Seoungho Cho employs complex visual editing and rich sound to explore the landscape of Death Valley. He writes that he has "...refined a theme that has obsessed and haunted me, that I have struggled with, and which I owe many of my most important artistic achievements—the desert." He also describes the personal significance of the musical piece "Quartetto per Archi" by the composer Krzysztof Penderecki and the process of obtaining its use for Red Desert, writing, "...I have been obsessed with his music since 1988 and I have dreamed about using this music in my work...When I finished the first version of Red Desert last July, 2010, I strongly felt that I needed this music for my new work. With the encouragement, advice and help from my friends, I built up the courage and sent a letter to Mr. Krzysztof Penderecki [asking for] permission to use his music in my new work. As I was waiting for his permission in that long period, this work has changed and evolved significantly."