Whole-y Foley: The World of Performative Film Sound

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, shares stories about several Foley Artists she worked with at the beginning of her career. In this oral history, Vanessa recalls three Foley Artists in particular: Kim Fowler, John Post and Robert Rutledge. Intertwined with these tributes, Vanessa also mentions other Foley Artists she worked with and their contributions to the art and craft of Foley. Welcome to the World of Performative Film Sound!

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, discusses the Carney Awards and Cats Don't Dance with Movie Producer Jim Katz. Vanessa and Jim start the conversation by discussing The Carney Awards, a ceremony, co-started by Jim Katz, that honors character actors. Then Vanessa and Jim return to the film Cats Don't Dance. As producer of the film, Jim concludes our three-part retrospective into the seldom seen animation film from 1997, Cats Don't Dance. Jim shares behind the scenes stories from the film from casting decisions, to the politics behind the film that has kept this film from garnering its proper popular and critical reception. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

Welcome back for Part Two of this excellent and detailed behind-the-scenes discussion focusing around the gifted post-production sound team that created the aural atmosphere that animates the characters and enlivens the environments that power the wonderful cinematic experience of the animated musical, Cats Don't Dance (1997). Supervising Foley Editor Vanessa Ament and Supervising Sound Editor David E. Stone return to one of their favorite movies that they ever worked on. Cats Don't Dance is now considered a lost animation classic, the first film directed by Mark Dindal (Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little). The voice acting is top notch, with major stars taking even minor voice roles. The lead male voice belongs to Scott Bakula, who took the role of Danny the Cat during the height of his Quantum Leap fame, and Scott turns out to be a marvelous singer along with his distinctive vocal chops. The songs in the film are written by Randy Newman at the height of his musical powers as the go-to songsmith for major animated features -- Cats Don't Dance was written between his better known work on Toy Story and Toy Story 2 for example. Even the fabulous singer Natalie Cole has a prominent vocal role, singing an unforgettable Randy Newman tune, "Tell Me Lies," which should have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. So why isn't Cats Don't Dance better known? Well, the film got hit by a business transition at Warner Bros., received no promotion, and did very little box office, recouping less than 10% of its costs. However, in retrospect, this film deserves a second (and third, and fourth, etc) look and a deeper appreciation. Cats Don't Dance was one of only two animated films ever made by Turner Feature Animation, a short-lived production company started by Ted Turner that only produced two films, with Cats Don't Dance being the final one. As two of the post-production sound professionals who worked on the film, Ament and Stone share behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the sounds for Cats Don't Dance. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.    

Supervising Foley Editor Vanessa Ament and Supervising Sound Editor David E. Stone return to one of their favorite movies that they ever worked on, the animated film Cats Don't Dance (1997). This film is now a lost animation classic, the first film directed by Mark Dindal (Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little). The voice acting is top notch, with major stars taking even minor voice roles. The lead male voice belongs to Scott Bakula, who took the role of Danny the Cat during the height of his Quantum Leap fame, and Scott turns out to be a marvelous singer along with his distinctive vocal chops. The songs in the film are written by Randy Newman at the height of his musical powers as the go-to songsmith for major animated features -- Cats Don't Dance was written between his better known work on Toy Story and Toy Story 2 for example. Even the fabulous singer Natalie Cole has a prominent vocal role, singing an unforgettable Randy Newman tune, "Tell Me Lies," which should have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. So why isn't Cats Don't Dance better known? Well, the film got hit by a business transition at Warner Bros., received no promotion, and did very little box office, recouping less than 10% of its costs. However, in retrospect, this film deserves a second (and third, and fourth, etc) look and a deeper appreciation. Cats Don't Dance was one of only two animated films ever made by Turner Feature Animation, a short-lived production company started by Ted Turner that only produced two films, with Cats Don't Dance being the final one. As two of the post-production sound professionals who worked on the film, Ament and Stone share behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the sounds for Cats Don't Dance. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

This is part two of two part episode: Supervising Foley Editor Vanessa Ament and Supervising Sound Editor David E. Stone return to one of their favorite movies they ever worked on, the now Disney classic, A Goofy Movie (1995). This film which has found a large and enduring audience was made by Disney Television Animation and was not expected to be a big hit. Ament and Stone share behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the sound for A Goofy Movie. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, speaks with Dr. Gabriel Paletz, a film teacher, scholar, and programmer at the Prague Film School in Prague, Czech Republic. Gabriel recently published an article entitled "Writing sound in the screenplay: traditions and innovations" in the journal The Soundtrack. Delving into the main theses of this article, Vanessa and Gabriel explore the many reasons why screenwriters and the most common master form of the screenplay has often overlooked or eschewed the inclusion and aesthetic elements of the film's aural and musical qualities. Furthermore, Gabriel shares how he teaches an original course called "Learning from Awful Films." Importantly, as Vanessa and Gabriel share, from both a pedagogical and practicioner's point of view, even awful films are more awful with bad sound and bad foley. This conversation makes a very powerful case for screenwriters and above the line personnel to include sound elements in the screenplay and as part of a film's pre-production. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, talks with Kylee Pena, who is Product Marketing Manager for Professional Editor at Adobe. The podcast begins by recapping Kylee's journey from college through her careers in Atlanta, at Netflix, and now at Adobe, working on among other products, Premiere Pro. Vanessa and Kylee share their views on being women in the film industry, particularly in post-production workflows. They discuss their common mission of empowering women to take their creative and technical space in this male-dominated profession. Kylee also addresses how changes with Generative AI and other new techologies have the potential to revolutionize the performance of sound. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In the second part of this two part episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, continues her conversation with Sara Pinheiro. You can learn more about Sara at her website: sarapinheiro.com. If you missed part one, please listen to Episode 27 first which sets up the second half of this discussion. As you will learn upon listening to this podcast, Sara straddles the world of sound designer, sound experimenter, and an academic exploring the role of sound in media. In terms of film and video-art, Sara does sound recording, editing, foley and mixing. In her solo practice, Sara also makes acousmatic pieces, usually for multichannel performances, radio broadcasts or installations. Her work crosses practices of sound design for film with concrete and acousmatic music. It blends natural and artificial soundscapes via field recordings, foley practices and signal processing. Sara is currently pursuing a PhD in music and media, and her research-based practice can be found under the name "Acousmatic Foley." In the second part of this two-part podcast, Vanessa and Sara discuss the various filmmakers and films that have inspired their creative work in sound design and music. They discuss various projects they have each worked on that advance the idea of sonology and the acousmatic spectator. Sounds themselves--and not just music or dialogue--can be used to develop the story or to advance an emotion in a film. Join us for a unique and penetrating journey into the World of Performative Film Sound!

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, talks with Sound Mixer Greg Curda. A Hollywood-trained sound mixer, currently teaching at Nord University in Norway, Greg shares his journey from his roots in Chicago to the Disney mailroom in Burbank to mixing Foley to working in production sound for Reality TV shows from Hawaii. Greg and Vanessa use their experiences in the industry to highlight the importance of production sound, dialogue editing, and post-production as one connected workflow. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, converses with Foley Artist Martin Langenbach. In addition to Vanessa and Martin discussing his work in film and television, Martin shares his reasons and goals for starting a consortium of European sound professionals on his website: https://foleyartists.eu/en/mitglieder/ Additionally, Martin expands on how he records his Foley remotely with his two Foley Mixers using innovative technology. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, explores the use of Foley in live theatre performances and in operas with British Foley Artist Ruth Sullivan. Highlighting the Foley skills, props, and approaches that Ruth uses in live performances of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, Vanessa and Ruth discuss how their training in dance and acting is beneficial to being a Foley Artist during a live theater show or an opera. Join us to listen to a behind-the-scenes walk through about how Foley can be an impactful creative element in high art forms such as theater and opera. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, delves into Kathie Talbot's entry into designing sound for movie and television trailers. Kathie is a sound designer who uses sound effects, music, and vocal effects as her soundscape. Exploring her design work in such trailers as Jordan Peele's movie Get Out and AMC's TV series Sanctuary: A Witches' Tale, Vanessa and Kathie reveal the art and craft of producing unique and memorable audio accompaniments to the fast-paced visual rhythms of trailers. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Sound Design.

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, digs deep into the world of AI creativity in music videos with Professor Michael Filimowicz from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Using examples of Michael's own music videos, available on YouTube under his pseudonym Myk Eff, Vanessa and Michael share their thoughts on the future of AI and its appropriate role in art. This podcast is also published on YouTube, so if you want to see the music videos, please go to https://www.youtube.com/@WholeyFoleyPodcast. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, catches up with Midge Costin, Professor of Cinematic Arts and Kay Rose Endowed Chair in the Art of Sound and Dialogue Editing at USC in Los Angeles. Vanessa and Midge share their experiences in higher education teaching the art of sound design. Midge shares her views on the changing terrain of how post-production sound is currently being taught in film school from her experiences at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Vanessa and Midge also delve into the craft and technique behind dialogue editing, and share stories to help illustrate the importance of this aspect of sound design in film and television. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, engages in a lively discussion with composer, trumpeter, and sound designer Daniel Nissenbaum. Moving beyond performative sound in film and television, Vanessa and Daniel get into the sound aspects of today's podcasting, and one of Daniel's most recent podcast projects, Discovering Dad. Often riffing in the spirit of jazz improvisation, the two reflect and trades observations on the relationship between sound design, music, and technology, to share their deeply philosophical takes on these topics. In the end, the best performative sound design brings to life our intrinsic need for stories as our way of making sense of the world, and each other. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound! 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, talks with Miguel Barbosa from Spain, a Foley Artist who began his career as a Sound Editor. Vanessa and Miguel discuss the differences between the Hollywood system of Foley versus the European system. In particular, the conversation covers the distinction and challenges between Foley mixed in the studio and "Foley on location." Additionally, they share observations about the importance of cueing for the Foley artists. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, connects with Rune van Deurs, a Foley artist from Fjellstrand, Norway. Fjellstrand is a small town across a fjord from Oslo, where Rune is the owner of Quickstep Foley. Vanessa discusses Rune's innovations in Foley to establish a more efficient and responsive workflow in alignment with the needs of his clients. Vanessa and Rune go in depth on how Rune executes his particular vision for Foley recording and mixing. The second half of the podcast covers Rune's seven point checklist that every Foley artist should consider when recording or mixing sound, whether on a Foley stage or outside the studio on location. Rune's checklist is a worthwhile listen for anyone interested in the art and craft of Foley. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound!

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, Author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator,, speaks with Academy Award winning (for Bram Stoker's Dracula, 1992) Supervising Sound Editor David E. Stone. In this conversation, Vanessa and David discuss Stone's new sound film history website, "Sound of a Shot" (soundofashot.com). Sound of a Shot provides detailed analyses of lesser known early sound films such as Act of Violence, Across the Pacific, Jamaica Inn, A Man Escaped, 3:10 to Yuma, He Walked by Night, and Svengali, among other films that will be added in the future. Stone's purpose for this website is to provide an interactive approach to film sound history for all film enthusiasts to learn more about early film sound practices. Stone's interest is to study the "mundane" films versus the "spectacular" films he worked on in the 1980s and 1990s. Stone believes that devotees of film need to focus on sound fundamentals that can get lost when the focus is on "spectacular" sound designs. Welcome to the wonderful world of performative film sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, converses with Sound Designer and Re-recording Mixer Gary Rydstrom about his work on Director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of a Broadway musical and classic film, 2021's West Side Story. Vanessa and Gary share their insights and thoughts on the magic of sound in musicals focusing on the updated and reimagined version of West Side Story. Gary reveals how the immersive art and precise craft of sound design helped transform the world of West Side Story into a grounded reality and elevated the emotional authenticity of this story for the audience. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound. 

In this episode, Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, author of The Foley Grail and Foley Artist on such films as Die Hard, Platoon, and Predator, converses with German Foley Artist Bastian Gerner, who is also known as the Foley Teacher. Vanessa connects Bastian's career as a rap artist with his improvisational approach to Foley, which leads into a discussion of his work performing Foley for video games, and his enthusiasm for the creative and technical aspects of the art of Foley. This lively conversation reveals Bastian's humor and vitality for re-invention, as he performs and mixes his own Foley simultaneously. Bastian shares stories about the mentors from his new home studio outside of Düsseldorf, Germany. Bastian is also well known in social media circles, and through his website where he teaches Foley online at the-foley-teacher.com. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Performative Film Sound.