What are the pros and cons of recording foley in a studio vs. on location?

Recording Foley in a Foley stage is simply the norm. This is where Foley artists work their magic and bring performances to life.

The largest advantage to recording in a studio is a consistent and stable environment for your artists to perform their very best. It allows your team to maximize a higher ratio of completed sounds over failed takes due to extraneous noise and allows artists and mixers to focus on the performance

Recording foley in a studio offers control over sound quality and equipment access, perfect for experimenting without location constraints. Yet, it might lack the raw realism of on-location recordings. On the flip side, recording foley on location captures authentic ambiance and dynamics, adding depth to audio. It's like bringing the scene to life with genuine sounds. However, it can be tricky with background noise and unpredictable conditions. Studios are convenient and polished, while on-location setups provide that raw, real-world vibe. It ultimately boils down to the vibe you're after and the resources at your disposal.

With the advances in Noise reduction, recording Foley on location becomes more available. Foley will sound more natural and blend much better to the dialog when recorded in the same space as the dialog. After hours when the set is quiet.

I disagree with Linkedin's 3rd point. Editing Foley is a staple part of the workflow regardless of recorded environment. Foley recorded in a studio is often easier to edit since there's less clean up of extraneous environment sounds. The largest disadvantage with recording Foley in a studio is achieving sounds that are fully characterized and acoustically dependent on real structure, walls, and environments. For instance, wood floors built into a house have resonant characteristics only achievable through mass and spread. Certain loud sounds are characterized by real world environments. A balloon pop is a sound mostly generated through reflections; studio Foley even with reverb plugins often do not scratch quite the same itch.

This kind of thing is why I refrain from contributing to ‘collaborative articles’ Nobody is actually asking. Not sure what LinkIn’s game is, but I don’t care for it. I prefer to read unsolicited, questionable-credibility postings on discussion boards and social media where there is no veil of authoritative source. Anybody can corrupt the input but the result is published as credible. Maybe the goal of LinkedIn is purely to drive interaction/participation with no regard for the usefulness of the actual content. I’ll join Toastmasters for that.

In my experience, I’d say on-location capture is less traditional “foley” and more natural sound on the day of a shoot to be able to have extra elements from production if needed.

Recording Foley "on location" is not as commonly done as in the studio, but it does have the advantage of i) getting the recording you need right then and there while shooting; and ii) ensuring that all of the environmental factors, materials, microphones, performers are identical to what's being shown on screen.

There are some ways to mitigate the disadvantages of location Foley by scouting the location as anyone would do for a film shoot, finding the correct time of day to avoid traffic or airplanes, etc. Additionally, work can be divided with the location purely being used for sounds involving floor surfaces and sounds that produce a transient that benefits from the acoustic environment. The sweet spot of using studio Foley to cover props/cloth and location Foley to handle footsteps allows for a best of both world's approach. Additionally, location Foley's burned in reverb can be either a help or hinderance for Re-Recording Mixers. Typically, we're in the business of better sounds and easier mixes, however some mixers want full control of verb

Do you have a Foley artist with you on set? If not, are the actors any good at performing Foley? This is why typically Foley is done at the Foley stage with a professional Foley artist and Foley editor team.

The times I recommend some elements of location Foley are for two use cases. The first is for film students who do not have access to a fully designed Foley stage: I recommend they utilize as many real world locations and bring along proper equipment to record to sync. The second is for the professional Foley teams who have films set in single locations or projects where the setting is in itself a character. In which case, the location itself is one large prop that should be rented. Location Foley can be time consuming, economically difficult to support in editorial, or just off the mark with certain re-recording mixers. Consider whether the project and the performances actually benefits from the added complexity.

For foley recording, in the studio, use various props, ensure a quiet environment with good acoustics, experiment with different surfaces for footsteps, layer sounds for depth, and keep detailed notes for consistency. On location, record during quieter times to avoid background noise, use portable high-quality equipment, capture multiple takes from different angles, be prepared for changing weather, and scout locations beforehand to find the best spots for recording.

Recording foley in a studio has the advantage of controlled conditions, allowing for precise sound quality and consistency without interruptions from external noise. It also provides easy access to a variety of props and tools to create diverse sounds. However, it might lack the natural ambiance of the actual location. On-location foley captures authentic environmental sounds and context, which can enhance realism. But, it often faces challenges like uncontrollable background noise, weather issues, and logistical difficulties in setting up recording equipment.