ABSTRACT
When one chooses to research the beginnings of the craft now referred to as Foley, several things become apparent. First, there are many myths and inaccuracies floating around that contribute to the mystery and misunderstanding of the origins and development of Foley. Second, the practitioners of the craft are busy doing their jobs and have precious little time to document the history of how their craft came to be or how they approach the work itself. Finally, those who study and report on the craft and origins of Foley or any aspect of film sound, who are not from the culture, view this world from a different lens, thus have different observations and conclusions than those of us who have “lived it.” As one who comes from the film industry and has subsequently been allowed the privilege of teaching about it, and thus researching the craft for academic accuracy, my purpose is to bring to light the origins and development of Foley, as best we know, based on documented sources and personal interviews with several key individuals who were a part of the beginnings of the craft and the codification of the “system.” Although I do not profess to have the entire story, I feel confident that what I present is a basic overview of the world that existed in the picture business when sound was new and a fair representation of the individuals who were at the beginning of the craft, or close enough to have valuable insights into its historical development.
