Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 13 views

    Storytelling Through Foley Sound With Cover

    Uploaded by

    api-634299157
    The document discusses the history and importance of Foley sound effects in film. It explains that Foley involves adding sound effects in post-production to enhance audio or add sounds that couldn't be captured on set. Foley artists create these effects using everyday objects and their creativity. While invisible to most viewers, Foley effects are crucial for immersing audiences and advancing narratives. The document provides examples of unconventional Foley techniques used in films like Inside Out and The Exorcist.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Storytelling Through Foley Sound With Cover

    Uploaded by

    api-634299157
    13 views7 pages
    The document discusses the history and importance of Foley sound effects in film. It explains that Foley involves adding sound effects in post-production to enhance audio or add sounds that couldn't be captured on set. Foley artists create these effects using everyday objects and their creativity. While invisible to most viewers, Foley effects are crucial for immersing audiences and advancing narratives. The document provides examples of unconventional Foley techniques used in films like Inside Out and The Exorcist.

    Original Title

    storytelling through foley sound with cover

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses the history and importance of Foley sound effects in film. It explains that Foley involves adding sound effects in post-production to enhance audio or add sounds that couldn't be captured on set. Foley artists create these effects using everyday objects and their creativity. While invisible to most viewers, Foley effects are crucial for immersing audiences and advancing narratives. The document provides examples of unconventional Foley techniques used in films like Inside Out and The Exorcist.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    13 views7 pages

    Storytelling Through Foley Sound With Cover

    Uploaded by

    api-634299157
    The document discusses the history and importance of Foley sound effects in film. It explains that Foley involves adding sound effects in post-production to enhance audio or add sounds that couldn't be captured on set. Foley artists create these effects using everyday objects and their creativity. While invisible to most viewers, Foley effects are crucial for immersing audiences and advancing narratives. The document provides examples of unconventional Foley techniques used in films like Inside Out and The Exorcist.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 7

    Storytelling through Foley Sound

    A short essay discussing the history of Foley, how and why


    it’s made and its importance in film

    Written by Jay Eley


    On the 18th January 2024
    Storytelling through Foley Sound
    As long as stories exist, the creative industry will flourish with books, tv,
    film and radio. Film in particular has taken stride and become a popular
    way to view media, recent years have bore many masterpieces appreciated
    across the world. Companies big and small have had major success
    creating memorable films for the public to enjoy. Despite all this though,
    there is one thing that most don’t notice at all that can completely change a
    film and its narrative if it’s taken away; that thing is Foley Sound.

    What is Foley?
    An average viewer would have no clue what Foley is however it’s
    incredibly significant to film production. Foley Sounds are sound effects
    made during the postproduction stage of a film or tv show to either
    enhance the audio or add extra sound that couldn’t be produced on set to a
    scene. [1] It all started with radio soap operas created around the 1920s to
    30s. They required sound effects to be made alongside the narration and
    dialogue to progress the story; however Jack Foley developed the idea for
    cinema and changed everything for it. [2] As talkies came about, more
    sophisticated techniques were needed for creating sound and that’s when
    Foley artists gained an important role in the film industry. [3] A Foley
    artist is the person who actually makes these sounds in a studio that has
    viewing screens and recording equipment. [4]

    How are Foley Sounds made?


    There are many sounds that artists have to record but the most common are
    things like footsteps and movement. Footsteps are just that, footsteps, and
    they can be made by wearing different shoes on different floor types to
    accommodate for the scene and characters. Movement is more about
    sounds movement can make such as clothing rustling. Specifics are any
    other sounds that are required in a scene [5]

    There's a whole process to creating sound effects, it can't be done in one


    day. First the artists need to watch the production in full so they can take
    notes on what sounds will be needed in each scene, then they'll gather any
    props that can be used to create the effects they want. After this they break
    each scene down into small soundscapes to help them understand which
    sounds need to be recorded. Some sounds can't be made through regular
    means so time needs to be put aside to plan what will be needed to make
    the correct noise. The artists will then record each sound as they watch the
    film, using multiple takes if they need them; however it's a time
    consuming process and really depends on the type of budget the film has.
    When working on set there’s typically two artists and one mixer, the best
    recorded sounds are the ones that replace sounds that couldn’t be captured
    right while filming. [7] Once they're satisfied with everything, the Foley
    sounds are added to the film by audio engineers [5]

    So many regular objects can make unexpected noises, an audience could


    never suspect how some sound effects are made. Footsteps through snow
    can be made with cornstarch and leather, frying bacon can be rain and bird
    wings can be a pair of gloves. There are lots of possibilities which is why
    artists have to be so creative with what they use, everything is fair game.
    [6]

    Foley is quite special as it needs certain microphones to pick up each


    sound. Directional microphones are used to record each sound while
    minimising background noise, to create very crisp audio. If artists position
    these microphones in certain ways while recording, they can pick up
    different aspects of whatever sound they need so it fits more with the
    visuals. [7]

    Why is it used?
    There are multiple reasons why Foley may be used in film, some of these
    being:

    1. It can replace production sound that didn’t have the desired impact
    2. Sounds that couldn’t be made during production can be added
    3. It’s easier to remove dialogue for foreign dubs if the sounds are on a
    separate track [8]
    4. Separate sounds are easy to adjust without interfering with the
    dialogue. [9]

    Those are only the technical reasons for Foley though, in terms of the
    actual production sound effects are incredibly important. They can help
    bring life to a film, even with the smallest sounds like birds chirping. They
    aren’t noticeable but they create an immersive experience by making the
    soundscape more lively and natural. Another reason is immersive sounds
    that can draw a viewer in. Foley can create a sense of comfort and allow
    the audience to feel close to the characters and story being portrayed.
    Ambiance isn’t easy to capture during production, so Foley artists create
    them so they’re louder. It can again make the film seem so much more real
    by adding these background noises. Films without Foley are way too quiet,
    many audiences don’t recognise how necessary these effects are. The real
    world isn’t just silent, there will always be little noises to fill our everyday
    lives. If a scene had no background effects, the viewers would be
    uncomfortable due to the uncanniness and would disconnect from the
    production, it could also cause confusion amongst the audience. [10]
    Along with this are the emotional reactions that can come with sound,
    music and sound both can help the audience understand the emotions
    being displayed on screen and maybe even make them feel it themselves.
    [11]

    Examples of Foley in film

    Inside out
    This film is about the inside of an 11 year old
    girl's mind and Ren Klyce was tasked to create
    the soundscape for Riley’s mind and her
    emotions. He achieved this by recording some
    very unconventional sounds, the sound of crabs
    walking in sand became the ambience [12]

    The Exorcist
    In this film, a girl is possessed after messing
    around with a spirit board, which means many
    interesting sounds had to be recorded to reflect
    that gross actions the girl performs while under
    control. The sound technician, Gonzalo Gavira,
    had to find a creative way to make the sound of
    her neck snapping. He did this by twisting a
    worn leather wallet with credit cards inside right by a microphone [12]

    Wall-E
    This incredibly touching film is about the
    connection between two robots, one being an
    old forgotten model called Wall-E and the other
    being a futuristic and high-tech being known as
    Eve. To create the sound of Eve’s gun a slinky
    was attached to the floor and ceiling and was hit
    with a wooden dowel rod, giving off a quick deep zapping noise that’s
    reminiscent of weapons you’d hear in other sci-fi films. [13]

    Does storytelling benefit more with sound?


    To many Foley is seen as an art form due to its storytelling capabilities, it
    can engage the audience and draw them into your work. Sound is also
    incredibly flexible and can be bent to fit your narrative, if you want a
    scene that is really intense you can choose what tone you want to be
    established so it’s clear to the viewer what’s happening. You can even
    subvert expectations by creating contrast between a scene and its sound,
    there’s a lot of potential when it comes to Foley. It can also make a
    character too, each character you have can have different soundscapes to
    build their personality. A character that’s more of a klutz might have more
    uneven footsteps and will constantly be knocking things over, adding in
    sounds that elevate that will make the character much more believable.
    Sound can heavily impact a story by helping to create a richer narrative
    and set of characters. It just depends on the artist and what they want to do
    with their story. [14]

    In conclusion…
    Before researching into this topic, I struggled with sound as I could never
    find unique ways to use it for my stories; however I was hoping that I
    could learn new methods to recording Foley. My reason for needing sound
    effects is because I want my production to be a radio drama, a story with
    no visuals needs sound to drive the narrative and entice the audience. I
    needed to know how and why, which is why I focused on those points
    throughout the essay. Despite the little information there was online, I
    learned the unconventional methods used to create sound; it’s incredibly
    dependent on what I decide to do. I now know that I need to focus on what
    props and items I will use to make sound, maybe research further into it so
    I can prepare for it. As well as this, I’ve realised why it’s so important to
    have Foley in film and radio, an audience won’t engage with a production
    that has no sound. I have before focused on how I can grab the viewers’
    attention with my story but I only thought of my writing, I didn’t think
    about what Foley could do for it too. It’s why I wish to add so many more
    sounds, I want to put in that bit of effort to draw my audience in and create
    that certain feel that comes with my stories.
    Bibliography

    [1] Masterclass.com. Available at:


    https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-understanding-
    foley-sound-and-why-foley-sound-is-important (Accessed: January
    18, 2024).

    [2] Cuartas, R. (2021) How the History of Foley still Impacts Films
    Today, Enhanced Media. Available at:
    https://enhanced.media/blog/2021/6/24/what-you-should-know-
    about-the-history-of-foley (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [3] Introduction to Foley and Sound Effects for film (2014).


    Filmmaker Tools.

    [4] Maio, A. (2022) What is a Foley artist — how to bring movies to


    life with sound, StudioBinder. StudioBinder Inc. Available at:
    https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-foley-artist/
    (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [5] Backstage.com. Available at:


    https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/how-to-create-foley-
    sound-effects-75583/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [6] What are Foley Sounds: How to Make Your Own (2021)
    HookSounds. Available at:
    https://www.hooksounds.com/blog/foley-sound-definition-
    examples-make/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [7] Alawi, A. (2023) Foley sound: Enhancing audio in film and


    music production, Mellostudio.com. Mello Studio. Available at:
    https://www.mellostudio.com/en/foley-sound/ (Accessed: January
    18, 2024).

    [8] Film District (2022) Understanding Foley sound and why it is


    important, Film District UK. Available at:
    https://www.filmdistrict.uk/blogs/understanding-foley-sound-
    and-why-it-is-important (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [9] Foley artist: Everything you need to know (2021) NFI.


    Nashville Film Institute. Available at: https://www.nfi.edu/foley-
    artist/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [10] University of Silicon Valley (2019) The Foley Artist, University


    of Silicon Valley. Available at: https://usv.edu/blog/the-foley-
    artist/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [11] Rothstein, A. (2021) Why is Sound So Important in Film?, IPR.


    Institute of Production and Recording. Available at:
    https://www.ipr.edu/blogs/film-and-sound-design-2/why-is-
    sound-so-important-in-film/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [12] Some of the strangest Foley sounds in cinema (no date)


    Net.au. Available at: https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-
    ideas/the-strangest-foley-sounds-in-cinema/ (Accessed: January
    18, 2024).

    [13] Arnaud, J. (2020) How Foley is Used in Surprising Ways, The


    Los Angeles Recording School. Available at:
    https://www.larecordingschool.com/how-foley-is-used-in-
    surprising-ways/ (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    [14] Film Production (2023) How do you use foley and sound
    effects to tell your story?, Linkedin.com. www.linkedin.com.
    Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-do-you-use-
    foley-sound-effects-tell-your-story (Accessed: January 18, 2024).

    You might also like