44. Movie Sound Effects

The Economics of Everyday Things Podcast

The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise.

  • SOURCE:
    • Gregg Barbanell, foley artist at Universal Studios.
  • RESOURCES:
    • "The Weird, Analog Delights of Foley Sound Effects," by Anna Wiener (The New Yorker, 2022).
    • "The Strangest Foley Sounds in Cinema," by Amber Gibson (ACMI, 2021).
    • "The Man Who Makes Hollywood’s Smallest Sounds," by Zachary Crockett (Priceonomics, 2015).
  • EXTRA:
    • "No Hollywood Ending for the Visual Effects Industry," by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

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