If you're just starting out as a filmmaker, or more specifically, a sound designer, you might be looking for a little guidance on how to create foley. In this video from Film Riot, sound designer Rob Krekel, who helped create the sound for The Last of Us, walks us through the basics of capturing (cheap) foley, like setting up your recording devices, arranging your mics, and choosing the materials that will give you some great sounds.
Most of us aren't going to be able to design sounds in a huge studio fitted with all sorts of expensive bells and whistles like award-winning folly artist Gary Hecker -- but then again, we don't necessarily need to. We can make sounds anywhere -- and inexpensively. In fact, Krekel sets up shop in someone's backyard to show us how to create fight scene foley with all of the hits, slaps, bangs, whooshes, and bone breaks one would expect from excellent on-screen violence.
Firstly, investing a big chunk of change for good sound recording tools is something that needs to happen some point in your filmmaking career (hopefully sooner rather than later). But if you're just getting your feet wet, getting ahold of a good handheld recorder, like a Zoom H4n, which is super easy to use and great for beginners, would probably be a better move than trying to figure out a preamp on your first shoot. Handheld recorders are helpful, because most of them not only have XLR ports to hook up your external mics, but they have onboard mics to record -- okay sound.
Krekel shares a few other great tips about recording foley, including recording a complete sound palette, so you can go into post confident that you'll have all of the sounds you need. Check out the video below:
Do you have any sound recording tips? What are a few things to keep in mind as you go about design ing sound? Let us know in the comments below.
[via Film Riot]
