Why It’s So Hard For Foley Artists To Make Footstep Sounds | Movies Insider | Insider
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2024
- According to Foley artist Stefan Fraticelli, who’s worked on TV shows like “Parks and Recreation” and “Fargo” and movies like the “Conjuring” series, footsteps are the most challenging sound for a Foley artist to master. Finding the right footwear, surface, and sync is not always straightforward. For example, if he has to match a pair of high heels on-screen, real heels will produce an unpleasant sound against rocks or dirt, so he’ll use sneakers instead. And if he wants to create creepy creaking sounds on a wood floor in a horror movie, he’ll have to do it with just socks on so the sound fully comes through. Meanwhile, Stefan needs to have a really sharp ear for the subtle differences between the sounds of different types of rocks, because it won’t sound right if his Foley materials don’t exactly align with what’s on camera. Finally, keeping up with all the action on-screen involves a lot of practice in everything from rhythm to proper weight distribution. Sometimes, it sounds better to create tap-dancing sounds with your hands instead of your feet.
Check out more of Stefan’s work:
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Why It’s So Hard For Foley Artists To Make Footstep Sounds | Movies Insider | Insider - Розваги
Foley artists in their studios are always fun to watch. They are extremely creative
Basically getting paid to crossdress.
Thanks so much
@@janiceleonard8132 membership has its privileges 😂
@@janiceleonard8132 Cross dress? I do it naked! and also I gather sounds naturally in the field not studio.
And it’s such a unique type of creativity
For anyone wondering why they don’t just use the footsteps recorded on set; A lot of the time they aren’t even being recorded at all. Voice performances are always prioritized on a shoot. In fact, when it comes time to edit the sound, often only the dialogue is preserved from the scene. The background sounds are completely stripped away and created new.
A sound edit is typically broken up into: Dialogue, Foley, Backgrounds, Sound Effects, and Music.
I’m in my final year of film school and hope to become a sound designer/Foley artist soon :)
Thank you! I was wondering why foley was necessary. I figured it was because the sounds were muted in recording so they needed to bring them out more. Didn't realize they completely stripped them out and start over. That's a lot of work!
So cool!!
good luck buddy
I was surprised to see that the foley artist is actually performing the footsteps in sync with the source video! I was under the impression that nowadays, one would just sample a set of the appropriate noises and then composite them into the appropriate rhythm later, during the sound editing stage. I guess the former method allows for more subtle nuances in sound texture, while sacrificing absolute rhythmic accuracy.
Just because that is currently how it is done doesn't mean that it is HOW it has to be done.
It would be simple AND easier in the long run to just put tinny wireless mics everywhere and sync and edit the sound with the video in post. Put a mic on both shoes. We have the tech to make mics with wireless connectivity so small these days you won't even notice them.
For stuff like say on a table, put mics on the table etc etc.
The fact that most of us don't notice anything unnatural about it when watching a movie means they've really done a great job.
the best kind of jobs are ones that work without us noticing. love it
unlike hearing "opening door 1" or "howling wind"
it often is unnatural the sound of steps is usually way too loud and clear
me who never notices footsteps in movies: "same"
Dude, I’ve always been fascinated with foley work. Who would have thought that sounds we take for granted require such effort to replicate onto the screen.
A lot of these sounds I suspect you wouldn't actually hear in real life, but if they were left out, the scenes would be "dead" and you'd think something was wrong even though in all probability you wouldn't be able to put your finger on it.
@@rosehawke2577 that’s literally the point of doing it.
Do you go outside? Like what?
@@socalbarbie1040 I…. I don’t get what you mean. Do I go outside ever? For work? I mean the answer to either of those questions are “of course”.
As a resident in a Nordic country one always notices how hard it is to try to create right sound for walking in the snow. The sound is definitely different if it's -2C or -20C outside. The colder it gets, the more squeaky the footsteps sound.
Yes! I can't stand when the snow sounds wrong. (As a resident of Ohio's snowbelt). Squeaky footsteps and they're wearing light sweaters irks me so bad lol
Man I live in Oklahoma and it is around 105 degrees every day or around like 39 Celsius I think (correct me if I’m wrong) hottest I felt is 118 degrees
Yes, this! I live in Northern Alberta where it gets cold AF (Down to -50°C.) Movies _never_ portray extremely cold environments right. I cringe everytime I see someone in "the cold" and you can't even see their breath making mist. 🤣
Canadian here, and I confirm.
Also how old the snow is has an impact on the squeakiness
Foley artists are the unsung heroes of all TV shows and movies. Most people don't even realize that they exist. Which is really sad. If they were more recognized at awards shows (Oscars, etc), then maybe people would give them the credit which they are due. ✌🇨🇦👍💯😎
But why not just have separate microphones on the shoes of actors?
@@Ruffles2012 Sound design is an important factor in film making. It can be ignored, but with greater budget and effort, comes with greater attention to detail
@@Ruffles2012 because real sounds in a fake atmosphere do not sound real. You think an actor is stepping around some million dollar mansion on location, when in reality they are on some sound stage. the echo from a large soundstage is different than one inside a real mansion. thats why these type of workers exist, to create the correct "sounds" to make the scene make sense on a subconscious level.
also yes, hollywood has studied things like this way, way too much. Thats why people are acting like Lord of the Rings and other legacy movies are some holy grails... its "too good".
Thanks Sue, we are recognized for Emmys as part of sound editing but are yet to be included in the Oscars. Things are changing though, when I first started no one knew what a foley artist was, and 29 years later most often people do. 😊
@@Ruffles2012 it’s not just footsteps, we redo all the sounds related to their movements (washing dishes, putting on jackets, punching, chopping carrots) They focus on the dialogue when recording on set, so we add a layer of clear sounds on top after to heighten everything.
I always like finding out how movies are more complicated than we usually think.
That's why the credit rolls are so long ;)
It's their way of gatekeeping quality so only big studios can do it
@@stellviahohenheim IATSE NAZIS
There is a short UA-cam video about silent props in movies, it's really surprising and neat
@@stellviahohenheim how can equality be gated
One of my friends in art school was a film major, and demolishing vegetables in his kitchen for a horror short has forever given me the greatest appreciation for Foley artists.
Foley artists have one of the best jobs in existence! It looks like so much fun, and they must view and hear the world around them very differently. Imagine being woken in the night by your Foley artist partner, because they've had a random sound effect epiphany in their sleep and have to act on it immediately before they forget it 😆😆😆
I’ve woken my wife up at night with my Foley artistry.
@@Put-that-down 😆😆😆 Did your wife see it that way too? 🤭
Sounds like a nightmare
Whoa. Totally in awe of this guy. Holy cow. Now here is a skill set that is rare - like a musician a composer and improv artist. I am blow away by his process.
My favorite "we couldn't afford foley work" example is a scene from an episode of the ultra-low-budget Brit show, _Doctor Who._ The action takes place in a cavern that has been turned into some kind of temple. The Doctor is standing atop a stepped altar supposedly carved from a natural rock platform. He runs down to ground level and out of the cavern. Every step is the hollow booming of a very obviously wooden platform and floor. It's actually kind of charming, like watching your kid's middle school play.
Yeah i remember the cgi in the early seasons, laughably bad but endearing especially with the acting performances
@@gave2haze There was no CGI in the early seasons ;) (Yes, I understand what you meant, I just find it kinda funny how you're referring as "early seasons" to something that was essentially 27th season and counting...)
@@Case_ is this the show so old that earliest seasons are partially lost media now since they only existed on TV tapes that got reused and there was no home recording hardware at the time?
I wonder, if in a Movie where they show a Foley artist do foley art in the studio, if they'd use the original sounds, or have another foley artist mimic the sound the foley artist in the movie makes
It would be done afterwards like in all movies, but maybe by the foley artist in the movie 😊
Foleyception!
Whoa, good question!!
Check Bavarian Sound Studio.
@@clatterbones321 Berberian Sound Studio.
My brother was a Foley artist in Hollywood who specialized in footsteps. It was hard work and took a toll on him.
yeah no kidding, i feel like your back wouldn't be happy about all the bending over and whatnot. big respect!
Took a toll?
What’s he doin now?
@@longebane affected him negatively
@@longebane - Yes. He would walk in all kinds of shoes, including high heels, on various surfaces to get the sounds he needed. He developed arthritis in his feet.
Augie May. A forgotten great overdub artist who I had the honor of meeting at zenith dB studios in Chicago circa 1979. What a master. R.I.P
I have this weird desire for detailed footsteps in video games. I first noticed it when I was a kid while playing Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando when they actually gave him footsteps.
It bothers be when video games make "running footsteps" the same as walking footsteps, but faster.
Mirrors Edge was a godsend, because that game really took shoe steps to the next level in terms of detail.
The Last of Us (particularly part 2) has AMAZING footstep foley
@@gregsonfilm I did like both of those too.
alien isolation probably has the best sneaking sounds I've ever heard, most games with sneaking don't even have sound
Breath of the Wild is also notorious for the attention to detail in sound design. There's a video about it if you search for it. For example they didn't just turn the volume slider down when the character sneaks but actually recorded themselves sneaking/being more careful with the equipment.
Foley artististry is a profession that perpetuates itself. By making sounds that people expect, those sounds are always expected vs what the actual sound is.
This is definitely true in some cases (katana swords out of wooden sheaths etc)
Even if people didn't expect these sounds, foley artists would still be useful because it would be hard to edit a movie if all audio was on the same layer
artististry
exactly we have been conditioned to what things are supposed to sound like which is why they make them selves needed.
Sounds like great career security
I studied Sound Engineering and I used enjoy creating sounds and doing voise overs for cartoon characters on my school projects. It was really fun
Wait until you've been doing it for 20 years.. starts to lose the fun haha..
I kid, post sound is a pretty cushy gig.
It amazes me that making a movie isn’t about act and edit. It requires a lot of time and effort from costumes, scripts to sounds. I never thought that the sounds were actually made by foley artists! Even after the video, I cannot still believe it!
i know what you mean. films in particular seem to have so many moving parts they seem like that should be completely impossible to actually finish. that said, the different spaces i’ve worked in, everything is more complex than it seems at the point of consumption and a lot of the time that’s the point too. i guess if we notice the footsteps, someone messed up :)
*One of the many unsung heroes in filmmaking...*
It's so crazy how much work goes into this, yet it's something that most of the time people don't recognize consciously.
Also, it's amazing to me, that it is still done this way. You would think that all possible variations of all possible sounds can be found in a digital stock sound library and mixed in placed at the right time.
It’s true that they could be, but this way is much more time, and therefore cost effective, as well as being a better fit than trying to edit everything together from libraries.
For a short, and small production, you might get away with library foley. The thing is, you are matching a performance that was made with a specific cadence of movement, with a specific shoe material, on a specific surface, that it would take you a LOT more time editing the library foley to get a convincing sound. If you work with foley artists (like the one in the video) they solve all those issues (performance, material, surface) in one, or several, tidy takes.
Good point, although stock libraries don't have all possible variations, so it's important to manipulate them. For a recent film, I recorded some new sounds, but many were library sounds with digital alterations, including pitch shifting, equalization, time stretching, plus combining with other sounds. Each character had their own personal set of footstep sounds, for consistency and to tell the story. I started doing creature voices and "digital Foley" in 1985 for the Lucasfilm Ewoks and Droids cartoons, and can say that the tools are better now. 🙂
i guess every scene is slightly different and it’s likely an all or nothing process; you hire the guy and he doesn’t the whole thing or you use mp3s from a library.
"yeah, I'm gonna need some boxing gloves, a roll of duct tape, a plastic bag and do you have some kitty litter? No sir, I am not a tweaker, I am a foley artist."
Lol
Sound effects are so underrated. Whenever im watching an anime or movie im always listening to the sound effects and how many there are.
Agreed. The music in the background isn't as underrated but still is and I Iisten for the music too
I always love listening for the music. Leitmotifs, parts of songs cut into other songs, when the song that was only played for _that_ scene plays in another scene for foreshadowing, etc.
Definitely getting his 10,000 steps in a day.
I keep meaning to track it, tbh
@@OddioStudio WAIT THATS YOU IN THE VIDEO?
@@NeedRebounds yup, helllloo.
@@OddioStudio that’s so cool man honestly props to you and all the work you do to make movies happen. Foley artist deserve so much more credit and it’s honestly fascinating to me how much work goes into the sounds yall produce for movies!
@@NeedRebounds thanks very much
There's a criminally underrated but unbelievably wonderful Japanese film called "Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald" that I felt was a love letter to Foley Artists not just for Film, but for RADIO, and I think people who love the art of Foley will really enjoy that movie. 😊
When I watch stuff like this, it makes me amazed movies get made ever.
Huge team working on them. The credits roll goes on for ages
it also makes sense why they have multi million dollar budgets lol
I did live Foley effects for a stage production in high school. It was a fun experience, that I reference to this day, even though I've never done it since. I have such high respect for Foley artists; what they accomplish, with their creativity and attention to detail, is phenomenal. And it is so rarely noticed or recognized!
I always wondered if foley artists get ASMR. I feel like the entire genre spawned from people who really enjoy foley sounds and wanted to relax to something similar.
People always tell me I should create an asmr account, but there is really no time lol
It's crazy how much work goes into Foley!
I hope this guy is loaded. I cant even fathom the amount of creativity and skill this job requires
sadly, he won’t be. we highly undervalue the creative process in almost every form it takes.
if theres anything I've learned in life its that the most creative and skilled among us are generally left uncredited or completely unknown while a few big names get to monopolize all the money and fame despite the sheer quantity of talented people that should be celebrated for their contributions: people don't become masters of their craft by being concerned about who's the one in the spotlight, however
lol he's just clomping around the joint
I'm so glad this video ended up in my recommendations. I have to watch out for children running around at my work in a retail store, when I'm moving fixtures and clothing racks around, but thankfully we have a cement floor and I can "listen for children" and they always tend to have faster sounding tippy-tappy steps than adults. Also their breathing is usually faster and higher pitched and often loud because a lot of kids are just mouth breathers when they run and play tag a lot.
*These artists are legend at making sounds! No wonder to be very surprised, they're creative are amazing!*
I’m never again going to watch people on film walk, run, hop, jump, dance, walk upstairs or down without picturing this process. I had no idea!
😅
It's not only the steps, every sound is recreated but the dialogue
Big respect to all the foley artists out there. They seriously need more recognition and appreciation for their hard work!
I recently caught part of the 1982 "Annie" movie and was incredibly irritated by scenes with loud clicky footsteps. In the 1970s or so, you can hear those awful jarring footsteps in TV shows and movies. I'm glad the Foley artists have improved on that in recent decades.
It's probably a combo of improved foley work, improved recording technology, and improved sound mixing technology.
My guitar teacher was just telling me that when artists recorded their songs in the 60s or so they'd be recorded on tape, but in the mixing process it wouldn't come out exactly the same speed, so the recording often ends up being a quarter tone flat or sharp (which you wouldn't necessarily notice unless you were trying to play along).
The footsteps on a wooden floor sounded exactly the same to me in every movie and they are always followed by the same creeks. Now I know why, thank you))
Is it just me, or does this seem like the best job ever?
I got to go to a foley studio and help out when I was working as a sound engineer at a tv show. I am glad to know that computers have not replaced foley artists. They really are artists
“Why don’t we just use the actual sounds of what these things sound like?”
“No we can’t have that. It’s unbelievable.”
My grandma’s neighbor was a foley artist and I was able to go to one of the recordings for KIRO Radio and was blessed to meet Harry Anderson (The judge from Night Court and watch and listen to a murder mystery theater for KIRO AM Radio back in the late 80’s-90’s that’s something I’ll never forget.
I think the neighbor above me has this same job
Love the sound of dress shoes on gravel or cobblestone in old movies. Something so satisfyingand classical about it.
If you don't notice Foley then they've done a good job.
I like his choice of words.
"Slidey" "Impacty" "Stompy"
I like to use descripty words lol
I always wanted to know why when a Person is walking in a movie you always hear the shoes that’s crazy now here they are explaining.
I'm always fascinated by these videos. Seems like a cool and creative person. It's awesome to see how active he was responding to comments too.
Thank you, I love engaging with people who are curious about the job!
now here's a guy who's foley committed to his craft
That sounds correct
This is so freaking cool. It's one of those things you never think about in a movie or show, assuming they did their job well. I can imagine how tedious it must be sometimes though.
I was wondering why they didn’t just use the shoes you’d expect, or in other foley examples why they wouldn’t use something closer to the source material (like when crushed vegetable are used to simulate organs, why not raw meat?) now I realize that a lot of it has to do with how audio itself is recorded and the expectations people have of the sounds they hear, even if that isn’t realistic. I never thought about how quiet walking on sand is, but it makes sense that audiences would still want to hear those footsteps even if you wouldn’t hear them in real life
This is sometimes called The Coconut Effect, because when horses run, we expect them to sound like coconut shells being tapped together, because that's what foley artists used to make their hoof sounds back in the Western era. We're so used to it now that accurate hoofbeats sound "wrong".
I've always loved the sounds of footsteps in movies and TV shows. It makes me very happy that I've been appreciating their hard work, rather than having it just be unimportant background sound.
I came here to see the 🦶🏼🦶🏼 in the thumbnail, but the video was still interesting. Now I know what a foley artist is. Thanks, UA-cam recommended section. 😁👍🏼
Wow, he seems really dedicated to his craft, and honestly this was oddly satisfying to watch
Amazing. I didn’t realize that sounds were still being made this way in films. Glad to know that every job isn’t being replaced by computers.
It’s a fascinating job and parts of it are really subtle. i find it interesting that these guys get a lot of interest/praise in contrast to the subtleties of other types of jobs that are revealed in videos like this. The general public are often dismissive and rude about some creative tasks they deem too subtle to be relevant (small changes to company logos comes to mind).
it's the little things. love and appreciate Foley work
This is so fascinating!
I've always been fascinated with their work. But in the back of my mind when I watch a movie, I think of the Foley and the way they made the sounds😕
Wow!! Amazing documentation and amazingly skilled man!
This is incredible! What a job!!
Thank you 😊
I really LOVE what foley artists do; there are a bunch more involved and interesting documentaries about the craft that are worth a watch if you look for them.
Like, some times the REAL sound of feet sound fake in movies. Also all other stuff. Like, we all know the classic sheet of steel waved around for rolling thunder, and sometimes a sword "swish" is LITERALLY a person SAYING "swish". Wouldn't fool you in real life, but in the movies it would sound fake if you just used natural sound.
I love foley stuff! I remember seeing a documentary about it when I was a kid, and the Lord of the Rings special features show a lot of what they did to get the various sounds.
This seems like such a cool line of work
i learned about foley art at a weirdly young age, ill always have an admiration for it
this is a job that completely epitomises a quote from futurama of all places "When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all"
Awesome trivia! 😅👏🏼👏🏼
This is incredible
Oddly fascinating!
Mind blowing
i love his scientific vocabulary for his field: stompy, tappy, slidey
The lengths to achieve perfect sound will forever remain in the era of practical affects.
This is fascinating
I’m so glad I came across this video. It made me happy 😊
This is a great way to get your steps in
I love watching these, they're so interesting!
Hella interesting. I'm glad I watched this!
Fascinating!
Fascinatingly fun!
I love this job!
They should be recognized for their work
What a trippy cool profession!
This is so cool!
Love this topic! Can you do other aspects in the entertainment industry? I'm an animator, so I don't really know what other roles are there to make a finished product.
I'd love this job!
What a fun job!
At work this guy puts his best forward;)
As if there are no wave editors around... I used to transform a haircomb teeth sound into a T-Rex roar, and a fork+knife hit into a sword clang with a wave editor!
postprocessing really gives wings to the groundwork foley artists do
I like that they are called foley ARTISTS, because that’s what they are!
I wonder if this work affects enjoyment of movies, etc. Not completely, but always noticing sounds that no body else notices. (Like for me... I've done proofreading and editing professionally and on a volunteer basis, on both print and subtitles. I always struggle to not compulsively start editing things in my head when I'm, for example, watching something with imperfect subtitles , which isn't an uncommon thing.)
If I’m enjoying a film I become completely immersed in it without analyzing the sounds. If I don’t like it I start to listen critically.
the kitty litter one sounds almost exactly like when you break dirt in minecraft or vice versa
Hey, I just wanted to thank you all for the good content in a sea of what can sometimes be shovelware.
I've subscribed as a result, please continue with the quality stuff. This is absolutely fascinating. :)
all this work to make footsteps sound believable, yet hollywood still haven't figured out how cars sound when speeding off on different surfaces.. always the loud tire squeal even if they somehow manage to find themselves driving on top of the ocean...
🤣🤣😂
Artist is the perfect word!
Kind thank you
there really is a very neat science to it
Fascinating! So outside of work, is his brain still working? More concepts, more ideas, listening to the public moving around.. or is he with his airpods and just off the clock? Such a cool industry.
Jordan Schlansky is such a Renaissance man.
Haha I get that a lot
Now this is what is called stepping up your game
This are so enjoyable lol
This is something I would be interested in doing
I like his terminology, slidey, impactey etc
They’re descripty terms
Foley is one of those things that's so convincing that I don't even think about it once while watching a movie. I might think about the writing or the acting, but never the sounds of regular things.
They say that when your job is done right when no-one notices it
Doing game footstep stuff, since I don't have a proper recording condition, I can only make it with sound libraries, and that make things much harder XD
It looks so fun to be a folie artist!