Foley artists bring a human touch to moviemaking even with rise of AI
Foley artist Gary Hecker recreates sounds (in this case, galloping horses) on the Foley sound stage at Todd-AO Studios in Santa Monica, California, July 3, 2012.
Don Kelsen | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
In a small studio tucked within the Sony Pictures lot, Gary Hecker makes art with sound.
His canvases are some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters — from Zack Snyder’s “Justice League” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” to Disney and Marvel’s Spider-Man flicks and the Academy Award-winning “Master and Commander.”
Hecker is a Foley artist, the maestro tasked with crafting the everyday sound effects that occur in a scene: squeaky doors, swishing cloaks, the slap of leather reins and even the “thwip” of Spider-Man’s webbing.
“Foley is a key element in this magic trick we do of convincing the audience to believe in the movie they’re watching,” said Rodger Pardee, professor at Loyola Marymount University. “Foley is not for explosions or jet engines. It’s for the footsteps of someone running through a forest or rock climbing, or the swish of a superhero’s cape, that kind of thing. Foley gives you the details. It’s the sound texture that anchors the sound mix.”
As Hollywood is grappling with the rampant growth of artificial intelligence capabilities — and how, or whether, they should be used — Foley artists remain a stalwart and deeply human part of the moviemaking process.
The performative nature of the craft makes it difficult for studios to use AI to match the artists’ skill. However, there are few people who work full time as Foley artists, and there is currently no collegiate program for Foley. Those who wish to break into the field have to get apprenticeships with already established industry veterans.
The art of making noise
A cluttered collection of kitchen items used on the Foley stage at Sony Pictures Studios.
Sarah Whitten | CNBC
Created by Jack Foley in the late 1920s, the sound technique that became his namesake emerged in Hollywood when the industry transitioned from silent films to “talkies.” Early recording equipment couldn’t capture dialogue and ambient noise, so sounds had to be added after the film was shot.
Foley discovered that performing the sound effects live and in sync with the finished product created a more authentic soundscape and helped keep audiences immersed in the film.
Artists today still use many of the same techniques that were employed nearly 100 years ago.
“We do the film from top to bottom,” Hecker said. “Anything that’s moving on that screen, we provide a sound for it.”
More than 50 pairs of shoes are aligned on shelves in Hecker’s studio. Some are sturdy and produce thick thuds, while others create the sharp, click-clack of high heels. There’s even a set of spurs crafted by a blacksmith in the 1800s that Hecker used in Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.”
“The true art of Foley is to master the sound,” Hecker said. “I’m a 200-pound guy, so if I’m doing Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’ve got to dig deep,…
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