Foley Design
HardSurface_robot_animation from Andrey Abramov on Vimeo.
In a team of three (or two), you’ll perform live Foley for the animation above. Your job is to make the sounds you imagine for this robot, in real time, in sync with the picture, the same problem Jack Foley was solving when he had to match sound effects to visuals live.
Things to think about
What are your sound sources? Start from the robot itself. What is it made of? What surface is it standing on? What’s going on inside the metal skin? Answering those questions will point you to the right objects to perform with.
How is the work divided? Organize your team however you like. One workable split: each person owns the sounds of a different part of the robot, so together you cover the whole character. During the workshops, rotate those parts so everyone tries a different set of cues.
What makes it alive? “Animation” literally means bringing to life. Some of your sounds should go past the mechanical events and suggest weight, effort, or intent.
Requirements
- Live performance only. No recording this time; that’s the next assignment.
- Cover everything. The animation is 10 seconds long. Every event that would make sound needs Foley.
- Any object is fair game. The stranger the better, if it works.
- Rehearse as a group. You’re graded on the performance, the sync, and the teamwork, and all three fall apart without rehearsal.
- Explore at least two versions. In each workshop, rehearse two complete versions with different props and changed performance roles. Compare the sounds before deciding what to keep.
Workshops before the performance
- Monday 9/14: Bring a range of props so your team can build and compare two versions of the whole animation.
- Wednesday 9/16: Bring props for both versions, plus any new alternatives, to Charm Studios. Repeat the two-version practice with instructor coaching and feedback from another team, then choose and rehearse your final combination.
In each workshop:
- Build version A. Map the robot’s actions, assign the cues, and rehearse the full 10-second sequence several times against picture.
- Build version B. Replace the props or materials for at least two cues. Try a different sound quality, such as a hollow impact instead of a sharp click, and listen for how it changes the robot’s weight or character. Rotate performance roles so every student performs a different set of cues. In a pair, swap parts; in a trio, pass each person’s part to the next person. Rehearse the whole sequence several times with the new setup.
- Compare both versions. Perform A and B for another team. Ask which sounds fit the picture and what each version suggests about the robot. Identify one useful discovery from changing props and one from changing roles. Keep brief notes on your cue list so you can remember the choices.
- Revise and run again. Use the feedback to test another change. Your final design can combine choices from both versions. Choose the final roles after everyone has tried different parts.
Both versions must cover the full animation. Give each version enough rehearsal to judge its sounds fairly, even if the new props or roles feel awkward at first.
Both workshops are ungraded. The assessed live performance is Monday 9/21.
On Monday, each team will perform its prepared version twice and discuss one successful prop choice and one difficult cue. After the assessed performances, we’ll try an ungraded character challenge: rehearse and perform a new interpretation in response to a direction. We’ll finish by considering how to turn the live design into recorded Foley.
Before you perform
- Practice your timing against the animation until your actions land on the events, not near them.
- Pick your objects early and rehearse with the actual objects, not substitutes.
- Talk through handoffs with your team so nobody collides mid-take.
Grading Rubric (40 points total)
| Criterion | Exemplary | Proficient | Developing | Emerging | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound Source Choice (12 pts) | Objects chosen from the robot’s implied materials and surface; each reads as the thing it stands for | Most objects suit their events; one or two are generic stand-ins | Objects make sound but bear little relation to the materials on screen | Objects chosen at random | /12 |
| Event Coverage (10 pts) | Every sound-making event in the 10 seconds is covered | All major events covered; a small one or two missed | Several events without sound | Only the most obvious events covered | /10 |
| Synchronization (10 pts) | Actions land on frame throughout; the performance reads as the animation’s own sound | Mostly on frame, drifting on one or two fast events | Noticeably early or late through much of the take | Timing unrelated to the picture | /10 |
| Sense of Life (4 pts) | Sounds beyond the literal give the robot weight, effort, or intent | One or two touches suggest life beyond mechanics | Strictly literal event-matching | No attempt | /4 |
| Team Coordination (4 pts) | Parts divided so the character is fully covered; handoffs are clean and rehearsed | Division works with a few collisions or gaps | Coverage overlaps or leaves holes; little evident rehearsal | No coordinated plan | /4 |
Total: ___ / 40