One of my professors offered extra credit on the final if we came to an on campus showing of "The Last of the Mohicans." Having seen the film before, nearly a decade ago, I was willing to go and see it again. Plus, those two points could mean the difference between letter grades! During the event's introduction, it was brought to our attention that the sound in the film was something to listen for.  Another class was there with directions to write a blog post about sound, so taking inspiration from their assignment, and some time in the library waiting for students to tutor, here's mine.

As it turns out, the 1993 Oscar for Best Sound went to "The Last of the Mohicans" specifically, to the sound re-recording mixers Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, and Mark Smith and sound mixer, Simon Kaye (IMDB). However, the entire department is responsible for the film's victory. According to IMDB's cast and crew listing for this film, fifty-one people were a part of the sound department (IMDB).

As viewers, we don't typically think about sound effects in motion pictures unless they're missing. Without sound, the film is hollow and unrealistic. From something as small as cars on the highway behind the actors, the swishing sound of denim as someone walks by, or the clinking of keys when someone unlocks a door, to something as big as the roar of a jet's engine or the acceleration of the car in the adrenaline filled car chase scene, sounds complete the film.

Personally, I think the most intriguing job in the sound department is the Foley artist. I had seen this title in the credits of many films, but it wasn't until "Men In Black II" included a bonus feature on the DVD about the Foley team, that I understood what they do and how important they are. Basically, the Foley artist is the person who creates and or captures the noises that go along with the action in the film, and they are added in during post-production. What many people don't realize is that the boom operators are only trying to capture dialogue during filming - all other sound is avoided as much as possible to the extent where sometimes actors will be in socks if their feet are off screen to prevent footsteps from interfering with the dialogue. By adding in sound effects like footsteps later, the volume and intensity can be controlled so that it complements the scene instead of overpowering it ("What is Foley?").

The art of Foley is named after the work of Jack Foley (1897-1967), who established the basic modern techniques still used today. Jack grew up in the Seagate section of Coney Island, NY and went to school with (future) actors James Cagney and Bert Lahr. Later in life, he got his first job working on the docks of New York where he met Cary Grant, who was working as a stilt walker at the time. ("The Art of Foley")

After growing tired of the weather in New York, Foley moved to sunny California and started working as a stuntman and a double. Jack literally did every job in the film industry: he wrote scripts, directed films, designed and built sets, props, models, graphics, you name it. He began his film career with silent pictures and was a key player during the transition to sound. When sound was introduced, Jack, as you may have already guessed, was involved in the addition of sound effects. He would record the sounds all on one track that would play along with the film, making them with whatever props he could. It's said that he could mimic the sound of a whole group of people walking with just his own footsteps and a cane. ("The Art of Foley")

Back in Jack's time, the sound effects people weren't credited for their work, but now he gets recognition in every film because his craft is named for him: Foley. Jack's last film was the 1960 "Spartacus" before he died in 1967. ("Jack Foley")

Andy Malcom is a present day Foley artist, who has worked on hundreds of films since he began his career in 1975 with "The Swiss Family Robinson." He loves what he does and when asked to describe his job he said, "While the dialogue editor is stuck in front of a computer, I'm on my feet all day throwing car doors around, and punching roasted chickens." ("Jack Foley") Sounds like a great job to me!


Here is a great video about what Foley is and how Foley Artists do their jobs...


Without the sound department's hard work on sound effects for "The Last of the Mohicans," the film wouldn't have the same impact, and now two decades later, wouldn't be able to hold the attention of college students - even those who were simply there to collect their points.


Sources:
"Andy Malcolm." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0539085/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1>.

"Cast & Crew - The Last of the Mohicans." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104691/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm>.

"Jack Foley - Film's Unsung Hero." Jack Foley - Film's Unsung Hero. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://filmsound.org/foley/unsung-hero.htm>.

"The Art of Foley - Jack Foley." The Art of Foley - Jack Foley. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://www.marblehead.net/foley/jack.html>.

"What Is Foley?" Sound Effects, Royalty Free Music & Production Elements. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2013. <http://sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html>.