{"id":313624,"date":"2023-11-28T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cined.com\/?p=313624"},"modified":"2023-12-21T12:10:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T11:10:40","slug":"the-mastery-of-recording-foley-how-to-turn-your-closet-into-a-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.cined.dev\/jp\/the-mastery-of-recording-foley-how-to-turn-your-closet-into-a-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"\u30d5\u30a9\u30fc\u30ea\u30fc\u9332\u97f3\u306e\u6975\u610f – \u30af\u30ed\u30fc\u30bc\u30c3\u30c8\u3092\u30b9\u30bf\u30b8\u30aa\u306b\u5909\u3048\u308b\u65b9\u6cd5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I first encountered the magical world of filmmaking and learned about different careers, I was convinced that the phenomenon of Foley only existed in blockbusters. In my mind, it needed huge budgets and a big production to hire professional artists whose sole responsibility was to recreate missing sounds. Nowadays, however, I know a different truth: every narrative short, image film, or even wedding video can be enhanced by this wonderful art of sound-making. Better yet, you can learn to do it yourself. Let\u2019s talk about some tips for recording Foley at home!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

But first, a short introduction. Seasoned audio guru Mark Edward Lewis<\/a> will become our guide for this advanced post-production process. In his extensive 80+ hour MZed-course \u201cCinema Sound\u201d<\/a>, he talks about every aspect of sound that you\u2019ll ever need to know as a filmmaker. One of his lessons is dedicated to recording Foley and features a great variety of very precise tips and techniques. Condensing Mark’s extensive knowledge into a brief article seems nearly impossible, but we can provide a glimpse of insights and learnings from the course.<\/p>\n\n

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Mark Edward Lewis. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

If you want to watch the entire lesson, head over here<\/a>. <\/p><313624-mzed-course\/>\n\n

Recording Foley: basics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

What is Foley? Named after its inventor Jack Donovan Foley<\/a>, it is the reproduction of everyday sounds that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production and serve to enhance audio quality. In a perfect world, as Mark explains, you record footsteps, movement of clothing, or other natural sounds directly on set. However, oftentimes microphones don\u2019t pick up these sounds, which is a problem. Why? Because it’s exactly these sounds that are essential for the overall immersion experience that lets the audience believe what they see. So, audio professionals replicate the missing sounds in the studio, and it\u2019s definitely a fun process.<\/p>\n\n

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Sometimes, you\u2019re making sounds that have nothing to do at all with what\u2019s supposed to be seen on camera. In fact, it’s almost always the case.<\/p>\nMark Edward Lewis, a quote from his course<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n

The nature of Foley is to trick the brain of the viewer. You don\u2019t have to find the exact same shoes an actor wore in a specific scene. It\u2019s more like creating audio magic, where you try to create a sound that feels believable in a given moment. So, don\u2019t be afraid to experiment!<\/p>\n\n

You may ask, why not use stock libraries? This is an option, but there are times when a custom sound precisely matching the scene’s action is necessary. Recording Foley can be easier than spending hours searching for the perfect sound online.<\/p>\n\n

Turning your closet into a studio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

If you\u2019re a professional sound designer who has a studio set-up, then no doubt that would be the best place for recording Foley. If not, don\u2019t worry, your walk-in closet will suffice. It\u2019s quiet and most likely nobody will bother you there. As an added bonus, you can move the clothing around to change the timbre of the room.<\/p>\n\n

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That’s what Mark’s closet for recording Foley looks like. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

To set up a closet Foley studio, you will need a monitor only for the images, a laptop to record the audio, a mic, and enough space for you to act. We could also position a Foley pit in case you need to record steps in the sand, for example. In professional studios, filmmakers usually sink these kinds of pits into the ground and have different surfaces as fixtures.<\/p>\n\n

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An example of a professional Foley recording studio (and not a closet, of course). Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In the \u201chome studio\u201d scenario, Mark suggests building a Foley pit yourself. His go-to material is wood because it\u2019s strong and doesn\u2019t break easily. However, make sure your pit isn’t overly heavy, so you can easily carry it in and out of the closet. Another suggestion is to fill the pit at least 2\/3, or preferably 3\/4 full. Otherwise, you might capture the sound of the wood underneath or reflections from the pit walls in your Foley recording.<\/p>\n\n

What to wear during the recording session<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Okay, the closet is all set, but your outfit might also need a bit of consideration. What you wear to record Foley is important because your clothes should be quiet (except when the sound of a specific piece of clothing is what you are looking for). For example, Mark recommends staying away from jeans as they make an awful lot of noise while recording footsteps. Crispy shirts or stiff jackets are also a no-go. A tight-fitting, soft T-shirt and pants of the same quality are, on the contrary, a good choice. According to Mark, the general rule here is less clothing is better than more. In his course, he laughs: \u201cDo it naked if you can, why not?\u201d Not so sure it\u2019s a joke, though.<\/p>\n\n

Positioning the mic<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

As to the choice of microphone, you can take any that has a beautiful frequency response. In Mark Edward Lewis\u2019s opinion, the best ones for recording Foley are condenser mics. Regardless of what you decide on, remember that every microphone, except omni mics, has a proximity effect, so its position is important.<\/p>\n\n

However, there are no strict rules to follow – only your own intuition. Place the mic wherever you get the right sound, depending on what you need. After all, you are the one acting with the headphones on, listening for a particular Foley sound, so try out different angles and distances. For example, if you want to record a bag falling onto a sandy beach surface, it\u2019s natural to position the mic very low.<\/p>\n\n

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Just like here. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In your final audio mix, Foley will be slightly louder than the ambiance track (which is usually extremely subtle, practically inaudible). However, it doesn\u2019t mean we should record it low. Mark\u2019s personal recommendation is to try getting in the dialog range (between -15 and -10 dB). There is nothing wrong with skin\/clothing Foley at lower levels, as long as your noise floor is below 50 dB.<\/p>\n\n

In recording Foley \u2013 details matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Experimenting with Foley in your closet, you will soon find out that details matter a lot. Different soles of different shoes will make completely different noises on different surfaces. Mark shows a couple of examples in his lessons, and although the range of sounds is non-transferable in still images, just take a look at them! I\u2019m sure that with a little bit of imagination you can picture how distinct the recorded Foley segments will sound here:<\/p>\n\n

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Images source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another example would be recording Foley for a wedding film. Oftentimes (especially in TV productions) when a bride reaches for a groom and touches his face, we will hear the sound of skin on skin. However \u2013 and that\u2019s a pet peeve of Mark\u2019s \u2013 this sound usually reminds him more of an arm than a male chin, which has little hair particles even when shaved. So, be honest with your Foley and take care of the smallest details or the result will feel slightly off.<\/p>\n\n

Ultimately, no one will say, “Your video sounds fantastic.” They’ll likely remark, “Your video LOOKS amazing.” This underscores your success in creating a deeply immersive and authentically enjoyable experience for the audience.<\/p>\n\n

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Mark showcases how a shaved male chin sounds. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The process of recording<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The best workflow for recording Foley is to pick a part of the scene, mark it in and out, and put it in a loop – meaning that each time the locator jumps to the beginning, a new track will be created and you can record the next take, preserving video and audio in sync. If your software doesn\u2019t allow looping, Mark suggests doing it manually the same way. Record, stop, go back to the beginning, choose another track, and record again. It is indeed more tedious in production but saves you a lot of trouble in the post.<\/p>\n\n

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Recording settings. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Don\u2019t forget to give yourself 5 seconds at the beginning of the scene \u2013 a so-called pre-roll \u2013 so that you have time to position yourself by the microphone before jumping into the action.<\/p>\n\n

The main goal is to get the timing of your Foley as close to the movement in the video as possible. Yet, if you\u2019re consistently a couple of frames late, it\u2019s also okay. There is always an option to shift the whole track to the left in editing. For Mark, that\u2019s the fastest way to record moving clothing, for example.<\/p>\n\n

Also, don\u2019t forget to think logically. If your actor comes into view, we should still hear their steps before they appear. So, record them as well.<\/p>\n\n

Cheating sounds<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

As mentioned in the beginning, Foley is all about cheating our brains. So, it doesn\u2019t matter what you use in acting as long as it resembles the correct sound. To give you an example, Mark Edward Lewis takes an old cassette tape and claps it between his hands to simulate the steps on the grass.<\/p>\n\n

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120 minutes of the cassette tape for a perfect grass sound. Image source: Cinema Sound\/MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

You may have also heard that a pair of gloves sounds like flapping bird wings, a stick can make a wonderful whoosh sound and a thin metal plate is often used for thunder. There are countless tricks and unconventional solutions for recording Foley, which for me truly turns it into a magical art or the art of magic. <\/p>\n\n

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