2018 年文化部影視及流行音樂產業局首次舉辦「配樂專業人才培訓計畫－馬步計畫」，除了請來華語配樂一線師資傳授多年經驗，更重金禮聘兩位好萊塢國際配樂大師來台分享，包含現任奧斯卡音樂類主席、葛萊美獎與艾美獎雙料得主 Laura Karpman，以及葛萊美獎得主、一線作曲家兼錄音師 Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum。兩位講師帶著滿滿的經驗跟台灣配樂人才分享好萊塢電影工業製作流程、跨國團隊合作與配樂製作心法、以及配樂家的版權及合約簽訂重點，提供第一線國際配樂產業的技術及視野。兩日課程座無虛席，聚集台灣一線配樂家及新銳音樂人，獲得熱烈迴響，期盼透過國際交流及互動，創造下一個十年音樂盛世。
「馬步計畫」打破單一課堂、單一要點、單一師資的工作坊之侷限，仿效國外配樂學院安排一完整學期之課程，以配樂家「本職學能」為主體，囊括配樂家應具備的四大面向，包含「基礎能力」、「電腦輔助技術能力」、「錄音工程」、「影像與科技結合能力」；並規劃與實務結合之「專題講座」，自影像配樂寫作、配器法、和聲學、合成器、Midi Mockup、錄音、混音至音樂事業及品牌經營、與影像導演的對話、遊戲配樂所需之程式語言等 156 小時整合性課程，為配樂家打下紮實根基。結束為期四個月系統化的課程培訓之後更推動「滾動式教學」，由實務經驗豐富的學員晉升講師，帶領 150 位欲投身配樂領域的大專院校學子進行配樂實戰工作坊，從電影到動畫、從配樂到音效、從單一樂器與影像的互動到大編制管弦樂的實務傳授，讓配樂的種子持續向外滾動。
除了系統化課程精進本職學能外，更舉辦兩次媒合大會與需求方搭起友誼的橋樑、拓展合作的可能性。在影像配樂領域裡，絕大多數有經驗之導演、製片皆已有固定合作的配樂家，例如 Steven Spielberg 與 John Williams、Christopher Nolan 與 Hans Zimmer、侯孝賢與林強。新進配樂家不容易打入原有市場，故本計畫舉行「早期媒合」，邀請各大專院校影視科系加入，讓新導演們帶著作品與配樂家互相認識、配對，於學期間完成作品、互相交流成長，以發展出長久的合作關係，創造下一個最佳拍檔。「業界媒合」則廣邀電影、電視、電玩、劇場、科技廠商等音樂需求廠商，透過需求方及配樂家的需求及作品進行篩選及媒合，讓雙方可以更準確的溝通彼此需求；此外亦建置配樂人才資料庫，建立市場媒合機制、有效整合資源，讓配樂家不再迷失於茫茫人海中，其中已有媒合成功進行配樂專案的成功案例。
隨著數位化以及科技的發展，音樂板塊的位移使流行音樂的動能轉移到配樂，包含電玩、電影、微電影、網路廣告、舞台劇、AR、VR 領域的跨域應用，多元而活潑。這說明台灣有極佳的技術開發團隊，也有絕佳的音樂人才。透過與其他媒材的合作，能夠讓音樂有新的出口與可能性，影像會被「看」到，音樂也會被「感受」到，因應這樣的趨勢需要提早整備環境。過去較缺乏完整的配樂人才培訓，透過「馬步計畫」，希望為下一個十年種下種子。
In 2018, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) held the film scoring talent training program, also known as “Plan Mabu”, for the very first time. The lecturers of this program include the most prestigious film scorers among the Chinese-Speaking countries. Moreover, two international masters of film score were invited to Taiwan to speak for workshops, including Laura Karpman, chairwoman of the board of governors in music branch of the Academy Awards, and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum, who won a Grammy Award in 2015. The two masters shared their experiences in the Hollywood film industry, multinational teamwork, contracts and rights for musicians, and so on. There were more than 100 people attending the workshops, including Taiwan’s best scorers, producers and mixing engineers. Through the event, it’s hoped to create the next golden age of music industry in Taiwan.
“Plan Mabu” broke the limitations of a sole class instructed by a sole lecturer. It was arranged to hone the core skills that a scorer should have, including four major aspects: basic competence, technology capabilities, recording engineering, and the abilities of combination with image and technology. The 156-hour courses included composition, orchestration, harmony, synthesizer, midi mockup, recording, mixing, music business, and collaboration with movie directors. After the four- month systematic training, the trainees became lecturers, leading 150 college students to learn about scoring skills. The topics of workshops were diversified from movie to animation, from soundtrack to sound effect, from a single instrument to orchestral music and so on.
In addition to the systematic training courses, to build a friendly connection between the scorers and the party who needs music, two match conferences were held. It’s known that most of the experienced directors and producers tend to cooperate with the scorers they are familiar with. Collaborations of Steven Spielberg and John Williams, and those of Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer are examples. It is hard for a new scorer to gain that opportunity. As a result, “Plan Mabu” invited the students who majored in film and television departments to a match conference, in order to develop a long-term partnership between both parties. Furthermore, the other match conference invited more than 30 manufacturers from industries like movie, TV, video games, theaters, and technology who have demands of music so that both parties can communicate with each other more efficiently. In addition, “Plan Mabu” also established a scorers’ database. Anyone who needs music can reach a proper scorer to work with easily.
With the development of digitalization and technology, the score has getting more and more attention through video games, movies, online advertisements, dramas and theaters, and the application of AR and VR. Taiwanese have excellent technical development teams and superb music talents. Through cooperation with different media, there are more and more possibilities for music. In the past, there was no systematic training for talented scorers. It’s expected that Taiwanese masters of score of the next decade will be born with the help of “Plan Mabu.
