Principles of AAVTC

AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

Arts, AV Technology and Communication

Lesson Plan
Performance Objective
 Upon completion of this lesson, the student will develop an understanding of what a Foley Artist is and
how they do what they do.

Specific Objective
 Students will learn about Jack Foley, the first Foley Artist.
 Students will learn how to create basic Foley sounds.
 Students will analyze and recreate the Foley sounds for 30 seconds of a movie.

Terms
Foley

Time
When taught as written, this lesson should take approximately 2 class periods to teach.

Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes/alterations to the activities may result
in the elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
130.82. (c) Knowledge and Skills
(2) The student applies professional communications strategies. The student is expected to:
(D) give formal and informal presentations;
(E) apply active listening skills to obtain and clarify information;
(10) The student applies technical skills for efficiency. The student is expected to employ planning and time-
management skills to complete work tasks.
(11) The student develops a basic understanding of the Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications
cluster. The student is expected to:
(A) research the scope of career opportunities;
(B) develop an understanding of the elements and principles of art;
(C) develop an understanding of the industry by explaining the history and evolution of cluster career
fields and defining and using related terminology;

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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Interdisciplinary Correlations:
English-English I
 110.31(b)(1). Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it
when reading and writing.
 110.3(b)(11). Reading/Comprehension of informational text/procedural texts. Students understand
how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents.
 110.53(b)(2)(B) employ precise language and technical vocabulary to communicate ideas clearly and
concisely

Occupational Correlation (O*Net – www.onetonline.org/):

Job Title: Foley Artist
O*Net Number: 27-4014.00
Reported Job Titles: Recording Engineer, Audio Engineer, Sound Engineer, Mixer, Audio Operator, Sound
Technician, Broadcast Engineer, Broadcast Technician, Master Control Operator, Sound Editor

Tasks: Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a
production, such as a musical recording or a film.

Prepare for recording sessions by performing activities such as selecting and setting up microphones.

Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.

Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds later during the mixing or
postproduction stage.

Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using
sound mixing boards.

Keep logs of recordings.

Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.

Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.
Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures
or television productions, using control consoles.

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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Accommodations for Learning Differences
It is important that lessons accommodate the needs of every learner. These lessons may be modified to
accommodate your students with learning differences by referring to the files found on the Special
Populations page of this website.

Preparation
 Review and familiarize yourself with the Foley section of www.filmsound.org.
 Have materials, microphones, speakers and websites ready to go prior to the start of the lesson.
 Preselect potential movie clips for students to recreate the Foley sounds.

References
www.filmsound.org/foley

Ament, V.T. (2014). The Foley grail: The art of performing sound for film, games, and animation (2nd ed.).
Burlington, MA: Focal Press

Instructional Aids
 Lesson Plan: Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps
 Slide Presentation: Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps
 Step Into Their Shoes Grading Rubric
 Instructor computer and projection unit with audio equipment
 Online websites (teacher directed)
 Microphones and speakers for class portion of Foley Artist project
 Pencils and paper

Introduction

1. Ask students if they know what a Foley Artist does.

2. Ask students if they have ever heard an old radio show like “The Lone Ranger.”
3. If they have, ask students that, as well as the actors’ dialogue, what other sounds they could hear.
4. Tell students that they will be getting to act as a Foley Artist and recreating 30 seconds of Foley sounds
for a movie clip.

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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 Outline
MI Outline Instructor Notes

Go through the slide presentation with

students. Discuss the following:
I: The Effects of Sound
a. Radio days and live dramas
b. Minimal sound effects
c. Music performed live
II: Jack Foley
a. First to add sound effects to movies
b. Recorded live while film played
c. 1929 film called “Showboat”
III: What is Foley?
a. Definition
b. Foley sound stage elements
i. Lots of props
ii. Floor mic’d
iii. Room mic’d
iv. Foley artist(s)
v. Sound recording engineer
IV: Step for Step, Hit for Hit
a. Mimic the actor’s actions
b. Sound substitution examples
V: Why record Foley at all?
a. More control of sound effects
b. Music helps movies with emotion
c. Foley helps movies with realism
VI: Step Into Their Shoes
a. Foley Artist Project Requirements:
i. 30 sec clip (teacher approved)
ii. Scene with 1 actor
iii. Sound effects list
iv. Gather props for sounds
v. Perform live Foley effects for
the class while the scene
plays on screen
Note: Be sure to tie together
how sound was recorded live
during old Radio Shows and how
Foley sound is recorded for
films.
Foley Artists record their sounds
while watching the film in order
to synchronize the audio with
the actions.
Ask: How would movies would
be different if there were no
Foley sounds at all?
Note: It may be easier to have
preselected movie clips for the
students to recreate the Foley
sounds. The students may need
copies to practice at home.
Make sure they understand that
they will be preforming in front
of the class as part of the
project.

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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 Multiple Intelligences Guide

Existentialist Inter- Intra- Kinesthetic/ Logical/ Musical/ Naturalist Verbal/ Visual/

personal personal Bodily Mathematical Rhythmic Linguistic Spatial

Application
Guided Practice
The teacher will go through the lesson and slide presentation. Then the teacher will show the movie clips from
which the students will be choosing one for their project. Distribute the movie clips and have the students
analyze them, creating a list of Foley sounds from the scene to be performed. This will show them how a Foley
Artist works from beginning to end.

Independent Practice
The teacher will then review the requirements for the “Step Into Their Shoes” Foley Artist project.

Required elements for the “Step Into Their Shoes” Foley Artist project:

 Pick a 30 second movie scene (teacher approved).

 The scene should have only one actor in it for the student to mimic.
 Analyze the movie scene for the sound effects.
 Create a list of the sound effects from the movie scene to be recreated live.
 Gather the props necessary to recreate the list of sound effects from the movie scene.
 The students will step into the actor’s shoes and perform the list of Foley effects live for the class while
the movie scene plays on screen.
 Some ideas for sounds to listen for and recreate are:
o Footsteps
o Clothes rustling
o Paper folding
o Furniture moving
o Doors opening and slamming shut
o Glass breaking

Students’ work may be assessed on creativity as well as completeness using the “Step Into Their Shoes”
Grading Rubric.

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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 Summary

Review
Review talking points and key terms from slide presentation.
Review the required elements for the “Step Into Their Shoes” Foley Artist project.

Evaluation
Informal Assessment
Students will be informally assessed through the following methods :
 Instructor observation during Guided Practice and Independent Practice
 Question and Answer during the Review

Formal Assessment
 Students will use props to perform all of the Foley sounds they have listed for their movie scene.
 Students’ completed work may be assessed using the “Step Into Their Shoes” Grading Rubric.

Enrichment

Extension
Students may also write an essay about how Foley has changed (and how it has not changed) over the years
since its inception up to today’s digital age. The essay may also include research into current career
opportunities of Foley Artists.

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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 Step Into Their Shoes Grading Rubric
Criteria Exceptional Above Average Below Average Unacceptable Points

27-30 points 15-26 points 1-14 points 0 points

Completeness Work is
Work is No attempt was
(30 points) complete and Work is
complete, but made to perform
presents a incomplete.
lacks unity. the Foley effects.
unified whole.

27-30 points 15-26 points 1-14 points 0 points

Foley
Foley Foley Foley
Basic performance
performance performance has performance has
(30 points) has some of the
has all the most of the none of the
elements but is
required required required
really
elements. elements. elements.
incomplete.

27-30 points 15-26 points 1-14 points 0 points

No evidence of
Foley ideas are Limited
Creativity Foley ideas are creativity or
original in evidence of
(30 points) somewhat originality in
thought and creativity and
original and thought or
exceptionally originality in
creative. execution of
creative. thought.
project.

9-10 points 5-8 points 1-4 points 0 points

Professional Project is
Excellent Good project.
Appearance Fair project. unprofessional
project. Neat Very few
(10 points) Several errors and errors
and professional corrections are
are evident. distract
in appearance. needed.
significantly.

Comments: TOTAL
POINTS:

AAVTC: Principles of AAVTC: AV Production-Foley Artist: Hearing Footsteps

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