So where does the term ‘Foley Artist’ originate?
In 1914 and man called Jack Foley was employed by Universal Studios to create sound effects for the silent movies. He developed a multitude of sounds from all sorts of household objects. And with the addition of some standard orchestral percussion instruments, he built up quite an armoury!
Jack Foley created sounds for films until his death in 1967 and his methods are still employed today. Foley studios employ hundreds of props and digital effects to recreate the ambient sounds for their films. Here are some of the tricks they use:
- Corn starch in a leather pouch makes the sound of snow crunching
- A pair of gloves sounds like bird wings flapping
- A thin stick is used for a whoosh
- An old chair makes a controllable creaking sound
- ¼” audio tape balled up sounds like grass or brush when walked on
- Frozen romaine lettuce for bone or head injury noises
- Coconut shells cut in half and stuffed with padding for horse hoof noises
- Cellophane creates crackling fire effects
- A heavy phone book for body punching sounds
The prop list for my show mostly consists of percussion instruments, although I do use a few marginally strange items to create my sound effects, including a kitchen waste pipe, an old car horn, and an elephant bell!
If you want to see this lot in action then don’t miss my show at the The Old Courtroom Brighton
Sunday 12th May 3.00pm
Sunday 19th May 3.00pm
Sunday 26th May 3.00pm
Buy Tickets
