When watching a movie we often don’t think too much about the sound effects we hear. There are in fact some talented Foley artists working to achieve a blend of perfect ambiance with the drama needed in film.
Foley art consists of creating sound effects with everyday objects and then adding them to movies. When recording on the set, the microphones don’t typically pick up important sounds like footsteps, flapping of bird wings, or water dripping. Any and all ambiance needed.
The name Foley art comes from Jack Foley, who developed of many sound effect techniques used in filmmaking. During Foley’s day there wasn’t effective recording methods, so all sounds for the radio plays had to be created live. He started working with Universal Studios in the beginning of the 20th century, when production studios were changing from silent films to movies with dialogues and other sounds.
Watch how Foley artists work their magic:
Let’s thank them, because without their contribution, the movies we watch would be very sad and empty.
