Foley: The Art of Sound

Post by: Sarah Barclay & Emily McTyre

Movies lie to us, whether we know it or not, and I’m not talking about the fictional, and sometimes non-fictional, stories that are presented to us on the big screen. While we all know what we’re watching is conjured up by writers, there’s more to the story than we see; it’s what we hear.

When it comes to sound in movies, chances are what you’re hearing wasn’t recorded at the same time the movie was filmed. Of course, the dialogue is recorded as the scenes are filmed, but what about everything else? Footsteps, heavy breathing, violent fights, doors opening and closing, and even the rustling of clothing are just some of the sounds that are vital to making a movie seem more realistic, but they’re all recorded separately. This is what’s called The Art of Foley.

The Art of Foley is a process that requires a sound mixer and Foley artists along with a screen, microphones, and a myriad of props. Recording rooms will most likely have different pits or surfaces, too, which are used to create different footstep sounds based on a character’s location. All of these aspects of the recording room are crucial to create the sounds played in the movie.

The Art of Foley originated in the first half of the 20th century when radio shows were the rage. Alternative sounds were created to sell the illusion that animals, people, or objects were moving, dancing, or interacting when, in reality, a group of people were making the sounds in a small studio. Jack Foley, in the 1920’s, applied this method of sound design to the film world. He matched sounds to the moving picture, and today, we continue his legacy.

Foley, simply put, is the art of making sounds to replicate the action on screen. To do this, however, Foley artists have to use props that, sometimes, have nothing to do with what the audience sees. The goal is to trick the viewers mind into believing a given sound is coming from the action naturally.

For instance, vegetables like celery or carrots are snapped to mimic the sound of breaking bones. Sand is used to sound like crunching snow. Mats are waved to recreate a ship’s sail billowing in the wind. On set, there is only so much sound you are able to pick up, and dialogue is your main concern. Foley comes in when unique sounds need to be made to enhance the film’s atmosphere and make the image more believable to an audience.

To see the Art of Foley in action, make sure to watch our video coming out this Friday where we will do a demonstration of how to apply Foley sounds to a picture.