Sound Design — Foley, ADR, and the Post-Sound Workflow
Post-production sound is constructed from four primary layers. Dialogue: the edited and processed production sound recordings from the set. Even the cleanest on-set recordings typically require noise reduction, EQ to remove proximity effect and room resonance, and level consistency editing. ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement, also called looping) replaces on-set dialogue recordings that are technically unusable due to noise, with new performances recorded by actors in a sound studio while watching the picture — they lip-sync to their own image. ADR requires extremely skilled performance to match the emotional intensity of the original on-set delivery while lip-syncing on a dead booth. Sound Effects (SFX): curated and recorded sound effects applied to every significant on-screen action — doors closing, phones ringing, cars passing, gunshots. Most sound effects used in professional film come from large licensed sound libraries, supplemented by original field recordings. Foley is the specialized art of creating custom sound effects that synchronize precisely with on-screen movement and action — footsteps on varying surfaces, fabric rustling, prop handling, body movement, contact sounds. Foley artists perform these sounds in real time while watching the film on a screen, recording on specialized surfaces (concrete, gravel, carpet, wood) that match the on-screen environment. A feature film Foley session might take three to five days. Music: scored or licensed, applied to amplify emotional content, signal genre, and pace the viewer's emotional journey through scenes.