Few people fully observe the sounds of footsteps, clothes rustling or silverware clinking. Yet a small subset of professionals spend their lives analyzing these sounds to recreate them in studios, bringing visual entertainment alive behind the scenes.
These individuals, known as Foley artists, are expected to reproduce thousands of mundane noises that most take for granted. Duplicating sound effects to accompany film scenes, they attempt to enhance the realism of film experiences, step by step — literally.
National Open University will hold a free symposium this afternoon on the art of Foley, granting the public access to a well-kept secret of filmmaking.
Photo courtesy of The Ministry of foreign Affairs
The symposium, which will be held in Mandarin, centers around a lecture from acclaimed Foley artist Hu Ding-yi (胡定一); it will also feature a screening of A Foley Artist (擬音), a documentary by Wang Yu-rou (王婉柔) following Hu’s journey throughout the film industry.
Hu has worked on set in hundreds of movies and TV shows, from the sports film Jump, Ashin! (翻滾吧！阿信) to historical dramas like Strawman (稻草人). His lecture will introduce attendees to the basics of Foley, and discuss the Taiwanese film industry.
Those who participate in this event will be eligible for three hours of educational accreditation from the National Open University. Attendees can sign up for the program online up to an hour before the program begins, and registration will be available at the door in the event of cancellations.
■ Today from 2pm to 5 pm; National Open University (台北空中大學), 172 Zhongzheng Road, New Taipei City (新北市中正路172號)
■ Admission is free, but registration is required due to limited space. Register at: noueec.kktix.cc/events/0622
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