Foley

            There is a world of sound known as Foley.  This is basically when someone known as a Foley artist performs their interpretation of a sound that is going on in the film. The advantage of doing it this way is that there is a human feel to it, or some would say it has a more natural feel to it.  It takes some rehearsing and a lot of experience to get this technique down, which is why there are people who specialize in Foley work.

            Foley requires its own setup. You can’t just walk into any studio and perform Foley work.  First off, there needs to be a projector or large screen of some sort to be watched by the performers while they are doing their work.  Another big part is that footsteps are often created in these studios.  I read on another blog on Harmony Central that it is a good idea to have at least 5 of these “pits” to perform in.  Some pits will contain water, various rock sizes, sand, grass, leaves, etc.  Then on top of these pits would be “lids” covered in wood, linoleum, tile, cement, carpet, etc. 

            Another thing about a Foley studio is that you will be collecting everything you can imagine to make sounds with.  That requires a lot of space.  Foley studios are often a more dry sound.  You need to be able to record little to no reverb or room noise if that specific scene requires it.  Much like a music studio, however, you are going to want a plethora of microphones.  As with any sound recording, experimentation is key.  Finding the right microphone for the right job has everything to do with just going in a trying.

            Hopefully this gives you a jump-start on gathering ideas on your own Foley stage/studio if that interests you.