For most of us, pointing to Tuvalu on a world map may prove tricky. But soon, even for those who do know where Tuvalu is, finding this tiny, Pacific-island nation on the map could prove impossible. That’s because, in the coming years and decades, Tuvalu is on course to slip beneath a rising ocean. It’s a nation that is being hit hardest by climate change.
Ironically, it’s this very threat that has, in recent years, drawn far more attention to one of the world’s smallest nations. But Tuvalu is so much more than just some sort of impending doomsday attraction. Look beyond the YouTube titles and clickbait thumbnails, and you’ll find a genuinely rich history and culture that the people of Tuvalu are rightly proud of.
To document this incredible island, as a way of preserving its unique culture and keeping its spirit alive for generations to come, Artlist sent four leading artists to capture the unique sights and sounds of Tuvalu. These assets form the Tuvalu collection, available for download in the Artlist catalog. The team consisted of content creator Joshua Guvi, filmmaker Spencer Frost, composer Tristan Barton, and audio naturalist Charles Rose.
Arriving in Tuvalu
Now…back to that map. “It’s definitely way out there — a tiny island in the middle of the South Pacific,” explains Spencer. Tuvalu lies smack in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — right between Australia and Hawaii. It’s made up of nine coral atolls and reef islands, scattered across just 26 square kilometers of land.
Spencer continues on the trials of how to travel with a drone and all of his other gear — “I wanted to document this place properly, so bringing a good amount of camera gear to do this place justice was a must. RED cinema camera, big drones, underwater housings, lenses, tripods, and all the other extras we needed — we were not travelling light! There are only one or 2 flights to the island a week, and it’s not a big plane, so we all had to sneak on as much carry-on camera kit as we could, as well as paying a good fee in excess baggage to get everything over.” In short, then, it was a little bit more than just your essential travel vlogging equipment!
Thanks to the lack of flights, most of the time, the airport runway is actually just a giant playground for the many local kids who run around playing football, flying kites, and, it turns out, looking for any opportunity to get in front of the camera. “Seeing all the children gathering there, playing together, and feeling that joyful, positive energy was moving,” says Charles. “Knowing that this place could disappear under the sea in the coming years makes those memories even more precious. Moments like these are a reminder of how important it is to preserve both cultures and places of life.”
The creative process
But the boys don’t immediately hit record with cameras and microphones. Each has their own process. Charles explains, “When I get to a new place, I don’t record straight away. I take a bit of time to walk around and listen. I let myself be immersed in the sounds around me. Sometimes a tone or a rhythm catches my ear. Other times, I notice something moving – two objects rubbing, leaves shaking — and I wonder what kind of sound it makes. That’s usually when I decide to record. I trust my instincts and follow whatever grabs my attention.”
It’s a similar story for Tristan, too. “Typically, I try to keep things organic, and not go in with too many preconceived ideas of what to expect. Despite doing a little bit of research beforehand, I was very open to anything and everything that Tuvalu had to offer. I think this approach, for me anyway, helps to ground the experience and allow for the unexpected when it comes to inspiration.”
This harmony in the creative approach “made it feel more collaborative, less like a shoot and more like a shared project,” says Josh. “Everyone brought something different to the table. Tristan was building music from kids singing, and Charles was running around with all kinds of mics recording textures and underwater sounds. Spencer and his team were just quietly capturing everything — really thoughtful shooters, super dialed in. It wasn’t just about filming stuff, it felt like we were all trying to absorb the place in our own way.”
Over the course of the week, the boys captured gorgeous, cinematic footage, beautifully moving music, and natural sounds that are truly unique to Tuvalu. These now form the assets found in the Tuvalu collection, where you can continue to keep the Tuvalu spirit alive in your own projects.
Capturing the unique sounds of Tuvalu
For any creative, SFX are an important cornerstone for a project. “Sound is a powerful way to raise awareness of the richness of the living world, to help us hear what we don’t even stop to look at,” explains Charles. “These recordings remind us that nature is always there, alive, active, even in its quietest forms. Making those sounds audible is a way of reconnecting people with that presence.”
Charles focused not just on nature sound effects, but culture and everyday life, too. His ability to pick out seemingly random objects in the landscape led to a variety of unique recordings. “We were standing around a barrel, and a kid nearby started hitting it with his hand. Right away, I thought it could be interesting to capture the metallic resonance using a contact microphone — especially since Tristan was with us. Depending on whether the barrel was empty or full, the sound would change, and I was curious to hear what it could produce.”
Charles immediately leapt at the opportunity. “Together with Tristan, Spencer, and the child, we started drumming on the barrel, creating this spontaneous scene, all connected through sound. What I really loved was letting the child listen back through the headphones, so he could hear how different the sound felt compared to what you hear with your bare ears.”
It’s all about the people
There’s no doubt that the local children and people of Tuvalu made the biggest impression on the team and ensured their trip was so wonderful. Tristan was blown away — “the thing that will always be etched into my heart and mind is the people. Some of the most inviting and beautiful human beings I’ve ever met!”
“The local people of Tuvalu were all so happy for us to be there documenting their culture and home. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with nothing but smiles and happiness. The kids on the island don’t have much — but they have the ocean and are so happy just to swim, jump, and play in the ocean every day” reflects Spencer.
Josh agrees — “when they were swimming, jumping off the pier, just messing around. It was super simple, but something about it stuck with me. They were just being kids, but there’s this weight in the background when you know their future here isn’t guaranteed. That contrast really hit.”
Click to download the full Footage Collection of The Youth of Tuvalu
The responsibility and importance of a trip like this was not lost on the four creatives. “You talk to kids who are being adopted overseas because their homes are disappearing. You hear people say they don’t know what the future holds. That’s heavy. And I think the least we can do is tell those stories while they’re still unfolding,” says Josh.
Preserving Tuvalu culture through music and film
For Spencer, it’s his work as a filmmaker that helps document what’s happening to Tuvalu in this moment. “We now have a beautiful visual documentation of Tuvalu, a place that not many people in the world will get to visit, and also a country that might not be around much anymore. I think a mix of all the imagery that we captured helped show the spirit and soul of the place — the friendly smiles of all the kids on the island, the pristine, crystal clear water, and tropical palm trees. It was really a visually beautiful place.”
“Tropical islands are really a hard place to make look bad, but in Tuvalu I really loved that wherever you point a camera it was beautiful. Combined with some amazing sunrises and sunsets, crystal clear water and palm trees on a remote tropical island, it was an incredible place to document for artlist.”
Of course, when it comes to preserving the culture itself, music plays a key role. Historically, Tuvalu’s story starts with Polynesians settling the islands centuries ago, navigating vast ocean distances with nothing but stars and skill. It’s no surprise, then, that Tristan picked up on this with the traditional music they heard during their time here. “The music was very raw in nature and had that ‘island-uke” style sound,” Tristan reflects, referencing the unique Oceania musical instruments that were being used by the locals. “I think my immediate thoughts were how similar it sounded to a lot of Hawaiian music. There was also an obvious Samoan influence in a lot of the traditional songs, so I definitely tried to incorporate elements of that into my compositions.”
Click here to download the complete Sounds of Tuvalu SFX collection.
For Charles, the Tuvalu music was a standout moment. “What touched me the most in Tuvalu were the cultural moments shared with the local community. I’ll never forget the kava ceremony we experienced together with the team and the residents. The songs from that evening were unforgettable, and listening to them again at home brings back strong memories.”
The Tuvalu collection
Through the Artlist Tuvalu collection, you can expect to feel and evoke these strong memories of culture and traditional dance, too. Spencer’s stunning cinematic footage is perfect for creating travel videos using stock footage, while new tracks from Tristan, inspired by Oceania music, and the unique sound effects recorded by Charles all work to bring the island to life.
Click to download the Sinking Island Album by Tristan Barton
This project, Spencer believes, can “help raise awareness for what’s happening to Tuvalu and the people on the island. As humans, we need to all do our part to help combat global warming, climate change, and rising sea levels. I think beautifully documenting a place like this is a great way to do that.”
For Charles, it’s a form of testimony. Nature is changing, and with climate change, environments and their soundscapes are vanishing. By capturing these sounds, we’re creating living archives of a time and place under threat. The same goes for culture. During this trip, I recorded unique cultural elements: local Tuvalu dances, songs, language, and other traditions deeply rooted in Tuvaluan identity. These too are at risk because of climate change.”
If you have a story to tell and a vision to bring to life, we believe that all you need is the right creative toolkit. Artlist is all about empowering people from all walks of life to create anytime, anywhere. By sending creators across the world to document what they see, hear, and feel, we provide you with the highest-quality, original, and exclusive creative assets and tools. The Tuvalu collection is now available for download.
Check out more work from the Artlist x Tuvalu creators:
Joshua Guvi, Travel filmmaker, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, IMDb
Spencer Frost, Filmmaker and cinematographer, Website, Instagram, YouTube
Tristan Barton, Musical artist and composer, Website, YouTube, Instagram
Charles Rose, Field recorder, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok
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