{"id":72206,"date":"2016-03-18T10:24:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-18T15:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=72206"},"modified":"2016-03-19T05:06:06","modified_gmt":"2016-03-19T10:06:06","slug":"art-of-making-sound-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/art-of-making-sound-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Foley: The Art of Making Sound Effects"},"content":{"rendered":"

From snapping celery stalks to slapping phone books, learn\u00a0how foley artists use everyday objects to create realistic sound effects in film.<\/h2>\n

Top image via\u00a0SoundWorks Collection<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Foley<\/strong> is the art of creating sound effects<\/strong> for radio, film, and television. The term actually comes from a man, Jack Donovan Foley<\/a>,\u00a0who made\u00a0sound effects for live radio broadcasts. He focused on creating realistic sounds with the tools he had around him rather than using generic sounds made\u00a0in other programs. This was reminiscent of the theatrical sounds of vaudeville shows.<\/p>\n

\"Foley:
\n<\/a>Image: Jack Foley via The Art of Foley<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Jack Foley started working for Universal Studios in 1914. By the time “talkies” came around in the 1920s, studios wanted\u00a0to create authentic sound effects for their films. On set, microphones were only used to record dialogue. Therefore sound effects would have to be recorded after the film was shot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Foley assembled a team that would project the film onto a screen while recording an audio track of sound effects \u2014 mostly footsteps. The earliest films had them adding the sounds of walking and doors opening and closing.<\/p>\n

Foley became the<\/em> expert in sound effects audio recording. He continued to perform up until his death in 1967. Many of the techniques he developed are still used today.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Three Types of Foley<\/h3>\n

Foley artists do not create every sound in a film. Complex sounds\u00a0like car engines or computer noises fall under the direction of a Sound FX Editor<\/strong>, who uses a library of sounds. The foley artists focus on three key areas: footsteps, movement, and specific props.<\/p>\n

\"Foley:
\nImage: Universal Studios Foley Pit via The Studio Tour<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

1. Footsteps<\/strong><\/p>\n

This category is self-explanatory. The footsteps of the main character are recorded very early in the process. This isn’t as easy as walking by a microphone. Foley<\/strong> artists<\/strong>\u00a0wear certain shoes and walk on specific surfaces to attain the right sounds for a film.<\/p>\n

These surfaces are called foley pits<\/strong>, which offer all sorts of different flooring types. This allows the foley<\/strong> artist<\/strong> to instantly record the sounds of a character walking across a lawn, onto a sidewalk, and into a home. \u00a0This also includes footsteps of animals, like the famous sound of galloping horse hooves.<\/p>\n

2. Movement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Movement focuses on the sounds of clothing<\/strong> a character is wearing. This isn’t just loud clothes\u00a0like a knight’s armor \u2014 even denim blue jeans make a sound when a character crosses their legs or squirms in a chair.<\/p>\n

\"Foley:
\nImage via Shutterstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

3. Props<\/strong><\/p>\n

Creating the sounds made by props can fall under the foley artist or sound editor. Foley artists tend to work with props that characters interact with, like a sword being unsheathed.<\/p>\n

In this video from CBS Sunday Morning<\/a>, foley artist\u00a0Marko Costanzo<\/a> shows how he used leaves to create the swirling sound of the witch from Into the Woods<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and how he\u00a0cracked celery to create the sound of breaking bones<\/strong> for The Big Lebowski<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n