Essential Props For Beginner Foley Artists
INTRODUCTION
For decades, sound has played a powerful role in storytelling - but often behind the scenes. From the early days of cinema to modern productions, the art of creating sound effects, especially Foley, has remained somewhat of a hidden craft. Most people don’t realise that much of what they hear in films, such as footsteps, rustling clothes, the creak of a door, has been carefully added during post-production.
Thankfully, Foley is now becoming widely recognised, and more creatives are diving into the world of sound design, and Foley recording.
But when you're just starting out and trying to build your own Foley prop library, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So, in this guide, we’ll share what we look for when gathering props, and how you can start building your own kit.
SHOES
As a Foley artist, you’ll spend a lot of time recording footsteps, which means having a variety of footwear is key.
To start off, aim to collect at least one pair of each type of shoe:
- Trainers
- Dress Shoes
- Heels
- Boots
- Slippers
- Flip-Flops
- Sandals
- Pumps
Heeled shoes are often the trickiest to get just right, so gathering a range of thick, thin, high, low, round, square, and wedged styles will really help you get a wide variety of footstep tones. Once you’ve got one of each, you can begin expanding by collecting multiple versions of each type to explore different textures and characters.
Surfaces to consider walking on:
Tarmac, wooden boards, sand, pebbles, and concrete flags all create different textures. A great snow effect? Fill a pillowcase with cornflour and salt, then layer it over sand.
CLOTH
Cloth movement may be subtle in a mix, but it’s essential to making a scene feel alive. Without it, something will feel oddly off, like there’s a gap you can’t quite put your finger on.
As with shoes, having a range of fabrics gives you flexibility. Useful materials include:
- Canvas
- Cotton
- Corduroy
- Denim
- Fleece
- Lace
- Leather
- Linen
- Nylon
- Polyester
- Satin
- Silk
- Tweed
- Velvet
- Wool
You can gather these in the form of shirts, trousers, coats, jackets, and jeans. Different thicknesses and styles will add more layers to your library.
We love keeping our cloth and smaller props organised in vintage suitcases, they’re not only practical but can be used as props themselves.
PROPS
Prop needs change drastically depending on the scene. For example, in an office-based project, you might need:
- Computer mice and keyboards
- Desk phones and mobile devices
- Pens, paper, notepads
- Cardboard boxes and packaging
- Briefcases and backpacks
- Rolling chairs, especially leather ones
To avoid clutter, we recommend building your collection gradually, adding props as they’re needed. But some “Foley classics” are worth having on hand, including:
- A bag of cornflour (for crisp snow sounds)
- Celery (great for snapping bone effects)
- VHS tape (perfect for mimicking foliage)
- Door bolts and hinges
- Wooden pallets
- Halved coconuts (you know the one...horse hooves!)
- Gloves with paperclips (for pet footsteps)
- A paddling pool for water recordings
- And a personal favourite: a chamois cloth, perfect for sticky, wet textures
On our own Foley stage, you’ll also find boxing gloves (for body hits or falls), hot water bottles, and an array of tools and hardware to create impactful sounds.
Your Foley prop library will always be a work in progress. What you collect depends entirely on the scenes you work on, but the tips above should help you find your footing.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article.
Want to skip the recording and get straight to the good stuff? Check out our Fantastic Foley library, packed with authentic, ready-to-use foley recordings from a wide array of fabrics, materials, objects, tools, clothing, and much more.
FANTASTIC FOLEY LINK: https://www.344sfx.com/product/fantastic-foley
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