Every footstep counts: exploring Foley with NR92

Here in the NR92 studio, we do a lot of content creation…like A LOT. And it just so happens that when we produce audio, we use a lot of sound effects. Sure we have a sound library to pull from, but sometimes it takes a looooooong time to find the right sound. And sometimes, no matter how long you spend looking, you just can’t find the right sound effect you need. So that’s where the handy-dandy solution of Foley comes in!

.

Foley is the term for the creation of sounds in post production (as opposed to sound effects, which are already-made or recorded). Foley is step one, where Foley artists create sounds to be used with an already made visual.

.

The name Foley comes from Jack Foley, a sound effects artist in the early 20th century, who is said to have pioneered the use of sound in previous silent films after they were already filmed. He showed that the possibilities of sound are endless, and thus the possibilities of Foley are endless; if you can think it, you can make it. Whether it’s simple walking, a door closing or something complicated like a noisy stomach or breaking bones.

.

Thankfully, Foley artists have a great imagination and a huge variety of props. And professional Foley artists will actually have entire studios filled with props (yes, people can actually do this for a living!). Some props they might use include;

• Shoes
• Clothing
• Metal
• Books
• Wood
• Gloves
• Plastic bags
• Tape
• Watering cans
• Buckets

.

Half the time their studios look like they’re filled with trash, BUT each item serves a specific purpose, like;

• Frying Bacon = rain
• Coconuts = a walking horse
• Rusty hinges = swing sets
• A fair of gloves = bird wings
• Metal plates = thunder
• Celery = breaking bones
• Cornstarch in leather = snow footsteps
• Closing a book = body hits
• Car skids = balloon

.

But it, of course, begs the question of; why are we using Foley?

Well, Foley is an excellent and effective way to replace sounds that weren’t captured during the filming process, because with so much going on, you can’t spend all your focus getting the click of a light switch or the steps on the floor. Foley also adds a sense of super realism to audio or visual, because, like Dave Albright says, ‘if you can see it, it makes a sound.’

Which brings me right back around to here at NR92, we sometimes have to get creative and make our own noises. Because sometimes it’s easier to shake a pair of keys rather than spend an hour trying to search online for the perfect ‘jingle.’ Next time you watch a movie or hear one of our commercials, take a second to wonder, how the heck did they make that sound?!

.

.

Photo credits; edited by Liz Parent

Sourced from; Shutterstock

Comments