foley sound
what is foley sound?
Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass.
The use of sound in Movies began in 1927, when Universal employee Jack Foley helped turn the film studio’s "silent” Show Boat into a full-on musical extravaganza. Because microphones could only pick up on dialogue, Foley had to add in the other sounds later. He projected the film onto a screen and recorded the footsteps, the movement, the props – all in one track. He walked with a cane to create the footsteps of three people. He acted out the film, all over again.
As it turned out, Foley gave his name to an industry of post-production sound design, where aural artists “footstep” every character just as Jack did (utilising wardrobes full of shoes). Vegetables are chopped, watermelons are smashed, coconut shells are clacked, cooked chickens are squished, keys are scraped and jangled: all in the service of replicating noises that couldn’t be recorded live, or don’t sound “right”, or creating sounds that don’t exist in the first place.
As it turned out, Foley gave his name to an industry of post-production sound design, where aural artists “footstep” every character just as Jack did (utilising wardrobes full of shoes). Vegetables are chopped, watermelons are smashed, coconut shells are clacked, cooked chickens are squished, keys are scraped and jangled: all in the service of replicating noises that couldn’t be recorded live, or don’t sound “right”, or creating sounds that don’t exist in the first place.
Owen Williams. (11/03/15). The Secrets Behind 44 Classic Cinema Sound Effects. Available: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/cinema-sound-secrets-foley-artist/. Last accessed 02/11/17.
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How is Foley Done?
Foley is usually performed by Foley artists. Ideally they stand on a Foley stage (an area with a variety of possible surfaces and props) in a Foley studio (a specialised sound studio), though any post production sound studio will do with a little modification. The Foley artists can clearly see a screen which displays the footage they are to add sound fx to, and they perform their sound effects while watching this screen for timing. The actions they perform can include walking, running, jostling each other, rubbing their clothing, handling props, and breaking objects, all while closely observing the screen to ensure their sound fx are appropriate to the vision.Increasingly, many simple Foley sound fx are done without Foley artists - the sound effects are stored electronically and performed by the post production sound engineer on a keyboard while watching the visual. Done poorly this type of "Foley" sounds bland and repetitive, and it is nowhere near as flexible as the real thing, but it is much cheaper than renting a Foley stage and paying Foley artists to create the foley sound effects.
Why do we Bother with Foley?
Without Foley, a film sounds empty and hollow - the actors seem to be talking in a vacuum. The sound recordist, if they did a good job, has given us the dialogue and excluded everything else, but our films needs more than this for the picture to come alive. We need to hear the little sounds of clothes, furniture, etc - but we need to control those sound effects so they don't obscure any of the dialogue.Another common use for Foley sound replacement is adding it to documentary footage. Old historical film seems lifeless when it is screened without sound, and adding foley to it helps bring those long dead images to life. Next time you watch a history documentary that uses silent archival footage, listen closely and you should hear at least minimal Foley sound fx, mostly footsteps, behind the narration.
Foley can also be used to enhance comedy or action scenes. Watch most comedy films and you'll notice that many of the sounds are enhanced for comic effect, and sometimes the Foley sound is the joke. As for action, most fist fights do not involve the actors really hitting each other, and even if they did we would not be able to record a satisfying punch sound. By punching and variously molesting such objects as cabbages, celery and sides of beef, Foley artists can record unique and much more 'realistic' action sounds.
Foley can also be used to enhance comedy or action scenes. Watch most comedy films and you'll notice that many of the sounds are enhanced for comic effect, and sometimes the Foley sound is the joke. As for action, most fist fights do not involve the actors really hitting each other, and even if they did we would not be able to record a satisfying punch sound. By punching and variously molesting such objects as cabbages, celery and sides of beef, Foley artists can record unique and much more 'realistic' action sounds.
MavArt Productions. (Unknown). Foley Effects. Available: https://www.sound-ideas.com/Page/what-is-foley.aspx. Last accessed 03/11/17.
PETE BURGIS
Double Emmy Award Winning foley artist who works with Pinewood Post Production studio.
Peter Burgis is a legendary British Foley Artist who has worked on over 150 titles including the Oscar winning The King's Speech, Gosford Park and Slumdog Millionaire and others including, Band of Brothers, Atonement, Children of Men, Quantum of Solace, Captain Phillips and the Harry Potter films. He is also a double Emmy Award winner and a triple Golden Reel Award winner. Pete’s recent credits include the soon to be released, Pan, Legend, Everest as well as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Cinderella, The Game, Exodus: Gods and Kings and Edge of Tomorrow. The foley team, with Pete’s experience working on over 150 titles, is now developing the next generation of foley artists with an in-house training programme. |
unknown. (20/08/15). Pete Burgis Foley Artist. Available: http://www.pinewoodgroup.com/our-studios/uk/news/foley-artist-pete-burgis-joins-pinewood-post-production. Last accessed 09/11/17.
sound dubbing
what is sound dubbing?
Dubbing, in film making, the process of adding new dialogue or other sounds to the sound track of a motion picture that has already been shot. Dubbing is most familiar to audiences as a means of translating foreign-language films into the audience’s language. When a foreign language is dubbed, the translation of the original dialogue is carefully matched to the lip movements of the actors in the film. Dubbed sound tracks rarely equal the artistic quality of original foreign-language sound tracks, however, and hence subtitles may be preferred by viewers as a means of understanding the dialogue in foreign films.
how does it work?
Dubbing is most familiar to audiences as a means of translating foreign-language films into the audience's language and animation. When a foreign language is dubbed, the translation of the original dialogue is carefully matched to the lip movements of the actors just alike to animated characters in the film.
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Sound dubbing can also be used to alter the language of the film from its original recording. In the past the quality of dubbing and sycronisation could be poor and it was possible see that the actors lips were out of tune with audio. This is clearly demonstrated in the clip below taken from OPERATION LAS VEGAS (1988). However more recently dubbing has become more accurate allowing films to be widely distributed. Finding nemo was dubbed into 27 different languages. The clip below shows the movie dubbed for Dutch viewers
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ADR
what is ADR?
Dialog that cannot be salvaged from production tracks must be re-recorded in a process called looping or ADR. Looping originally involved recording an actor who spoke lines in sync to "loops" of the image which were played over and over along with matching lengths of recording tape. ADR, though faster, is still painstaking work.
how does it work?An actor watches the image repeatedly while listening to the original production track on headphones as a guide. The actor then re-performs each line to match the wording and lip movements. Actors vary in their ability to achieve sync and to recapture the emotional tone of their performance.
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why is ADR necessary?
ADR is usually considered a necessary evil but there are moments when looping can be used not just for technical reasons but to add new character or interpretation to a shot. Just by altering a few key words or phrases an actor can change the emotional bent on a scene.
unknown. (unknown). ADR or Looping. Available: http://filmsound.org/terminology/adr.htm. Last accessed 09/11/17
An Example of ADR - breathing.
The sound of breathing is often used in films to convey tension, exhaustion and fear. In order to gain enhanced breathing sounds ADR is usually used. The most extreme example of ADR for breathing is in the Star Wars Movies with Darth Vader. The heavy-breathing of Darth Vader was created by recording Ben Burts own breathing in an old Dacor scuba regulator according to wikipedia.
The sound of breathing is often used in films to convey tension, exhaustion and fear. In order to gain enhanced breathing sounds ADR is usually used. The most extreme example of ADR for breathing is in the Star Wars Movies with Darth Vader. The heavy-breathing of Darth Vader was created by recording Ben Burts own breathing in an old Dacor scuba regulator according to wikipedia.
media composition
Composition music for media can be divided into two categories - music contained within the action, and background music.
- Music contained within the action is usually referred to as diegetic music. It is included in the story, eg music heard on a radio. Most film music is non-diegetic.
- Background music is often referred to as underscoring. It adds to the mood of the scene, reinforcing dramatic developments and aspects of character.
Media Composition Serves To...
- establish atmosphere, time and place
- move the action forward
- describe character
- accompany scene changes
- add to the dramatic impact
- provide continuity across edits
Film music must be understood immediately, so there is no time to develop long themes. It rarely uses conventional compositional forms such as the sonata. Film music is composed to accompany the action on screen and often uses:
Film music composers often use leitmotifs to help build a sense of continuity. A leitmotif is a recurring musical idea (a melody, chord sequence, rhythm or a combination of these) which is associated with a particular idea, character or place.
Leitmotifs are manipulated to match the action and mood of a scene. They could be altered by:
- quick and abrupt changes of tempo, harmony and melody
- rapid shifts from one musical idea to the next
Film music composers often use leitmotifs to help build a sense of continuity. A leitmotif is a recurring musical idea (a melody, chord sequence, rhythm or a combination of these) which is associated with a particular idea, character or place.
Leitmotifs are manipulated to match the action and mood of a scene. They could be altered by:
- changing the rhythm or pitch
- changing the instrumentation or accompaniment
- adding new material
- developing fragments of the idea
BBC. (2014). Film Music. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/popular_music/film_music1.shtml. Last accessed 09/11/17.
SadnessComposed by Randy Newman
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PatriosimComposed by Randy Newman
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HappinessComposed by Henry Jackman
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how does the music portray sadness?
in this clip the composer creates a pice that follows the story of the video and also tells the story which was being shown, Randy Newman uses music within a higher pitch band making it sound innocent which compliments the story of love and loss.
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how does the music portray patriotism?
In this clip the composer choses a song that matched the mood of the event taking place in the movie and also relates to it the song is based around being "american made" and the event is |
how does the music portray happiness?
in this clip henry jackman creats a bitter sweet mood, this follows the story that although Tadashi is dead his Memory will always be with him. the music supports this mood by starting by faiding a deep rumbleing sound to give a build up to the breakdown of Hiro then finishing with a crescendo of higher pitched music to reflect the positivity as the videos of his dead brother are played
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Hans Zimmer
who is Hans Zimmer?
Hans Zimmer was born 12 September 1957 and is a German film score composer and record producer. Since the 1980s, he has composed music for over 150 films. His works include The Lion King, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1995, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Thin Red Line, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States. He is the head of the film music division at DreamWorks studios and works with other composers through the company that he founded known as Media Ventures. |
Examples of Hans Zimmer's scores:
In the Pirates of the Caribean Hans Zimmer uses music to convey start by using familiar sea shanty rythm to convey the nature of the film. As the score develops he build tension through the music combining quieter section builds tension and volume and using crashing brass to create an aprehension among the viewers.
In the Pirates of the Caribean Hans Zimmer uses music to convey start by using familiar sea shanty rythm to convey the nature of the film. As the score develops he build tension through the music combining quieter section builds tension and volume and using crashing brass to create an aprehension among the viewers.
In contrast the score for Interstellar is quieter and more unusual. This is preparing the audience for the solitary nature of the space movie. The music is contemporary which suit a space aged theme.
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Pre-Production Practice
The Plan
To be able to use all of the techniques explained above as effectively as possible i will be creating a short practice film using all of the techniques. The film will be a chase scene, I have chosen this because i will be able to create foley sounds of the running and jumping over obstacles which will make differing sounds. Secondly I will be able to add in a sound track with ease that will allow the viewer to understand the atmosphere around the situation of the story. Finally I will be using ADR to pick up any unclear vocal lines this will be done through Re-Recording these lines.
Sound Requirements
Foley sound
- Footsteps of walking on gravel
- Running footsteps on gravel
- Running footsteps on leafy ground
- Thud of body hitting the ground
- Rustling of leafs as body rolls down hill
- Hitting a fence as person jumps over
- Footsteps of walking on gravel
- Running footsteps on gravel
- Running footsteps on leafy ground
- Thud of body hitting the ground
- Rustling of leafs as body rolls down hill
- Hitting a fence as person jumps over
Film Composition
- this music needs to come across as threatening as the characters are in a dangerous and variable situation, it also needs to change to suit a transition from a confrontation to a chase this will be done by having the music increase in speed making it more intense.
- this music needs to come across as threatening as the characters are in a dangerous and variable situation, it also needs to change to suit a transition from a confrontation to a chase this will be done by having the music increase in speed making it more intense.
ADR
- the lines spoken in the first part of the movie as they exchange something will be re-recorded and over dubbed so the voice is clearer and more understandable. These will be the lines...
"Have you got the product?"
"Yes"
"Wait where is the money?"
"I will have it to you by tomorrow"
"This is unacceptable pay up now"
- the lines spoken in the first part of the movie as they exchange something will be re-recorded and over dubbed so the voice is clearer and more understandable. These will be the lines...
"Have you got the product?"
"Yes"
"Wait where is the money?"
"I will have it to you by tomorrow"
"This is unacceptable pay up now"
Sound Effects
- sound effects will not be in demand in this film they will only be used to set the scene and atmosphere of the venue E.G: police siren in the background to make the area seem more dangerous.
- sound effects will not be in demand in this film they will only be used to set the scene and atmosphere of the venue E.G: police siren in the background to make the area seem more dangerous.
production practice
I have chosen to practice with the following techniques in my production practice work:
A. foley sound
I have experimented with creating sounds to enhance the production such as footsteps; crackling autumn leaves and movement.
a. Rustling of leafs as body rolls down hill. The leaves were created by recording very dry leaves in a controlled to environment to capture the volume.
b. - Footsteps of walking on gravel, running footsteps on gravel , running footsteps on leafy ground: All footsteps were recorded in otherwise quiet conditions to improve clarity.
c. The movement noises were more difficult I tried jingling keys but prefered the effect of stepping on dry twigs this resulted in a clicking sound to help communicate the speed of movement .
d. Thud of body hitting the ground: I filled a bag with things to make it heavy then dropped it
e. Hitting a fence as person jumps over : I hit a metal bar with another metal bar.
B media production / film composition
I have collected a range of sound tracks to use to build tension. In this I searched for sounds that would build tension and convey the speed of movement. This was downloaded from royalty songs on youtube.
C sound dubbing
I have experimented with sound dubbing:
a. By adding the artifical sound effects of siren at the start this was difficult to get live by adding in created the story line distraction.
b. The unusual closing 'bumba' effect at the end helped to convey the success of the get away.
All of these effects were collected and overlaid on the film using premier pro editing.
A. foley sound
I have experimented with creating sounds to enhance the production such as footsteps; crackling autumn leaves and movement.
a. Rustling of leafs as body rolls down hill. The leaves were created by recording very dry leaves in a controlled to environment to capture the volume.
b. - Footsteps of walking on gravel, running footsteps on gravel , running footsteps on leafy ground: All footsteps were recorded in otherwise quiet conditions to improve clarity.
c. The movement noises were more difficult I tried jingling keys but prefered the effect of stepping on dry twigs this resulted in a clicking sound to help communicate the speed of movement .
d. Thud of body hitting the ground: I filled a bag with things to make it heavy then dropped it
e. Hitting a fence as person jumps over : I hit a metal bar with another metal bar.
B media production / film composition
I have collected a range of sound tracks to use to build tension. In this I searched for sounds that would build tension and convey the speed of movement. This was downloaded from royalty songs on youtube.
C sound dubbing
I have experimented with sound dubbing:
a. By adding the artifical sound effects of siren at the start this was difficult to get live by adding in created the story line distraction.
b. The unusual closing 'bumba' effect at the end helped to convey the success of the get away.
All of these effects were collected and overlaid on the film using premier pro editing.