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Working: How Foley Artist Joanna Fang Creates Sound Effects for Movies and TV

Slate Daily Feed

Slate

Business, News, Society & Culture

3.91.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2022

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, host Karen Han talks to foley artist Joanna Fang, who uses everyday objects to create sound effects for movies, TV shows, and video games. In the interview, Joanna explains what a foley artist does and describes some of her tools and techniques. Then she demonstrates how pasta shells can sound like breaking bones and how a wet cloth can be used to make a whole range of (mostly gross) sounds. After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler discuss Joanna’s unique passion for her work. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Joanna talks about her work on the movie musical In the Heights. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:43.0

This is for me like the Gassamta Kunzvak. This is the total art. This combines like everything I've ever loved about all forms of media, whether it's collage or even fine arts.

1:02.0

And then to convert all of that into creating sound effects, like what an absurd art form.

1:13.0

Welcome back to working. I'm your host, Isaac Butler. And I'm your other host, Karen Han.

1:18.0

Karen, I think this is the first time we've had a guest talk about Gassamta Kunzvak, the Bognarian term for total artwork.

1:27.0

In an interview, I can't believe we've gone years without getting it and you got it. So congratulations.

1:33.0

Thank you. Who wasn't we heard at the top of the episode, busting out every artist's favorite 10 cent German word.

1:40.0

So that was Joanna Feng, a truly prolific and incredibly talented Foley artist whose work you may have heard in projects such as Dickinson.

1:49.0

I'm thinking of ending things, promising young woman, the invisible man and making a murder among many, many others.

1:56.0

I am Toots Jells that you got to talk to a Foley artist. I've been talking about wanting to book a Foley artist forever and for whatever reason just haven't done it.

2:05.0

And you did it. So curse you, Karen Han. Well, as you know, it is my quest on this podcast, too, forever foil you, Isaac.

2:12.0

Yes, I am well aware. And our slate plus listings get a little something extra in there stocking this week, right?

2:17.0

That is correct. So for our slate plus segment this week, Joanna and I talk about her experience working on in the heights and how working on a musical like that is different from working on something more realistic or something that demands more perfect sound matchups.

2:32.0

You'll see what I mean when you listen to the segment. And we also talk about how long she tends to spend on any given project.

2:38.0

Well, I don't know why you would want to miss that. Frankly, do you, Karen? I don't know.

2:43.0

What kind of person would want to miss that? Certainly not you, dear listener. And that's why you, if you have not already, should go and subscribe to slate plus, which you can do at slate.com slash working plus not only will you get bonus segments like that one.

3:00.0

You'll get whole bonus episodes of shows like slow burn and big mood little mood and you will get full access to everything going on behind the paywall at slate that's full coverage on the site.

3:11.0

You get a delightful newsletter and you will be able to sleep at night knowing that you supported what we do right here on working once again that slate.com slash working plus.

...

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