Have
You Heard?
It’s true. Although I’ve been working in the theatre sound industry for the past few years, I’ve moved on. I’m now up to my ears in the art of foley!
What’s Foley?
Foley is the art of creating sound tracks that accompany and enhance live action sound recorded for films.
As a dedicated foley artist, you can often find me surrounded with a menagerie of noise-making implements. For instance:
I use lots of pots, pans, knives, and wooden
blocks for kitchen scenes.
I break out the gravel, sand, a piece of sidewalk,
fabrics, and shoes to enhance walking or running scenes.
And many times, I gather unconventional
sound-making devices for a scene, such as my bubble machine, a cup of pudding,
and a straw to simulate drowning in a tar pit!
Sounds Crazy?
Could be, but I’m enjoying working on increasingly complicated and creative projects.
How Did this Happen? (Mrs. Bien Said I Was Such a Nice Boy)
As you might imagine (or might even know first hand), I spent the majority of my childhood recording sounds using pop’s tape deck. I spent hours on end cataloging noises that go unnoticed by most people, including:
Our dog barking at the mail slot.
Mom squealing the tires as she drove around the
corner.
Dad burping when he thought no one was around.
Branches whipping during wind storms.
And countless other sounds (trust me—you
wouldn’t really want me to list them
all here).
By the time I finished high school, I decided my best bet would be to study Music Theory in college, mostly because it sounded like a “real” career. But after a few interesting yet not personally inspiring semesters at Villanova, I realized my love of sound had nothing to do with theory and everything to do with noise. I simply enjoy making sound effects and enhancing and changing existing sounds and dialogue. Besides, I’m good at it!
So, after graduation, I worked as a production assistant and later wrangled my way into being a sound designer’s assistant. Then, I landed my current very cool full-time gig as a foley artist with EarWacks! Sound Studios in LA. And as a nice aside, EarWacks! is well on its way to becoming an award-winning enterprise.
Hear the Sound of an Oscar on the Horizon?
I certainly think so!
Need Custom Sounds of Your Own?
I can bring music—and footsteps, hamster wheel squeaks, pizza chewing sounds, thunder claps, and lots more—to your ears. If you’re interested in learning more about my experience and skills, please take a few moments to review my résumé. Then contact me, and we’ll discuss your project or just see how your ideas sound.
Want to Create Your Own Sounds?
Finally, I’m developing a Sound Tips page as part of this Web site. I plan to reveal some true-blue foley artists’ sound-making secrets as well as offer free sound clips (in the future). If all goes according to my master plan, the entire universe will echo with high quality sound effects in no time!
© Copyright 2002 Mary Millhollon and