Audio Postcard: Inside the Foley Sound Studio

Kyle Hartzell binaural interview

Kyle Hartzell is a digital media engineer in Oberlin’s Center for Technologically Enhanced Teaching. He also teaches a course in sound design for the cinema studies program. In this interview, Hartzell leads us on a tour of the Foley sound studio.

Foley is the reproduction of everyday sounds that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. They include sounds such as footsteps, glass breaking, clothes rustling, doors creaking… or, say, the laser shots used in Star Wars. Almost every major motion picture contains Foley effects.

This track was produced using binaural audio technology to create an immersive audio experience. For best results, plug in your headphones. Seriously—plug in your headphones.