Ever wondered how your favourite films sound so realistic? How do they get the sounds of everyday life t come through so clearly in a film? Apparently recording such sounds can be a full-time job.
A foley artist is a crucial part of any movie production and entails someone recording the background sounds of the film to enhance the audio and overall experience of the movie. These sounds can range from combing hair to the squelching of blood and really make the film more realistic. Imagine seeing a movie and then there’s a scene with someone in high heels walking without making a sound. Personally I wouldn’t trust a film like that.
Foley started because microphones couldn’t always pick up the audio so well, so it would be added after filming. It’s named after Jack Foley who helped make the audio for one of the first filmed musicals, Universal Studio’s ShowBoat, thrusting the industry from silent movies to the world of onscreen sound.
One particular well know artist is Stefan Fraticelli who has worked on films such as Silver Linings Playbook(2012), Prison Break(2005), 500 Days of Summer(2009) and The Fighter (2005). He is known for getting particularly creative with his modes of recording. He has used noodles to make the sounds of blood, dry pasta for bone-cracking and even celery for dismemberments. Who thought it was pasta and noodles making us squirm in the theatres all this time.
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