How Movies Get Their Background Sounds

Have you ever thought about all the sounds that go into a movie? The sound of feet crunching gravel as the main character walks up a driveway, or a car door opening and closing, even the sound of plastic bags crinkling. It may seem like the sounds are recorded as the scenes are recorded, but that is not the case. If the movie’s main microphone was intended to catch the subtle sounds of footsteps or crinkling bags, they would also catch unnecessary background noise- like the sound of the breeze or producers talking behind the camera. Instead, all of those sounds are added in a post processing production.

Foley is the craft of making all the minute sounds that make a movie great. These artists use everyday materials, or even the exact same items the movie is portraying, and make each and every sound to match the actions of the actors. This short film has been making the rounds on social media, and for good reason, it is from the award winning short film “The Secret World of Foley,” and follows the journey of two incredible Foley artists, Sue Harding, and Peter Burgis, as they create perfect sound effects to transform a film from usual to amazing.

You can watch the short film on Vimeo!