You’re in a dark theatre. Footsteps echo as the main character walks across the screen. But wait! You’re actually hearing someone else! This isn’t a plot twist – it’s the deceptive art of Foley.
Have you ever filmed something with a phone or video camera and been disappointed with the sound quality? Wind and other background noises can often drown out the things you actually want to hear. So why doesn’t this ever happen for movies?
Instead of trying to record every noise during filming, most movie sound effects are created later by people known as Foley artists. They work in specially-designed studios, recreating and recording every noise you’d expect to hear in a movie, from footsteps to crashing metal to the rustle of clothes as characters move.
Sometimes they just copy what’s happening on the screen, but a lot of the time they make their sounds in completely different ways. Sometimes they simply have no other choice (we obviously can’t record aliens or wizards in real life), but researchers have also found that people often think sound effects are more realistic than actual recordings. Even though Foley often sounds very different to the real thing, it tricks our brains into believing it.
Why not try recording your own Foley and see how it works?
You will need:
- Video editing software (most computers come with a basic editing program)
- A microphone/sound recorder
- Materials to make your sound effects
What to do:
- Choose a short video – start with something short, thirty seconds long or less. You can film this yourself or find something online.
- Open the video in the editing program. Mute the sound.
- Watch the video and make notes of what you expect to hear. Remember to include background noises as well as what’s happening onscreen. (If you’re having trouble thinking of ideas, try watching the video with sound and listen carefully.)
- For each sound, think of ways you could recreate it. Experimenting with items you have around the house is a great way to get ideas. Try and think about the sound itself; is it a jingle? A clank? Or is it more of a thunk?
- One at a time, record yourself making each sound in time with the video. For complicated sounds like footsteps, you might need a few attempts to get the timing right.
- Tip: Your effects will sound the best if you record them in a quiet place and don’t move around.
- Upload all your sounds to the editing program, and add them to the video.
- When you’re done, watch your completed video. Do the effects sound real to you? If something doesn’t seem right, maybe try a different effect.
Foley is all about creativity – there’s no limit to the sounds you can make. However, here are some ideas to get you thinking.
| Instead of… | Try… |
| Birds’ wings flapping | Shaking a t-shirt |
| A hatching egg | Cracking an ice-cream cone |
| Walking through snow | Compressing cornstarch |
| A suit of armour | A set of keys |
| Falling rain | Frying bacon |
| A log fire | Crumpling a chip packet |
| Dry grass | Shredded newspaper |
Lachlan Writes Science 