Production Glossary
Foley Artist
A foley artist is a person who creates ordinary sounds for film. The sounds that a foley artist reproduces are the normal sounds that fill a film- sounds that are often overlooked until they are not present. They manifest creaking doors, foot-steps, shattering glass, and opening windows in studio using, at times, unconventional methods. For example, filling a small leather sack with cornstarch creates the sound of crunching snow.A man named Jack Foley introduced the craft to film in 1927. After the advent of sound in films, the background noises had to be recorded separate from the dialogue, so Foley, who had previously worked for radio, applied his techniques to film.
