OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

The people who make sound effects using everyday objects are called Foley artists. They are named after a man called Jack Foley, who was one of the first people to do this job a long time ago.

Foley artists have a room full of interesting things. They keep shoes, broken dishes, old doors, buckets of water, and many other items. Each object can be used to make a different sound. A Foley artist might use a pair of gloves to make the sound of bird wings flapping!

Foley artists are very good at timing. They watch the movie carefully and make each sound happen at the perfect moment. If a character closes a door on screen, the Foley artist closes a real door at the exact same time. It takes a lot of practice to get it just right.

• The very first movies had no sound at all! They were called silent films, and a piano player would play music in the theater while people watched.
• To make the sound of bones breaking in a movie, Foley artists often snap celery sticks or carrots near a microphone.
• The lightsaber sound in Star Wars was made by combining the hum of a movie projector with the buzz of a television set.
• Foley artists sometimes walk in place for hours to record footstep sounds for a whole movie. They wear different shoes for each character!
• Coconut shells have been used to make horse hoof sounds in movies and radio shows for almost 100 years.