Preparing to work with sound effects (SFX’s)

Why do you think we use SFX’s in TV and film productions?

In my opinion SFX’s are used to enhance actions during a scene and to mimic real life sounds. For example dropping frozen peas on a tin tray makes a great SFX for rain on a tin roof. Also when reloading a gun, it can be quite quiet, so using an SFX will enhance the sound of the reloading which will make the sound more distinctive.

What are the advantages of using SFX in TV and Film? What do they add to the overall production?

Sound effects have many advantages, they make a scene sound more realistic when someone gets punched, there is a thudding noise. Another advantage is that they are cheep to make; to mimic rain all you need is a tin tray or grains of rice. SFX definitely makes TV and film sound more interesting, especially with Noel Fieldings Luxury Comedy show, its not really that funny, but with the SFX it helps you understand that you’re supposed to laugh at that point.

What are the disadvantages of SFX?

There are a few disadvantages of SFX; it’s mainly to do with the wrong SFX in the wrong place. For example when you know an actor is walking in flat shoes, you don’t expect to hear an SFX of a shoes with a slight heal. Another disadvantage of SFX’s that you haven’t created is that you don’t have control of the ambience, so that sound effect could have been recorded in a room with a high ceiling or there could be a quiet background sound, which you definitely don’t want.   

What is the job description of a Foley artist?

A Foley Artist creates and performs replacement sound effects in sync to picture in a recording studio, such as footsteps, clothing and properties’ noises, paper movement, doors creaking, dogs scratching etc. They work under the direction of a Sound Editor and often use their own extensive collection of small props. They are the unseen actors who reproduce sounds, required when the original track is either unusable or completely replaced as in the case of foreign versions.