One of the books I continuously took out of the library was 'The Foley Grail' by American Foley artist, Vanessa Theme Ament. However, over Christmas I managed to get my hands on my own copy to save trips to and from the library.
This book is is so wonderfully written. It reads more like memoirs than a textbook which is a breath of fresh air. It includes in depth descriptions and advice on how to recreate everyday sounds using Foley. A classic example is horse galloping using coconut shells. Ament states: "I use them with the coconut still inside them and baked, then hot glued to the shell." and "The trick to horse feet however is the rhythm. Horses have many different types of walks and runs, and it is important to bridge the cut without jolting the rhythm."
This book is ideal for those only just getting into Foley as it explains a lot of the basics. Part one describes what it is to be a Foley artist. Why it is used and how it is used. It also goes into a brief biography of the creator of Foley, Jack Foley himself.
Part two of the book describes the rules and traditions in Foley, the various jobs available within the art of Foley and the places where Foley takes place (Prop Room, Mixing Room, Foley Stage etc). This section also explains what it is to spot and cue.
Part three is my favourite part of the book. This section goes into detail of the nitty gritty of how to create great sounds. Typical props are listed and dozens of tried and tested methods described. A section is also dedicated to the importance of being able to perform in sync sounds to visuals. Ament tells of how in television in the 80s often has Foley artists shoot the Foley a day before broadcasting day and editors expected them to be as in sync as possible to make final editing minimal.
Part four talks about editing and mixing Foley and also introduces ADR, a vital to tool to be able to "fix it in post".
The Foley Grail is one of my favourite film sound books purely because of the amiable and almost informal way Vanessa Theme Ament writes it. She introduces beginners to her art without sounding patronising or pompous. It's a brilliant read for anyone interested in Foley.
This book is ideal for those only just getting into Foley as it explains a lot of the basics. Part one describes what it is to be a Foley artist. Why it is used and how it is used. It also goes into a brief biography of the creator of Foley, Jack Foley himself.
Part two of the book describes the rules and traditions in Foley, the various jobs available within the art of Foley and the places where Foley takes place (Prop Room, Mixing Room, Foley Stage etc). This section also explains what it is to spot and cue.
Part three is my favourite part of the book. This section goes into detail of the nitty gritty of how to create great sounds. Typical props are listed and dozens of tried and tested methods described. A section is also dedicated to the importance of being able to perform in sync sounds to visuals. Ament tells of how in television in the 80s often has Foley artists shoot the Foley a day before broadcasting day and editors expected them to be as in sync as possible to make final editing minimal.
Part four talks about editing and mixing Foley and also introduces ADR, a vital to tool to be able to "fix it in post".
The Foley Grail is one of my favourite film sound books purely because of the amiable and almost informal way Vanessa Theme Ament writes it. She introduces beginners to her art without sounding patronising or pompous. It's a brilliant read for anyone interested in Foley.
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