
relentless pace of innovation and the quiet extinction of tools, systems, and people
once considered essential. It began as an intimate conversation between two creatives,
and real-life partners, about memory, obsolescence, and emotional neglect.
Set in a deserted space where dust and silence have replaced human presence,
a forgotten system still runs — obsolete, yet alive.
This short film is a poetic reflection on abandonment, memory,
and the question of what remains when usefulness fades.
Through static visuals and decaying circuits, it draws a parallel between discarded machines
and the human tendency to forget people, places, and moments.
a forgotten system still runs — obsolete, yet alive.
This short film is a poetic reflection on abandonment, memory,
and the question of what remains when usefulness fades.
Through static visuals and decaying circuits, it draws a parallel between discarded machines
and the human tendency to forget people, places, and moments.
Created with generative AI tools but driven by a fully human vision,
it blends experimental aesthetics and handcrafted sound design
into a visual requiem for the obsolete.
it blends experimental aesthetics and handcrafted sound design
into a visual requiem for the obsolete.
The visual output may be artificial, but the vision, direction, and sound design were entirely shaped by us - Alex and Giulia- both as artists and as a couple.
Our goal was to breathe life into silence, and to give emotion to what's often ignored.
Into the Sound
The sound for I Wasn’t Meant to Feel started with the voice.
Using AI, I generated a synthetic voice by manually entering a monologue written by Alex. The character speaking is a forgotten computer — old, dusty, and left behind — so I knew the voice couldn’t sound clean or modern.
Using AI, I generated a synthetic voice by manually entering a monologue written by Alex. The character speaking is a forgotten computer — old, dusty, and left behind — so I knew the voice couldn’t sound clean or modern.
I spent time shaping it.
With EQ, I removed low-end warmth and brought out harsher mid frequencies to make it feel thin and worn-out.
Then I added saturation and some distortion to give it a damaged, unstable tone — like it was coming through broken speakers.
Small pitch shifts and modulation effects helped create the sense that this machine was struggling to hold itself together.
With EQ, I removed low-end warmth and brought out harsher mid frequencies to make it feel thin and worn-out.
Then I added saturation and some distortion to give it a damaged, unstable tone — like it was coming through broken speakers.
Small pitch shifts and modulation effects helped create the sense that this machine was struggling to hold itself together.
Once the voice was ready and the video was completed, I moved on to the rest of the sound.
I added foleys and sound effects that matched the images: subtle, minimal, but intentional.
Every sound was chosen to add space and presence without distracting from the stillness of the visuals.
I used different types of reverb depending on the scene — some wide and distant, others short and metallic — to create a sense of place and depth.
I added foleys and sound effects that matched the images: subtle, minimal, but intentional.
Every sound was chosen to add space and presence without distracting from the stillness of the visuals.
I used different types of reverb depending on the scene — some wide and distant, others short and metallic — to create a sense of place and depth.
After finishing the voice and the environmental sounds, I composed an original ambient track.
I wanted the music to support the mood without leading it.
There’s no beat or melody — just slow, evolving layers that blend into the textures.
A low drone gives tension.
Soft pads come and go, gently shaping the emotional tone.
Everything is designed to stay in the background, adding feeling without becoming too noticeable.
I wanted the music to support the mood without leading it.
There’s no beat or melody — just slow, evolving layers that blend into the textures.
A low drone gives tension.
Soft pads come and go, gently shaping the emotional tone.
Everything is designed to stay in the background, adding feeling without becoming too noticeable.
This project was a challenge, because the film is quiet and still.
But that gave me the opportunity to focus on every detail — to make sure every sound had a reason to be there.
But that gave me the opportunity to focus on every detail — to make sure every sound had a reason to be there.
In the end, the sound doesn’t just support the story — it helps define its atmosphere.
It gives the film a voice, a space, and a sense of memory.
It gives the film a voice, a space, and a sense of memory.
