From Silence to Sound

Film is often discussed in term of its visuals alone, overlooking the impact sound has on the audience. The medium's possibilities do not only lie in what we see, but also in what we hear and the combination of the two. When you cover your ears during a tense scene or hold your breath during a quiet moment, you've already succumbed to the excitement of the cinematic experience. And even before films themselves had sound they were far from silent! They were accompanied by sound makers, storytellers, musicians, sometimes whole orchestras, and of course the audience itself! In this workshop we will watch films both with and without sound and talk about the effects of different soundscapes. We will also see a live pianist at work, influencing a film's mood with their improvised music and we will have the chance to talk to them about this rare but exciting profession.

A movie & sound experience with pianist Gerhard Gruber and film educators Stefan Huber and Elisabeth Streit