You can’t make a Hollywood blockbuster, a TV episode, or a video game without the Foley team, which creates the many subtle sound effects such as footsteps. With over 850 credits between them, Skywalker Sound’s Archives Foley team—artists John Roesch and Shelley Roden, and mixer Scott Curtis—is one of the world’s leading producers of this cinematic craft.

What makes your custom Foley stage special?

John: I designed it with the help of some key people: a partner from many years ago, people at Skywalker, and Foley artist friends. As far as I know, it is probably one of the better stages in the world. It contains some elements that hadn’t been previously engineered together on another stage because Foley artists designed it. For example, the water tank area is set up so we have a large tank, a smaller one, and then a ramp off of that that allows us to dam up the water so we can go from a little bit to a splashy area.

Shelley: Multiple room mics give Scott options based on where John and I are working in the room. We can also open up a large elephant door to the outside so we can bring in vehicles or, as we did for Dunkirk, bring in an aluminum boat to dunk into the large water tank.

What is your process for starting a project?

John: We try to collectively watch either the first reel or the entire show, hopefully with the supervising sound editor. Then cue sheets—the road maps from point A to point B—are created and broken down into groups: footsteps, props, and, potentially, separate movements.

Shelley and I will look at the footstep cue sheets to determine sounds. For example, for Doctor Strange, Shelley and I each tested two sets of boots for Doctor Strange and then decided which boots we’d use. Once we decided this for each character, we divvied them up.

For props, Shelley will typically decide what she’s going to do and what I’ll do. If there’s a unique movement, such as Doctor Strange’s cape, there will be a separate channel just for that. We tend to play to our strengths, but it changes project by project. Ultimately, we want to give Scott the ability to have discretion for what he wants to do sonically.

What is more important: getting the perfect sound effect or the perfect timing?

John: Sound effect. With good sound effect, the timing will be perfect. Vis-à-vis, if I do something and it is two frames early or late but is the perfect sound, Scott can easily nudge it. But if the sound is just OK, that is the way it is going to stay.

Scott: They often want me to do one more take to get the sync better. But I’ll stop them because I know that the performance was perfect.

What are some interesting props you use to create sounds?

John: When you see a sword swinging, or ”jinging,” as we call it, it’s usually a machete because machetes have a sound that people associate with swords. If someone breaks a bone, we might use a snap pea, a piece of celery, or a lasagna noodle. Also, when we do horses galloping, we don’t use coconuts; we use plungers without the wooden dowel.

Shelley: For Kong: Skull Island, there’s a moment when Kong uproots a pine tree and runs his free hand down the trunk, tearing all the branches off. To achieve that texture, I used a rake and a pinecone. Scott simultaneously manipulated that source material as I was performing it to help make it sound gigantic.

You do work on movies, TV shows, commercials, and video games. Are there differences in those mediums?

Scott: With video games, we’re covering the cut scenes, which are like mini movies: animated scenes that take place between the game action itself. We have to add everything but the production dialogue. Creating assets for the in-game material, such as combat boots on cement, is unique to video games as well. We have to do the movements—brisk walking, running, jumping, pivots, and so on. They get added to their in-game audio engine, so when you are walking around in the game, the engine triggers them to approximate your walking sounds.

Shelley: We usually have more time to dig deep into the story, the characters, and the action on movies than we do on television shows. Television shows demand precision and quick decisions. Films allow us to add subtle nuances or sweeteners and experiment with new ideas. Video games can be cinematic, and they can also be physically demanding, which can be fun for us athletic types.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

John: Playing back a finished reel for others is very satisfying, as is going to the screening after everything is completed. To see how everything fits together is a wonderful experience because we are a very small part of a very large puzzle. This is indeed the best job in the world.

Shelley: Every day, we are tasked with hundreds of opportunities to create effective sonic moments within the context of a story. Selecting the right prop or shoe and performing in such a way to make the sounds fit seamlessly into the rest of the soundtrack is very satisfying.

Scott: For me, it is the process of building the tracks: of envisioning how I know this thing ultimately is going to sound and actually building those pieces. When it works and we can build on it, I am happy.

As a Foley team, what does your art add to your projects?

John: It brings a reality that helps push a storyline forward and upholds the believability of what you are seeing. We don’t want to do anything that takes you out of the moment or is not truthful. If we’ve done our job right, you don’t know we’ve done it. In a sense, we are the unsung artists in sound.

Scott: The purpose of Foley is to fill in gaps with realistic sound effects so there aren’t lulls in the production track. That way, the audience can focus on the dialogue and the story while still following the action. We help keep things real.

Shelley: Foley not only completes the soundtrack by adding complex detail, such as the various notes of debris dancing over a car as it crashes, but also can emphasize a comical moment or add a subtle feeling of texture to a dramatic moment.

John: It’s a unique role, that’s for sure. There are more astronauts in the world than there are professional Foley artists.

Scott: And there are half as many Foley mixers as there are Foley artists. So we are really rare.

Shelley: And having a crew of people who can count on each other and laugh at each other, as we can, is the best part of being on this Foley team.

For more info, visit www.skysound.com

Up Next:

Astonish your friends and family by sharing the movie magic of Foley artists on social media.