Product Description

Create custom sound effects that are the mainstay of soundtracks for films, broadcast, animation and games. Learn how Foley is designed, crafted and edited for any project- right down to the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. An array of techniques is illustrated with artists presenting their own methods for selecting and handling props, "walking" various characters, and other tricks of the trade. Various renowned artists, editors and mixers contribute stories and perspectives on what is necessary for a film or media project, and how technology has changed the craft over the years. The Foley stage is discussed in detail, with illustrations to assist you in designing your own stage, whatever the size. The companion DVD includes video demonstrations of Foley Artists at work, along with illustrated techniques for the novice.

Key Benefits:
* A concise, creative guide to the art and technique for producing Foley sound for films, video, animation and games.
* Alternative Foley stage designs are illustrated and interviews of renowned artists shed light on essentials.
* Companion DVD video demonstrates a variety of techniques that Foley artists use to perform cues.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50094 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780240811253
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

"Wow! .a fascinating read for anybody interested in Foley.Vanessa reveals the mysteries of Foley as one of the few masters of the craft. She explodes all the myths, and tells you what really goes on behind the scenes. I'm going to make sure all the young people I work with read this." -Randy Thom, Director of Sound Design, Skywalker Sound

"If you want to know about Foley - the ins and outs, this is the book you need to read. If you are planning on getting into professional video and film production, especially on the audio side, this is a must read - even if you don't plan on doing Foley yourself. Knowing what Foley artists do, how they work, and how they prefer to be worked with, is of incredible value to the overall production process." -Mark Shapiro for Internet Video Magazine

From the Back Cover
Craft the environmental sound effects that are essential to making your media project feel authentic to the audience. Learn how Foley is designed, crafted and edited, including the nuts and bolts of spotting, cueing, and performing sounds. Build your own Foley stage with the detailed instructions and illustrations provided.

Creative inspiration is crucial to this performance art, and The Foley Grail is packed with it. Renowned artists, editors and mixers share stories, techniques and perspectives on what is necessary for different projects, how technology has changed the craft over the years and their own methods for creating different effects.

The companion DVD includes video demonstrations of Foley artists at work illustrating their respective creative processes, stage techniques and prop handling.

About the Author
Vanessa Theme Ament is an award winning Foley Artist with over 25 years experience in film and television. Her expertise also includes Automated Dialogue Replacement and sound editing. In addition, Vanessa is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has had her own sound effects company and published MovieSound Newsletter during the 80s and 90s. She continues to teach sound at colleges and universities and does presentations at film schools, festivals, radio and television.

Customer Reviews

Worthy of its Title
This is the first and only book, to my knowledge, written exclusively on the art of Foley. Written by someone who has well over one hundred film and television shows to her credit and a background in teaching, The Foley Grail lives up to its given title. This is not, however, a how-to book. It's not page after page of recipes for getting the best "face-punch or arm-break" sound. One can easily go online for that content. To be sure, Vanessa writes at length about things such as "walking" a character correctly or choosing props based on sonic characteristics over appearance (which can be a typical mistake). This book is much more about the collaborative process of foley as well as the things that have driven men and women to this profession over the years.
Ament gives us insight into the world of foley that only one with her experience can provide. From the foley artist, mixer and recordist to the editor and final dub mixer, the reader is taken through the very interesting, creative and challenging process of producing sound for film.

beautifully done
Reaches deep into the heart of the art and craft of performing sound to picture. Rich in technical details and notable in tone for never losing sight of the humanity of the sound artist within her/his myriad of working tools (i.e. endless props, digital/analogue hardware and sundry foley stages). Frank, in describing difficulties, less then professional behavior and the high task level which a working foley artist must be able to perform at. Somewhat expensive but, in my opinion, worth every cent. The depth of knowledge and feeling as I read it portends a book of lasting value. Jon Oh

The Grail Indeed!
The Foley Grail is an excellent resource...actually the resource for Foley production. Vanessa is well respected in her field and has so meticulously detailed the inner workings behind the art and science of Foley. It's clearly written from an artist's perspective and that's important, because those that perform Foley are truly artists. I'm sure this book will prove to be the standard for teaching Foley for years to come.

Ric Viers
Author, The Sound Effects Bible