The art if foley is to record the diegetic sounds that are seen on screen. Take Walter Murch’s perspective on foley; ‘It isn’t technically perfect and it should fool the listener in thinking it is really the production sound’ (Vanessa, 2009, 86).
There are many different methods of recording foley but its all about experimenting with what works well for the particular piece you are recording. There are many different factors that you need to consider; What microphone sounds best and the distance of microphone from the recording source are common examples. Some foley artists like to record close to the source to capture a clear recording and others record further away creating space in the scene. You can record with multiple microphones; one for footsteps and props and the other for room reflection. (Vanessa, 2009, 87)
When recording footsteps the foley artist should consider what type of shoes should be used, the surface they are walking on, the microphone used and the distance from the microphone as it affects the performance of the recording. (Vanessa, 2009, 87) It’s not as simple as using the same shoe as the character on screen is using. You have to carefully trail and select a shoe that isn’t too high pitched or too bright as this will not blend in with the dialogue track nicely. You should also be wary of walking over dialogue tracks as to not cover them. Being subtle is key. (Vanessa, 2009, 88) If the character on screen walks on multiple surfaces in a scene, you need to plan each each so you can change from one surface to another. (Vanessa, 2009, 88) Footsteps are incredibly important as they can add different characteristics to characters.
When recording props, it is good to have as many different samples available. This will allow you to experiment as each different prop will have subtle differences that can add interesting aspects to the picture. (Vanessa, 2009, 111) An example is that not one piece of paper does not have all the characteristics of all paper sounds. (Vanessa, 2009, 111) ‘It’s not always the tool, its how you use it’ (Vanessa, 2009, 117)
You can enhance characters on screen by recording their cloth movement. This is what is called a cloth path. You record it with the dialogue movement of the character. You have speciality cloth such as leather that would be treated as a separate prop. The original way to record cloth was to record it to the movement of the characters seen on screen. Robert Rutledge developed an easier method called a ‘single cloth pass’ (Vanessa, 2009, 120). This when you record cloth to the recorded footstep cue. You can also combine footsteps and cloth in the same cue, recording them at the same time.
The foley mixer is responsible for recording the sounds that the foley artist is creating. (Vanessa, 2009, 145) The mixers job is too (Vanessa, 2009, 146):
- Record the foley
- Set and mix the levels
- Identify any problems in the track
- Microphone placements
- Assisting with the foley artist
To be a good mixer, you need to know the job of a foley artist. You need a special eye for cues and sync and a great ear for aesthetics. (Vanessa, 2009, 146) They understand good story telling with sound and know how to execute it well. (Vanessa, 2009, 148)
Some mixers like very little room reflection, to get a dry recording so they can manipulate in post production (Vanessa, 2009, 151). Others prefer an open space recording, capturing the natural reverb of the room, reducing the need for artificial reverb.
It’s all about creating reality through the use of everyday sounds without being noticed. You have to be careful not to cover the dialogue track which is the aspect that the audience need to hear and not to be distracted from.
Editing Foley
Editing foley is all about cleaning up any problems that might occur during the recording process of foley. They make sure that each foley cue flows from one to another naturally, not breaking the illusion of the art of foley to the audience (Vanessa, 2009, 160). The editor needs to make sure they do not under cut or over cut the foley cues so the characterisation of each cue isn’t affected.
Tips before editing (Vanessa, 2009, 161)
- Listen to the entire cue before editing
- Establish the “sweet spot” of the cue
- Establish what needs to be heard and what doesn’t
Don’t just cut the cue to the wave form you see. Editors listen to the whole of the cue in fine detail along with the image (Vanessa, 2009, 167). They determine the meaning that the specific sound has to the image. What is it adding to the scene? is it necessary? these are the elements you need to consider when editing foley.