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Foley Contest Intro Transcript

Have you ever seen the making of a radio drama—maybe in a movie or on a TV show?  In the worlds of radio drama, ordinary looking actors and actresses in their everyday clothes become super heroes, gangsters, knights, and femme fatales captivating the listening audience. Stories come alive because the audience 'collaborates' in making meaning, supplying the images in their minds for the sounds they hear but do not see.

One of the most spellbinding aspects of this transformation is when commonplace objects such filing cabinets, kitchen cutlery, and crunching potato chips become dungeon doors, sword fights, and chases through snow-filled fields. Foley art, put simply, is the creation of sound effects like these for TV, movies, and radio shows.

Well beyond nostalgia, using techniques of Foley can also be a powerful and engaging tool for student creativity. Foley offers many important lessons for 21st century learners—it goes to the heart of mediums and effective communication. Students get hands-on experience to understand, evaluate and capitalize on the unique attributes of a medium.    

They can develop the habits of mind to create, appreciate, and question manipulative and emotionally effective media techniques. They can also have a lot of fun unleashing their creativity and telling great stories.   

In this contest participants must create a Foley sound effect. Be sure to let us know how you did it and what it is. We'll be handing out prizes, so the more creative the better! 

After the contest concludes, all participants will receive a list of sound effects with a description of how they were made—a great resource to take back to the classroom!