Foley Sound Research

Foley Sound Research

Foley sounds are sounds that have been added to a media item in the post production stage, they are tailor made sounds with a specific purpose such everyday standard sounds including as footsteps, or even placing a drink down onto a table.

They are often recorded by a specific 'Foley Artist' in a recording studio in line with the visual content to ensure the audio is of the highest quality level.

Foley sounds are divided into three main sections: Walking, Props and cloth.

• Walking - Footsteps are integral as they shouldn't sound the same for each step, these needs to be variation. The artists need to equip the right shoe sole, the right surface and pace to create the atmosphere that will convey exactly the world shown on screen.
• Props - These are sounds involving how the characters individually interact with the world, but specifically the foley artist needs to be aware of more unusual sounds as they can be significantly harder to dissect what is needed to create an exact replica of the sound that shown to be made on screen.
• Cloth - Foley artists often rely on certain fabrics rubbing together or being blown around in the background whilst the characters are the main focus. These are the smallest sounds that are often made by artists but in the long run add depth to a film or TV show by really building up the world of the film and the atmosphere found within it.

Next i decided to try and create my own foley sounds and make them in conjunction with a visual media product, specifically using the 'Kitchen scene' from the film Jurassic park. I then
came up with my own ways in how to recreate sounds similar to the ones heard in the first thirty seconds of the clip. I used a variety of objects such as:

Deodorant,

Water

and a light switch!

Once I recorded all of the foley sounds i then uploaded them from my phone to my computer and placed the files in audio/music editing software called logic pro. I then combined the sounds together in the sequence that they were shown to be heard in the video
clip.

Next i added reverb to all the sounds to create atmosphere and further make them seem more realistic and inline with the visual context we were shown
in the scene.

From there i reversed the last two sounds to make the noises of the dinosaur more realistic and engaging! 

I then exported the file to blogger and Voila, here it is; hopefully it conveys the right atmosphere and if played in line with the video clip it will match up relatively well so the my sounds and the scene will work well together.