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For Hollywood-Level Sound Effects, Look No Further Than Your Fridge

How Foley artists use food to soundtrack powerful cinematic moments

Food plays a vital role in bringing a movie to life, but surprisingly, its shining moment often occurs long after the director calls cut. In today’s episode of Gut Check, the team visits C5 Sound Inc., a sound effects studio in Northvale, New Jersey, to learn how everyday food items and ingredients are used to nail the soundscape of a film, one cracking back (or twisted bunch of celery) at a time.

A successful sound effect is ironically almost imperceptible to a viewer, blending in so naturally with the scene that it draws minimal attention to itself. At C5, Foley artist Marko Costanzo gets creative with produce, meat, and other products to create realistic and powerful sounds — smashing and chopping a head of lettuce to soundtrack a gory moment, while massaging or sprinkling broken potato chips for quieter ones. Watch the video above to learn more, and to get an inside look at Costanzo’s work.

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