A YOUNG sound designer from Belfast is delivering training sessions in a bid to encourage women and girls to pursue tech jobs in Northern Ireland's film industry.
Chloe Dalzell said she believes more females should be using their science skills to pursue a career in film production.
As a sound effects editor with Yellowmoon studio, she has worked on hit shows such as Derry Girls, Wreck and Conversations with Friends and helped to create Universal Studios Theme Park’s Halloween Horror event.
Ms Dalzell said when she first started studying music technology at Queen’s University Belfast, she was one of only a few women on the course, though representation in the industry is improving.
"I had the opportunity to do work experience for three summers in Los Angeles and there are many more women working in the audio industry there," she said.
"When you see other women doing the job, you realise there is nothing to hold you back.
"At first, I felt out of my comfort zone but I think that’s normal with anything new.
"Now I just want to encourage as many young people, particularly girls, to look at sound editing as a fantastic career choice and there are so many opportunities right here in Northern Ireland."
She has recently delivered a three-day training session with young people aged 14-19 through Into Film’s ScreenWorks Project, which provides hands-on experience with leading experts working across film, TV, animation and games.
Participants explore how sound is created and recorded in the movies and television, developed critical listening tools and learned about editing sound effects.
"I think of it as painting by numbers with sound," she said.
"Everything you see on screen has to have a sound attached to it. For example, if an actor puts a cup down then I need to look at what the cup is made of, what it’s placed on, is it put down with force or gently.
"Then we create the sound and sync it with the film."
Sean Boyle from ScreenWorks said: "Having highly experienced professionals like Chloe, who are passionate about their work, is the best way for young people to discover whether a career in the screen sector is right for them.
"It’s a huge growth area in Northern Ireland with incredible job opportunities."
For information, please visit www.intofilm.org/screenworks.
