Foley sound can be heard in films, TV, computer games and animations. But what is Foley?

When characters or props /objects on screen move around we expect them to make a sound. For example the crunching of footsteps walking on fresh snow, the click of a teacup being placed on a saucer, or the schwing sound of a sword being removed from its scabbard. These movements usually have a sound that our brains would associate with them. We call these soundsĀ Foley. When they are added to film, TV etc they are performed by sound actors known as Foley artists.

Named after Jack Foley, who pioneered the art of recreating sounds to match the pictures, Foley is a fascinating hidden world of listening, creativity and performance.

During the School of Noise workshops we introduce audiences to Foley and encourage classes to try out for themselves what it is like to be a Foley artist.

The video below is a beautiful short film where all of the sounds you hear are made by the Foley artists in a studio.