New telecommunications professor created sound effects for notable films

It’s not every day that a college professor can include iconic television shows, working with famous directors and contributing to notable movies such as "Die Hard" and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" on her résumé. But Vanessa Ament can. 

Ament joined Ball State’s telecommunications department in August 2014. She serves as the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Endowed Chair and teaches telecommunications.

Ament will be presenting some of her past work as a Foley artist as part of the Endowed Chair Lecture series in the Art and Journalism Building Room 175, on April 9 at 7 p.m.

Foley is the name for the sounds created behind the scenes and in a studio for movies and television. The sounds are created to give a more realistic audio representation on camera, as the actual objects’ sounds can sometimes seem unreal or off-putting.

Ament said the things Foley artists actually use to make sounds that are acceptable for film can be surprising to people. 

“The key thing is what we use,” she said. “We think about it in the moment, but what leads us to what we actually use is not what it looks like or what it is, but what we can make it sound like.”

Ament began working in her twenties after training classically as a singer and dancer. She was asked to replace a voice in a film, and someone at the audition spread the word that she had done Foley work before.

“It wasn’t true, but it got me in to the audition,” she said with a chuckle. “You should keep your mind open to what comes your way, because you never really know what’s going to happen.”

She took the job as a way to earn extra money while pursuing other auditions and opportunities. During the '80s, sound was just beginning to come into its own technology with film, and Ament feels that she fell in at just the right time. And thanks to her vocal and dance training, she turned out to have a natural talent.

“What ended up happening was that I had a knack for it, a real talent for it, and they liked working with me,” Ament said. And with that, a behind-the-scenes star was born.

Her first job was on the television show “Dallas.” She admittedly had no idea what she was doing.

“But I faked it and I learned,” she said. “Don’t ever wait until you know something perfectly to do it. Jump in and try it, and you just might meet the expectation.”

She quickly added notches to her metaphorical movie-belt with films including “Predator,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Batman Returns” and “A Goofy Movie.” Also on the list are television shows including “Charmed” and “7th Heaven.”

Ament’s love of and passion for the arts is not just a hobby. She considers it a key element of the existence and experience of the human spirit.

“The arts are just such a wonderful part of life, and people forget how much we really need the arts to feel alive, to feel the human spirit. If my life was not full of being an artist, I don’t know what I would have done. I’m very grateful for it,” she said.

But it wasn’t all Hollywood film glamour. Ament was one of the only females in a male-driven and male-dominated career world. She was also one of the only successful ones.

“That was a very difficult part of my job, ... navigating those waters, because I was young,” she said. “I would get sexually harassed and hear language or be talked to in a way that was distressing. What are you supposed to do when the someone who can hire and fire you says things that are insulting?”

Ament, a self-proclaimed feminist, admits men and women working together can be complicated. She also said she owes parts of her career to some of the men with whom she’s worked.

“Some of these men have been the very people who have paved the way and empowered me. I’ve seen the best and worst sides of men,” she said. “It’s a real eye-opener.”

Ament came to Ball State after she saw the departmental intermingling of telecommunications, journalism and the arts. She said she knew she’d be able to introduce new visions to the students on campus.

“Frankly, I’ve been very impressed with the interdisciplinary way that you can use the arts here. Everything that’s here allows for so much crossing, and the students come from so many different backgrounds. It makes it a very exciting place to be,” she said. “I knew that I’d be able to develop some really interesting coursework for the students in areas they’ve never really been able to explore before, specifically sound and music, and specifically the industry of film and media, and how the industry works as a business.”

Being able to bring her passion for her art to her career at Ball State is an exciting opportunity for Ament. She loves being a part of the campus and believes she’s very fortunate to be part of it.

“I don’t know if the students or even some of the faculty really appreciate what a gem Ball State really is,” she said. “This isn’t my first rodeo, and I’m still so impressed. I can’t say enough good things about Ball State.”

The millennial generation should know that Ament is on their side. 

“They’re what’s going to change the trajectory. I don’t know if older generations really get that. I think they are sometimes misunderstanding your generation. I see such imagination and a breaking-out-of-boundaries,” she said. “It can be hard to predict, but I think we’re going to see some drastic [changes] and end up with a very different complexion in the media. I’m not a good futurist, but I’m good at reading people. I am very excited for what may be.”

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