Foley Room

Foley studios play an essential role in TV and film production whereby the Foley artist will introduce effects such as foot steps, punches in fights, glass breaking, doors slamming, gun shots and other sound effects in post production.

A typical Foley room features a series of ‘sand boxes’ that will contain gravel, a splash tank filled with water, various tiles, concrete pad, plus an unbelievable array of props that are used to create the various sound effects. Foley artists spend countless hours in front of microphones, watching video as they attempt to recreate the sounds that are on screen and bring them to life. This requires both practice and exceptional timing.

Acoustically treating the room

Since effects such as reverb or echo can easily be added to a sound, but taking the reverb out is much more difficult, Foley rooms tend to be acoustically treated as a means to reduce the room ambiance.

A series of wells are filled with gravel, sand or wet pavement to allow Foley actors to mimic the action on film. This 'episode' shows two actors walking on an earth and leaf bed with a microphone to capture the action.

This is easily achieved by mounting Broadway panels on all available wall surfaces. As a rule of thumb, one will try to achieve 50% coverage. Placement typically begins ‘waist high’ and extends up to the ceiling.

Thicker 2-inch panels tend to be used as they are able to absorb energy down into the lower mid range where voice and ambient sounds are most responsive by the human hearing mechanism.

Determining Coverage

To determine the coverage, we have created a series of easy-to-use tables that enable you to choose between various degrees of treatment depending on your budget and the desired outcome. Most facilities find that a ‘light’ level of treatment provides sufficient sound abatement while keeping the budget in check. If budgets are tight, start with minimal treatment and then add more panels as funds become available.

The Foley actor’s arsenal of tools ranges from abstract to absurd so that he or she can replicate anything in the real world. The best Foley actors are the ones you do not notice.

Room Calculation Tables in Feet

Room Calculation Tables in Meters