Sound takes center stage: Inside the company that produces award-winning sounds for movies

"We create sounds, and the sound of something as simple as basic as a footstep, in a movie like F1, where the cars are flying through to a guy being eviscerated, we will create the sounds of all of the actors' movements. It's 50% of your film, without it, you have a silent picture."

"Everything we do is, we look at it as a texture of sound. So if somebody's wearing a zippy nylon coat, they're gonna sound different than a person wearing a leather jacket that's real creaky. All these little textures are really what helps bring the movie to life."

"All these little sounds are bringing the viewer closer to the reality of what's happening in the story. There's hundreds of people like Ryan and myself who have nitpicked every single one of those frames, whether they're dealing with sound effects, dialogue editing, foley, we're all involved in creating this story."

Foley artists at facilities like Alchemy Post Sound in Peekskill, New York create sound effects for films, a craft dating back to the 1920s and named after pioneering sound artist Jack Foley. These professionals generate all sounds of actors' movements and environmental audio, from footsteps to violent impacts. Sound textures vary based on materials—a nylon coat sounds different from a leather jacket—and these details enhance viewer immersion and emotional connection to the story. Foley comprises approximately 50% of a film's audio content. Multiple sound professionals, including mixers and editors, collaborate to perfect every frame, working behind the scenes on acclaimed films across various genres.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles