The Art of Foley Sound

Foley sound is a great tool for filmmakers to take advantage of during the post-production process. From high heels clicking on the floor to hockey pucks gliding across the ice, foley can produce cheap, but realistic, sounds that would be nearly impossible to capture naturally. The creation and use of foley sound is an art form in and of itself, but good foley often goes unnoticed. So, why should we care about foley sound?

Movies are 50% Sound

Although film is largely considered to be a visual medium, the reality is that visuals only make up half of a film experience. If you have ever been in a film class before, you might be familiar with the phrase “sound is half the movie.” Essentially, this phrase means that the quality of your audio is just as important as the quality of your visuals. Although it can be easier to neglect on set, weak audio is always noticeable when viewing. Audio drives the story forward, so quality is everything. If you are not able to hear, you will not feel immersed in the world. 

The industry often neglects the work and artistry of sound teams. Because of this, sound artists get looped together into one large category, even when the work is split between sound recorders, editors, designers, mixers, and more! The camera and lighting departments are separated, even though they both capture visuals, but audio is looped together – even between production and post-production. 

What is Foley?

Foley sound is a part of the post-production sound process, where sounds are added to a film during post-production. The benefits of using foley sound over recording come from the control that you are able to have over each noise added. When recording in the field, you lose control over when the sound is heard or not heard, as well as the intensity or pitch. Because you have a live mix of sounds, the quality of the dialogue is most important, so you lose the ability to manipulate everything else. 

For manufactured sound to accurately represent the action occurring on screen, foley artists are a filmmaker’s best friend. Anything that can be brought to a recording studio can become a sound effect thanks to foley artists, from pinecones representing cracking knuckles to kitchen gloves mimicking the flapping of wings. One single feature length film can include thousands of foley effects. 

Jack Foley is the origin of the term “foley sounds,” who worked on sound effects for Dracula (1931) and Spartacus (1960). Foley’s work is what made filmmakers discover that, often, sound recorded in the field was disappointing. Kubrick’s marching Roman army in Spartacus is meant to be massive and intimidating, and it appears the same. But Kubrick was disappointed by the sound picked up while filming, and so Foley recorded a different version of this sound. By jangling his keys in front of a microphone, the sound became exactly what Kubrick was picturing. A foley artist must think beyond the visual and focus on noise – not only do they have to understand the emotions of the scene, but they need to understand what sounds fit within the world of the film, as well as how those sounds can be produced. So, how do they do it?

The Process

Creating foley art begins in post-production by watching the picture-locked film. The foley artist will chronicle every instance of foley sound that would need to be created for the project, including time and the type of noise being made. Then, the recording process begins. This process is extremely experimental, and involves testing a collection of materials to achieve the desired sound. Sometimes, the goal is for realistic sounds. When this is the case, both setting and material need to be considered. What needs to be done to make high heels sound like they’re in a narrow hallway? Would they sound different if they were outside? What if they were wet? These are all things that a foley artist must consider when making their decisions. Once recording begins, the artist will create sounds that synchronize with the sound occurring in the film. 

Another type of sound that foley artists can produce is isolated and exaggerated noise. Cracking knuckles, for example, will be exaggerated by crunching up celery. This exaggeration will typically benefit the narrative or the aesthetic of the film, supporting the story the same way visuals will. When considering aesthetics, sound might not be the first thing you think about, but distinct sound can be a great way to worldbuild. To portray anxiety while taking a test, for example, maybe every sound in the room is enhanced. The crack of a coke can, tapping of a pencil, shaking of a leg – a soundscape can create an emotion, a world, or an aesthetic just as much as visuals might. 

Foley art can also sometimes be creating sounds that do not exist in our world. In genres like fantasy and animation, those sounds do not come out of nowhere. The memory capsules in Inside Out flowing through Riley’s brain on the tracks, or the sound of Elsa’s ice castle being built in Frozen. How do foley artists create sounds for actions or objects that do not exist in our world? This is where material becomes important to consider – are memory capsules glass-like objects? Is the track similar to metal? All these questions are what a foley artist would consider while experimenting with different sounds. The same way a costume designer would show the director plans and sketches, foley artists work with the filmmaker to test sounds, especially when they are creating sound for nonexistent objects. 

Foley art is an experimental sound process that works with material objects to create sounds that are meant to exist within the world of a film. The use of foley art can strengthen the aesthetics, emotions, and purpose of the sound within a film. Through the ability to isolate sound, a film’s audio can be manipulated to make the viewer feel even more immersed in the experience. The nature of foley art means that it often goes unnoticed, but highlighting what happens during this process might help filmmakers begin to notice the importance of sound in film. Audio can often make or break the quality of films, especially for lower budget filmmakers, so considering audio quality to be a priority will improve a film’s overall quality. 

Learn more about Auteurnet and how we can help you build your creative community.