Jack Donovan Foley was the developer of many sound effect techniques used in filmmaking. He invented the art of Foley. Instead of using pre-recorded sounds that were normally used, Foley's process involved synchronising sounds to individual productions to give them a more realistic feel.
He worked on the pictures such as Melody of Love, Show Boat (1929), Dat Ol' Ribber, Spartacus, and Operation Petticoat. Foley received many awards, including the Golden Reel Award.
Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass. The best foley art is so well integrated into a film that it goes unnoticed by the audience. It helps to create a sense of reality within a scene. Without these crucial background noises, movies feel unnaturally quiet and uncomfortable.
Foley artists recreate the realistic ambient sounds that the film portrays. The props and sets of a film do not react the same way acoustically as their real life counterparts. Foley sounds are used to enhance the auditory experience of the movie. Foley can also be used to cover up unwanted sounds captured on the set of a movie during filming, such as overflying airplanes, passing traffic or the voices of crew members.
The term "Foley" is also used to describe a place, such as a Foley-Stage or Foley-Studio, where the Foley process takes place.
