The Canadian who creates the real, but fake, sounds in Hollywood blockbuster films
Next year will be my 20th season doing the final sound mix for W5. I have seen every story the series has produced in that time, but I had never actually pitched a story idea to the producers.
That, I assumed, wasn’t really in the cards for the sound person. But W5 is a bit of a different atmosphere and when I asked Avery Haines if I could run some ideas past her, she not only listened, but she set me up to pitch my thoughts to the whole team.
I told them about a Canadian sound person that was doing amazing things, but almost no one knew about it.
In quiet Uxbridge, Ont., north of Toronto, there is a farm house that looks no different from all the others on its rural side road.
This particular house plays a major role in countless Hollywood films year after year. It is the home of Footstep Studios and specifically, Andy Malcolm. He and his entirely-Canadian crew have provided so-called Foley sounds for just about every director’s films you can think of.
Foley – named after sound effects pioneer, Jack Foley back in the 1920s – is the creation of real sounds that are then matched to film to create a clean and often uber-real sound experience to match the action.
Crushing a piece of rigatoni can be dubbed over the shot of someone’s nose getting broken. Tearing open a chicken carcass could be a mainstay of a show like "The Walking Dead," where guts need to be spilled.
Andy Malcolm's resume gives you an idea of how good he is. From massive blockbusters such as "Dune," "Planet of the Apes," "Blade Runner 2049," "Ford v Ferrari" to Academy Award best picture nominees including "The Big Short" and "The Greatest Showman," to broad comedies like "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Bridesmaids," Andy has a credit on nearly 700 films.
In addition to all those grand accomplishments, he was also a major influence on my life and career, even though he had no idea who I was at the time.
When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a record producer. I loved music and the idea of working in a recording studio and thinking about sound all day was a dream.
Then in my grade 10 media studies class, back in the 1990s, we were shown a Canadian short film called "Track Stars” that showed how Foley artists made films come to life with sound, creating all the sound effects in a studio space.
Wood was being smashed, metal bins were crashing to the ground, and heads of lettuce were being ripped to shreds. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen and I immediately switched my focus from music to sound for film.
The main Foley artist featured in the film "Track Stars" is Andy Malcom who, since the film’s creation in 1979, has gone on to be one of the greatest Foley artists in the world.
Andy Malcolm, left, shows W5 correspondent Richard Crouse how breaking apart a stalk of celery can be used as a sound effect (W5).
He is also a funny and charismatic person and a bit of a risk-taker. Instead of moving to Hollywood, Andy took a gamble by asking Hollywood to come to him. And his bet on Canada and himself has paid off. By staying in Canada he has helped raise the bar for all Canadian film production.
I have won multiple Canadian Screen Awards for my sound work over my 25-plus year career and it all goes back to Andy Malcom starring in the film that opened my eyes to the creative possibilities that a Foley soundtrack can add to a film, series or video game.
I hope there is a whole new generation of kids that will see this profile on Andy and his team and they will be awakened to the possibilities that sound can open up for them too.
Sound Editor Tim Muirhead wanted to be a record producer until he saw a Canadian short film called "Track Stars” that showcased how Foley artists made films come to life with sound, creating all the sound effects in a studio space. Muirhead wrote this article for W5.
Watch the documentary 'Sound Farms' in the video player at the top of this article or on our official YouTube channel.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Local Spotlight
DonAir force takes over at Oilers playoff games
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fergus, Ont. man feels nickel-and-dimed for $0.05 property tax bill
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
'I'm committed': Oilers fan won't cut hair until Stanley Cup comes to Edmonton
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
'It's not my father's body!' Wrong man sent home after death on family vacation in Cuba
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
'Once is too many times': Education assistants facing rising violence in classrooms
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
What is capital gains tax? How is it going to affect the economy and the younger generations?
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”