A foley artist is in charge of the recreation of everyday sounds in real time, rather than pulling pre-recorded sounds from a soundbank. Foley artists work on foley stages with viewing screens, recording equipment, and props for creating sounds. Two foley artists and one mixer usually work together on one foley stage.
The well-recorded sounds that foley artists produce replace most of the sounds captured during filming. Foley artists do not re-record dialogue, even though this is usually replaced.
The work of foley artists replaces sound recorded on set for several reasons:
- Sound recorded on set is poor quality compared to sound recorded in a studio. It is often unclear or too quiet to sound realistic.
- Recording sounds as separate tracks lets production studios adjust their levels individually. This means the sound of crunching leaves can be increased without increasing the volume of dialogue, for example.
- Experienced foley artists create sounds that enhance scenes by making them seem more realistic.
- Good foley sounds draw viewers into a production by adding atmosphere.