ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the special nature of Foley sounds, both in terms of their aesthetic possibilities and their creation by expert performers in the production process. It argues that the importance of the study of Foley sounds and their production methods for research that goes beyond the cinema to the development of future interactive technologies. The chapter explores the chameleonic and subtle nature of Foley sounds, and their ability to fool the ear and influence the perception of the image. It examines the practical and aesthetic reasons that make Foley sounds an essential element of most contemporary film productions. One could argue that voices are the main sound portraying emotions on screen, and they certainly do so, but language engages the brain at a different level, perhaps a more narrative and logical level; while sound, and in this case Foley sound, engages the brain at a sensorial, even tactile, level: if the voice delivers the threats, Foley delivers the punch.
