“Remember: you are telling a story, taking advantage of and amplifying the appropriate emotional colours, keeping all of the characters in the scene alive to the degree that is necessary.”
Being at one with your craft proves both commitment and comfort…
I'd never been to a real construction site before. Or onboard an aircraft. Or to an historical city on water.
But from what I could hear from my standard-definition television set at three years old, I felt like I was really there.
That's when it hit me. I knew I had to create sound.
Almost twenty years later, and still loving what I hear, I am a full-time freelance audio designer and re-designer for visual media, podcasts and radio.
In my opinion, there are no limitations to what sounds and audio effects one can use at their disposal to achieve any audio creation that they desire... as long as the sounds feel in sync with what object or environment they're trying to imitate.
With my three years experience, I strive to help both experienced and budding directors within independent and mainstream film companies and postproduction houses alike, by developing a deep understanding of the audible environment of their creation, reflecting both my understanding and their creative vision. Radio & podcast producers and installations are also included, stimulating the ears of the discerning listener as they're caught up in an engrossing story.
I also co-host Foley Workshops at London Metropolitan University with the music staff, as well as hosting a forthcoming vlog series on my YouTube channel, entitled “Tom-Foley-ery”. Together, we encourage fledgling audio and music students to unleash their full potential... in letting sound tell our stories.
Honing in on unique sounds and objects one may not get the chance to encounter on a daily basis, I want to show my passion, commitment and joy in creating the same entertainment experience the discerning cinemagoer would immediately process with their subconscious, all while marvelling at the invention of an hopefully up-and-coming master craftsman.
Got a project on the go right now? Don't delay. Feel free to get in touch with me and get your work to overcome those stressful deadlines :)
Why sound is important to me (and us)
If I was asked to summarise the purpose of sound in a single word, it would be plausibility.
Anyone can recreate the sound of a car crash by combining the vigorous slide of a rake across concrete, while shaking a large metal sheet, a bucket filled with tools, screws and coins (for glass), and by sliding a wet water bottle filled with air across a hard, wooden surface.
That said, why risk paying property damages when you can creatively improvise? It may not sound quite like the real thing, but competency, commitment, and of course a vast knowledge of plugin processors can get you very close.
By my strong understanding of clients' creative visions, and passionate work ethic to the art of sound as a storytelling device, audiences are able to engage accordingly with the development of the world within the film, from the surreal to the extraordinary.
All it takes is a simple reference clip to let my imagination run wild.
Then, after performing the sound as it's being recorded, I use ProTools and Logic Pro X software processing to sync, edit, and master every layer until I know that the acoustic environment has been fully engaged to.
How I got started with sound design
In my youth, I was more a music person than a sound buff. But as an eternal admirer of cinema, the unprecedented grandeur of listening to a seamlessly integrated soundtrack is continuing to shape the way I perceive the world.
Back then, I didn't travel abroad much. I'd never been to a real construction site before. Or onboard an aircraft. Or to an historical city on water. And even when I became a globetrotter years later, I found my eyes absorbing the culture more than my ears.
Fast forward to my second year at London Metropolitan University, and I initially felt skeptical when I started to undertake my advanced sound design course, primarily because I hadn't gotten a first-hand experience at it before. My first major re-design projects, however, Inception's cafe scene and Chopping Mall's explosive final fight, gave me a positively immediate change of mind after I let the sounds create themselves.
Now, there’s not an opportunity that I want to let pass me by in which I can be extremely lucrative and energetic with my approach to audiovisual-audience relationships. All I ask is that I get a little luck, and a lot of convenient time, with my locations, equipment, actors, and other stuff, so I can bring the world the most inviting, enthralling, entrancing sound work that I can give.
There’s a lifetime of great sounds waiting to be captured. Nothing else to do but to do it!
Ready to Get your project heard?
Tell us what you’re conjuring up, and I’ll reach out to craft a plan with you together.