Whole-y Foley: The World of Performative Film Sound

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, delves into Kathie Talbot's entry into designing sound for movie and television trailers. Kathie is a sound designer who uses sound effects, music, and vocal effects as her soundscape. Exploring her design work in such trailers as Jordan Peele's movie Get Out and AMC's TV series Sanctuary: A Witches' Tale, Vanessa and Kathie reveal the art and craft of producing unique and memorable audio accompaniments to the fast-paced visual rhythms of trailers. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Sound Design.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, digs deep into the world of AI creativity in music videos with Professor Michael Filimowicz from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Using examples of Michael's own music videos, available on YouTube under his pseudonym Myk Eff, Vanessa and Michael share their thoughts on the future of AI and its appropriate role in art. This podcast is also published on YouTube, so if you want to see the music videos, please go to https://www.youtube.com/@WholeyFoleyPodcast. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, speaks with Larry Benjamin, a television re-recording mixer. Larry's credits include the shows The Good Wife, Ozark, and Better Call Saul. Vanessa and Larry discuss the craft of re-recording mixing. They share their thoughts on technological and business changes in the world of post-production sound and the artistic skills and emotional intelligence required to be successful. Larry also details his professional visit and presentations to sound professionals in Indonesia and Thailand on behalf of Netflix to share his expertise in and insights on post-production sound. Welcome to the World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, catches up with Midge Costin, Professor of Cinematic Arts and Kay Rose Endowed Chair in the Art of Sound and Dialogue Editing at USC in Los Angeles. Vanessa and Midge share their experiences in higher education teaching the art of sound design. Midge shares her views on the changing terrain of how post-production sound is currently being taught in film school from her experiences at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Vanessa and Midge also delve into the craft and technique behind dialogue editing, and share stories to help illustrate the importance of this aspect of sound design in film and television. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, sits down with Greg Crawford, an ADR mixer at Smart Post Atlanta. Vanessa and Greg share their experiences in Automated Dialogue Replacement, more commonly known as ADR. Greg describes the massive expansion of the film industry in Atlanta, highlighted by the growth of film studios that have become literal cities and the film productions happening all around the gorgeous and lush landscapes in Georgia. In the second part of the podcast, Greg details how he evokes performances out of the actors using innovative techniques and methods. For example, Greg deploys his background as an editor, by using sound effects from the productions to build tracks for actors to listen to their ADR performances in a mix so they don't just hear naked ADR. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, engages in a lively discussion with composer, trumpeter, and sound designer Daniel Nissenbaum. Moving beyond performative sound in film and television, Vanessa and Daniel get into the sound aspects of today's podcasting, and one of Daniel's most recent podcast projects, Discovering Dad. Often riffing in the spirit of jazz improvisation, the two reflect and trades observations on the relationship between sound design, music, and technology, to share their deeply philosophical takes on these topics. In the end, the best performative sound design brings to life our intrinsic need for stories as our way of making sense of the world, and each other. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound!

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, talks with Miguel Barbosa from Spain, a Foley Artist who began his career as a Sound Editor. Vanessa and Miguel discuss the differences between the Hollywood system of Foley versus the European system. In particular, the conversation covers the distinction and challenges between Foley mixed in the studio and "Foley on location." Additionally, they share observations about the importance of cueing for the Foley artists. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, connects with Rune van Deurs, a Foley artist from Fjellstrand, Norway. Fjellstrand is a small town across a fjord from Oslo, where Rune is the owner of Quickstep Foley. Vanessa discusses Rune's innovations in Foley to establish a more efficient and responsive workflow in alignment with the needs of his clients. Vanessa and Rune go in depth on how Rune executes his particular vision for Foley recording and mixing. The second half of the podcast covers Rune's seven point checklist that every Foley artist should consider when recording or mixing sound, whether on a Foley stage or outside the studio on location. Rune's checklist is a worthwhile listen for anyone interested in the art and craft of Foley. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound!

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, Author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, speaks with Academy Award winning (for Bram Stoker's Dracula, 1992) Supervising Sound Editor David E. Stone. In this conversation, Vanessa and David discuss Stone's new sound film history website, "Sound of a Shot" (soundofashot.com). Sound of a Shot provides detailed analyses of lesser known early sound films such as Act of Violence, Across the Pacific, Jamaica Inn, A Man Escaped, 3:10 to Yuma, He Walked by Night, and Svengali, among other films that will be added in the future. Stone's purpose for this website is to provide an interactive approach to film sound history for all film enthusiasts to learn more about early film sound practices. Stone's interest is to study the "mundane" films versus the "spectacular" films he worked on in the 1980s and 1990s. Stone believes that devotees of film need to focus on sound fundamentals that can get lost when the focus is on "spectacular" sound designs. Welcome to the wonderful world of performative film sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, Author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, speaks with Steve Lee, the developer of The Hollywood Sound Museum (hollywoodsoundmuseum.org) who is also a sound effects wrangler, sound editor, writer and historian. Vanessa and Steve cover the changing terrain of Foley from its earliest days in cinema to a conversation about new technologies and even the coming impacts of artificial intelligence in sound design. Recalling the influence of Disney's Jimmy MacDonald, a pioneer in creating sound gadgets for animated films, the two delve into the role of Foley in the world of animation, with a particular focus on A Goofy Movie (1995). The podcast also has a wonderful and in-depth discussion of the creative process and artful practices for Foley artists and sound designers, including how sound choices are made to enhance cinematic storytelling.