Sound in Short Films

Foley sound: used in post production - the reproduction of sounds on screen; often used for dramatic effect.

Presto - Disney and Pixar Short

This Disney short uses lots of foley sound to add to the action of the narrative. Speech is never used, but the film only ever stands silent for milliseconds. The music has a lot of movement so that it matches the pace of the visuals; and starts and ends in between particular shot changes. At 1:00, the music sounds mystical and almost like it is approaching as the magician puts his hand through the hat. 


The article Real-time Sound Effects: The Foley Way on Videomaker points out three ways in which foley can improve a video's performance, saying that: foley effects add realism and depth to audio tracks, they're easy to produce and record, and they simplify the synchronising of sounds.

Foley sounds are often used to create footsteps, to have the swing of an opening door or to make any sound more distinctive. This can make movements more dramatic and more cinematic. Horror or action movies tend to be the genres which are most commonly thought of when we consider where foley sound is often used. 

This sequence shows an entire section of foley sound production and action on screen...