What is Foley?
Foley is a term that describes the process of live recording of sound effects that are created by a Foley artist, which are added in post production to enhance the quality of audio for films, television, video, video games and radio.
The term "Foley" is also used to describe a place, such as Foley-stage or Foley-studio, where the Foley process takes place. "Foley" gets its name from Jack Donovan Foley (1891-1967), a sound editor at Universal Studios in the 1950s who became famous for his advancements in synchronized sound effects.
Why do we use Foley?
Foley is a very efficient way to create a clean soundscape for a video. If the video involves a basketball game and the shot zooms in close on the player, the you wouldn't want to hear a specific voice in the crowd or other sounds that get in the way of the subject. The sound of a basketball being bounced can be added in real time, and create a clean start to the soundscape for the scene. It is also much easier to have a person record the entire sequence in a few longer takes, than it would be to cut and paste each basketball bounce for the scene.
Main Concepts of Foley:
Footsteps: The first step is often to record all of the footsteps for the scene. Different surfaces are used for each specific need in the scene (gravel, dirt, floor), and foley artists will also wear the appropriate footwear.
Cloth: Often the next step involves recording the cloth movements of characters in the scene. Again, different materials may be used for different reasons.
Props: Props are any of the other sounds required in the scene, that require specific props to record. Some sounds, such as doors closing or phones ringing can be tracked with prerecorded sound effects easier than using foley.