Part 2 of 2
Halved, lightly-padded coconut shells created the roar of the horse hoofs in Ben Hur. For the softer, more distant hoof sounds, cupped hands on legs covered in thick work pants fit the bill. Blowing in the Foley artist’s hands produced the tired horse exhales; large, antique keys mimicked the metal sounds of the bridles and bits. A ruler lightly stroking a pad of paper yielded the faint sounds of the whips.
Thumping a watermelon and hitting a partially frozen chicken—stuffed with bags of uncooked rice—with a rubber mallet resembles body punches. Celery wrapped in a cloth and gently snapped represented breaking bones. In Dr. Zhivago, squeezing a box of corn starch created crunching snow. Who knew!
The classics offer more excellent examples of Foley like Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In the marketplace scene, Jar Jar’s long, sloshing tongue sprung out and grabbed some hanging food as the Foley artist mashed her palm into a ripe orange half. Then flicked a metal Slinky in a box for the metallic zings. Melting chopped Jell-O rendered the slimy, gooshy sounds of flung food falling on the floor. In Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers, feet traipsing through the mud and rain were actually fingers “walking” on a roll of soaked toilet paper.
So look around your house. See if you have the “stuff” of a great Foley artist. Soft leather gloves for a bird’s flapping wings. Frozen romaine for a cracking jaw. Question: What sound do you create by crunching audio tape with hedge trimmers? I think you’ve got the picture, or rather, the sound!
Please, do not make a faux pas and call Foley sound effects—it’s Foley Effects. Today, Foley is expensive as each sound is custom made, never from a library of pre-recorded sounds. These one-of-a-kind sound products have an authentic, emotional appeal. What fun! Ready to start a new career as a Foley Artist?
