Foley Artists: How Movie Sound Effects Are Made

Foley artists make many of the movie sound effects you hear in your favorite films. Here’s a look at how they do it.
Gary Hecker (Django Unchained, Hancock, 300), Dawn Lunsford (Whiplash, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Transformers: Age of Extinction) and Alicia Stevenson (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, X-Men, Transformers: Age of Extinction) take viewers through their post-production process.
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[@soyitiel]

A job poorly done is the one noticeable, this is probably the most underrated job. Good work

[@ryanisabel1025]

Itiel López I know right!

[@diabl2master]

Underappreciated.

[@nightspicer]

the most underappreciated jobs are the ones that require lots of work and people don't know about that unless done wrong.

[@jaydenongfuel9886]

lol

[@donaldnealious9662]

@@jaydenongfuel9886 Like offensive lineman whose names are not called. They are doing a good job well. I love watching Foley artists at work.

[@thedustinbuck]

This is such an impressive part of the creative process.

[@youreright6627]

Amazing right?!?! I was always fascinated by the foley artists.... Great "little documentary"

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

Dustin Buck I concur. Always amazed how a simple object can transform into another object. Such an important role in emerging your audience into your story.

[@arianagarcia7419]

What they do is amazing, and I think we don't appreciate it so much as we should.

[@liberationwasalie2982]

I appreciate women

[@scoobty4449]

@@liberationwasalie2982 fuck off

[@isaaccarrillo2797]

Agreed

[@Honduliocoolio]

that dudes arms are ripped from making sounds

[@jakcarn4184]

i always thought the sounds were natural. This means apart from the voice acting all other sounds are added which i find it hard to believe

[@Honduliocoolio]

Rab carn Yea it's all done in post production. Once the actors are done. This is where they add the effects and sound

[@chingizzhylkybayev8575]

Rab carn uhm... voice acting is also added in post, you know.

[@dawnlunsford7690]

It's true! Think of it this way: You're shooting a scene with Al Pacino and Merryl Streep. The scene is in a restaurant with people eating and talking and the bartender is making drinks... a cappuccino machine is going, a band is playing. The most important and expensive thing to capture is the actor's dialogue. If all of that noise was being recorded organically, the way it would if you were really in a restaurant chatting, you may never be able to hear these great actors speaking great dialogue, which is driving the story of the film. There is a reason they say, "Quiet on the set!" All of the other sounds can be added later (and sound much better) in order to control what the director wants you to hear or move your attention to. Make sense?

[@Nom8d]

Yeah from making sounds

[@Kai0nTheMoon]

I did foley for about a year. It is hard work. Whenever you sit back with your popcorn and soda, never forget just how many people put their time and skill into every film you see.

[@Ndo01]

Looks like a really fun job.

[@kylemartin8655]

Nando N it is

[@craigory8123]

Nando N I got to go inside of the Universals foley room, and I mean it felt fun already.

[@dawnlunsford7690]

It truly is...

[@saibhargav6474]

Ok so these guys are the reason y horror films are so scary

[@dawnlunsford7690]

I've done plenty of Foley for Horror films and I have to say that the MUSIC is what really makes a film scary. Watch a terrifying film with the sound off or with music removed and see how NOT scary it becomes.

[@lustantinoanimations5699]

Yes.

[@mythico2667]

we've been after the wrong people all along! Lets attack the foley artists instead. /j.

[@dionst.michael1482]

Soundtracks for horror are key

[@snailbait]

Yes, my last resort step of getting through a horror movie is to turn the sound way down. (I'm a >>>🐔.) I bet it would be so fun to see them in action!

[@Rebikbok]

this is actually so cool to see! movies are often so much larger than life. i think often they are a bit removed from reality but that's what makes them so interesting to watch and tbh, if foley didn't exist, movies would not be as entrancing as they are

[@fedelxx4333]

seeing whiplash in there made me so happy and I don't know why

[@irina1296]

Now I respect these people even more. They must think about every single detail. It's such a hard work

[@janekim5137]

I first discovered sound effects when I watched a korean drama (Another Miss Oh). Tbh, I was really in awe. This people worked really hard and only a few knew their art. Hats off to these passionate workers. *clap clap*

[@nikkocy]

this is acting. pure art.

[@emilyguerrero5701]

This movie got me messed up. ALL sounds are recorded and dubbed over?? Even the footsteps?? That's insane.

[@TorrellesEdit]

That's how the different regions get a clean Music&Effects track to dub voices over. Otherwise, they'd have to digitally remove the stage voices, or record 2 takes, or act without talking and then dub themselves... It's a massive amount of work, but it makes the internationalisation of the film much cheaper.

[@dxthakid4727]

Emily Schnepp it really depends, not ALL movies use foley artists to create sound they just use the live thing

[@quinnls]

Emily Schnepp not ALL sounds are recorded by foley actors, though what's interesting is that sometimes they'll overdub the actual dialogue if the original recording is bad somehow

[@VendettaProduction01]

Leave a like for no reason Please no. All mid to high budget movies use foley, the only one that doesn't are low budget films. Foley artist myself. So..

[@VendettaProduction01]

Emily Schnepp lol. Foot steps aren't to bad. I hate clothing the most. Seriously making clothing movement sucks. Lol

[@TorrellesEdit]

This is marvellous. Thanks for letting us get inside this practically unknown world!

[@gabdongipark]

I really want to do this job, it's so interestimg

[@Cocoaben]

i NEVEr thought the make original sounds like that. i always thought the live (not sound fx) sounds were just enhanced

[@NiaMSnow]

Cocoaben SAME HERE!!!!

[@madnessbydesign1415]

Typically, the sounds recorded live are not usable. Wind, traffic, birds, building noise, air conditioners, it's almost impossible to get good audio even on a set. If there's a wind machine blowing, that's all a mic will pick up. Foley just gives you greater control over all those elements. Plus, it's fun!

[@Pidalin]

@@madnessbydesign1415 But many things in movies sound stupid because of that. Don't get me wrong, It's nice job and I really like what they are doing, but for example that sword sounds are completely wrong and it's standard sword sound for all today movies becuase someone just did such sound 100 years ago and people are used to that is how sword should sound. I think they should be more courageous to change something and don't do it like in all movies before. I really wish there will be one day one movie with realistic sword or gun sounds. Other sounds are really well done, but swords and guns are mostly terrible. But I understand that foley actors are just doing what they want from them, it's definitely not their fault.

[@ahmtTyln]

this is literally the coolest job ever. this is so much fun.

[@Daijakake]

That guy’s arms are HUGE!

[@miguelpereira9859]

The Sound Designers / Foley Artists allways seem to me like the coolest guys

[@udaui]

respect for the wonderful things done by these artists.Hats off..Love the ending.

[@mayaamis]

when you think about the level of talent that goes into a movie and hundreds of departmens and people like this that work on it, too many to even count, and they all go unnamed, and than few actors get all the credit and fame. it's insane...

[@Rodoadrenalina]

And that's why movies cost Millions

[@logan2669]

I'm sure the million dollar contracts for big actors or the giant sets or the sometimes groundbreaking CGI has nothing to do with that.

[@NiaMSnow]

Tomas Tur makes sense

[@southerncritic9090]

Tomas Tur Yeah right. There is no art in movies anymore. It's all just CGI and computerized sound effects.

[@KlyzmTheFirst]

Puro South that’s not true.. how about moonlight?

[@dawnlunsford7690]

This video shows that there IS still art in movie making. Foley is done by hand, not computerized sound effects.

[@stargirl7646]

I’ve always been fascinated by this - thanks for the glimpse into their lives! I’ve had a chance to do a bit of this in a community theater radio show and it was a lot of fun. :D

[@madnessbydesign1415]

I was lucky enough to do some Foley on a small film. Best Job Ever...

[@Microfaun]

Question: Why do you have to time something like a single slap so perfectly if you can just line up the audio with the video in editing? Thanks!

[@TheRhalf]

Less work if they time most stuff right I guess, it might also make the process more fun

[@aLgProduction]

wow...... so interesting...... wow... this is great...

[@FutureStudiosFilms]

Wow. I love film. I'm never gonna stop making videos :)

[@ZetHololo]

love these videos, but always hate the bakground music

[@richbroad4016]

Nickolas Barmenkov I was going to say that too. What they're saying is interesting, and there's no need for that bed of background music.

[@ashjem]

Such an important and fun job, yet so underrated!

[@codelucky]

These guys are the superheroes.

[@Giovannix51]

they love their job

[@witreks]

Thanks for the great job! I never thought event those small immersive sounds were made by you guys

[@trallicus3758]

This is a goldmine for an SNL skit.

[@dawnlunsford7690]

Ben Stiller did a hilarious skit making fun of Foley Artists (my job) for an MTV Movie Awards show a while back. I still cry from laughter just thinking about it~

[@thatenbyartist517]

The job foley artists do is absolutely amazing!

[@nikhilsharma4716]

An awesome Demo by the artists that enhance the movies...

[@kennyanderson4544]

Recognized all these movies, I especially love Whiplash.

[@farahin28]

Amazing job

[@dan-gy4vu]

i wonder if they do asmr for dem extra money from youtube.

[@levicowan2650]

Sound is very important for a movie, great video

[@AriaRedux]

Superb video! Fascinating and inspiring!

[@steelbarber]

This just makes me think how silly it is to have the actor famous simply because he's on camera. There's so much other talent off-camera that no one talks about and it's insane.

[@TallCecil77]

Im looking for that classic body hitting the floor or ground sound that used to be used in a lot of old movies and cartoons. It sounded kind of like this... Pkk ah bbtttt.

[@BadWebDiver]

The only film I remember where the foley really stuck out as bad was the footsteps in the movie The Sting. It's a all-time classic film, but some of the footsteps sounds are w-a-a-y-y-y-y overdone! (Well that and the shark roar in Jaws 4!) Guess it's true, the times you notice foley is when it's bad. If it's done right, most viewers won't even realize it's there.

[@abhilashm7977]

Love the work

[@markjmmaquiraya1515]

That's awesome!! I've been watching a lit of movies..i thought its just their natural sounds.👏👏👏

[@jobmarket848]

Great work

[@tigereyes1559]

Wow👏👏 massive respect to all of them

[@89surferboi]

The most amazing thing ive ever seen!!!!

[@eniigmv]

This is fascinating

[@TheIgnitedRed]

very nice! never thought of it!

[@aripcage3077]

this is amazing

[@desireandfire]

Dang that one guys really buff

[@aartsindia]

Thanking you for greatest tutorials

[@diabl2master]

Seems like a fun and very skilled job.

[@harshalgawand5992]

Really thank you

[@matiasmannelli5722]

AMAZING JOB LOVED

[@011mph]

this is so awesome

[@Namster05]

Wow, never thought that foley is still used in big projects. 6:31 actually I was sure that filmmakers just use sounds from digital library. Great job, you have to be super creative there and these guys totally fit

[@diymusicbiz]

Namster05 it's a combination of both depending on what's needed

[@MjuMeli]

I feel like Foley artist could appreciate a dirty storage unit full of old broken stuff and appreciate it in a way not many others could

[@AQuantumCraig]

super awesome!

[@mdevowish]

Fascinating!!

[@hataeminseok3838]

this is so impressive oh my god!!!

[@VFXCommander]

Extraordinary!

[@theAlbertinator1]

6:47 You wanna show them how we do kisses...? Okay. Me: They had us in the first half not gonna lie

[@jonny-b4954]

6:25 God, I'd kill for a job like that. Where before you know it the day is already over and you had a blast. A creative challenge testing your trade skill. I'm self employed... makes me really want to take my family's business in a new direction.

[@ParisHolmesFilms]

amazing

[@wcarcass]

Awesome!!!

[@annajazz4136]

this is awesome!!!!:)

[@Mattiac1980]

Most impressive!

[@lahiruvn]

Love this

[@mmka5434]

Such an interesting job.

[@MrOneNye]

this is an amazing world. love it 😍

[@sakanibluu]

"What do you do for a living?" "I make noise."

[@iks4442]

great job :)

[@strangerthings5707]

Wow that’s such a cool job I wanna be a foley artist when I grow up

[@na_films]

Superb...

[@JetSetDex]

How do you get into foley and sound design?

[@dawnlunsford7690]

We learn by apprenticeship. Think of how a glass blower learns. Someone takes under their wings, a raw talent, someone committed to learning the craft, and teaches them.

[@johnmellor932]

My advice is to first become a well rounded audio engineer with a passion for post. Agree with others but apprenticeships are highly competative. Even working for free is competative because people looking to enter the industry are competeing to build an impressive portfolio that doesn't consist of just student work. Believe me I've been at it for 6 years as a freelancer and only just started charging clients when I'm lucky to actually get hired, and I studied sound engineering for 10 years before that!

[@8DeaD7]

Do you do that for a living? Or have another job? It seems Foley Artits only are a few who can live of it. A few experienced ones, with high cost equipment and an experienced foley mixer. You can do it all, but not sure if the time and investment is worth it @@johnmellor932

[@johnmellor932]

@@8DeaD7 No, I have a day job, but I do it as much as I can. I won an Award for sound editing a few months back at an Awards festival in Atlanta Georgia. Not bad for an English Northerner from a town no one's ever heard of. Which keeps me enthused. I don't just do Foley though, you have to become skilled at everything when you are independant, because you're asked to cover all bases on a project. Dialogue edit, Foley, atmos tracks, sound design, mixing. It takes dogged determination and passion. My love of film is what keeps me from throwing ths towel in. But I love it. The dream is to do it for a living but its hard to get into. Sound editors are like Freemasons you have to be invited to be one of them. There's AMPS and MPSE, to be a member of either union requires you to be invited by 4 full members. I've never tried tbh. But like anything one just needs that one lucky break, someone to give you a chance.

[@Ed-Mace]

Spectacular.

[@reko6262]

the effects make the movie more dramatic😊 even cooler

[@nymphicide]

oh geez, just think about the sex scenes in movies @_@

[@megthecat2166]

tragicramen uh

[@OckhamAsylum]

That's when you bring in the two people having a workplace relationship and tell them that they're being paid to fuck in front of a mic for millions to here. Then you give them 15 minutes alone and let movie magic happen.

[@Olivierstreet]

I only hope they don't do this for porn

[@NiaMSnow]

OckhamAsylum they aren't alone the mixer will be in the room too lol

[@j03Biz]

I wouldnt be surprised if it is like the booty clap sound, it turns out it is a guy slapping his hand on a raw turkey or something like that.

[@1000mg.]

I wouldn't want to watch a movie without these effects.

[@tendo.s6582]

Wow i never knew how much effort they put into making a movie

[@jadziachapman-lowe6703]

This would wreck watching movies for me if I was them.

[@djweaverdev2961]

Your average joe that likes a movie generally can't explain why they like it. Its just "cool" to them. This same concept applies to pretty much every artistic medium. But if you've taken the dive down the rabbit hole of how it was produced, then you know for sure why you like it (or hate it). For me it doesn't make me appreciate it any less or more. It just gives me the awareness of why I felt one way or the other. Instead of thinking "that movie was cool" or "that song was awesome", you think to yourself "the way those spurs rang out in that scene where the protaganist approaches the doorway was really ominous an foreboding and I like that" or "the way that timpani roll leads into the bridge was very unique and unexpected" or "the pacing of the dialog here is really chaotic and gives you a sense of the panic the characters must be feeling". To your friends you'll probably seem like a snob, but the reality is that you have acquired a real sense of taste beyond the superficial. This will happen one way or another as you get older whether you like it or not. As you get older you notice things more... you become more aware, and the more this happens you become attached to specific things. Its a blessing and a curse. I really wish I could watch marvel movies with the youthful fascination I once had as a child. Now I just think they are shallow reproductions of common tropes I've seen a million times. But hearing that church organ in Hans Zimmers soundtrack to Interstellar blew my mind in ways I'd never have understood as a child.

[@BlingBlingTheBSOFTHEISS]

Awesome job, Foley artists do not get near enough credit.

[@AVIVAFilms]

AMAZING yes !

[@KadinSchultz]

Unintentional ASMR

[@NiaMSnow]

wow I always thought the actors were making the noises when they walk but no it's other people lmao

[@theoliviaarchives4794]

This is so cool. How huge is the sound library for the sounds you reuse?

[@sumbuddy63]

I like how hard they try to convince us what a hard, stressful job this is.

[@sanjeevaraomanchala4299]

Hard work really !

[@radiobrain94]

fucking amazing stuff guys. thank you so much for sharing your process

[@aurelia27720]

This is really interesting I didn’t know this was how it happened

[@drummer322931]

Its the little things...Great job...Under Rated is right....

[@AmukimProduction]

superbbb

[@Smg43-Lover]

well job can be fun

[@mistingwolf]

Well, I guess now I know why footsteps in snow never sound quite right. Foley artists do an amazing job, but if you don't have the material, it's not going to work. XD

[@dawnlunsford7690]

We actually order snow ice delivered to our stage and perform the footsteps in really snow. It's not cheap though and you may have heard back snow sounds in a low budget film. Maybe they didn't have the budget to get real snow.

[@bighead240sx]

This is a cool !!!

[@taepark5330]

I hope more young people enter the job market as sound and Foley artists.

[@janineharrison5186]

Very interesting.

[@liawatson5789]

The woman with dark hair is so pretty

[@unfortunately_fortunate2000]

dawg, this was posted 2 years before no nutt November was a thing...@@scoobty4449