foley artist
/ˈfoʊ.li ˌɑːr.tɪst/
Meaning
A 'foley artist' is a sound professional who recreates everyday sound effects (like footsteps, rustling clothes, or breaking glass) in a studio to be added to films, TV shows, or video games in post-production to enhance audio quality.
Examples
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The foley artist used a pair of old leather shoes on gravel to simulate the sound of the character walking.
The foley artist used a pair of old leather shoes on gravel to simulate the sound of the character walking.
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If you watch the behind-the-scenes footage, you can see how the foley artist created the monster noises using celery.
If you watch the behind-the-scenes footage, you can see how the foley artist created the monster noises using celery.
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He works as a foley artist, spending his days in a studio matching sounds to the action on screen.
He works as a foley artist, spending his days in a studio matching sounds to the action on screen.
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Without a skilled foley artist, the movie's quietest scenes would feel completely empty and unnatural.
Without a skilled foley artist, the movie's quietest scenes would feel completely empty and unnatural.
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She wants to become a foley artist because she loves experimenting with different objects to create unique sound effects.
She wants to become a foley artist because she loves experimenting with different objects to create unique sound effects.
Common Mistakes
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✗ The movie had great foley artist.
✓ The movie had great foley work.
'Foley artist' refers to the person who makes the sounds, not the sound effects themselves (which are called 'foley' or 'foley effects').
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✗ He is a foley sounder.
✓ He is a foley artist.
The correct, industry-standard professional title is 'foley artist'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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To create the sound of crunching snow, the ___ squeezed a bag of cornstarch in front of the microphone.
💡 The person who creates sound effects in post-production.
Show answer
foley artist
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I never realized how much work a ___ does until I saw a documentary about movie sound design.
💡 Sound professional.
Show answer
foley artist