What is the difference between foley and hard effects in film sound design?
AFoley uses synthesis; hard effects use recordings
BFoley is performed synchronously by artists to picture in a studio; hard effects are spot-designed sounds added in post-production
CFoley is only for dialogue replacement; hard effects cover everything else
DThere is no functional difference; the terms are interchangeable
Foley artists perform sounds synchronously to the picture — walking in character, handling props, cloth movement. Hard effects are designed and placed in the edit to match specific on-screen events. Both serve similar purposes but through different production workflows.
Question 2 True / False
True or false: Game audio can use the same static audio files as film because games simply play back fixed sequences of events.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Games require interactive, adaptive audio that responds to real-time gameplay variables. Player position, game state, surface materials, and randomization all affect what audio plays and how. Audio middleware handles this adaptive playback logic dynamically.
Question 3 Short Answer
What is ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement), and why is it used?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: ADR is the process of re-recording an actor's dialogue in a studio to replace audio captured on location that is unusable due to background noise, technical problems, or performance issues. The actor watches the original footage and matches their performance to the on-screen lip movements.
Location recording conditions are often hostile — traffic noise, aircraft, HVAC systems, wind. ADR allows clean dialogue recording in controlled conditions, even if it requires more post-production effort to match the performance to picture.
Question 4 Multiple Choice
In game audio middleware like Wwise, what does 'horizontal re-sequencing' describe?
APanning audio horizontally in the stereo field based on gameplay events
BBlending seamlessly between different musical states or sections at runtime, creating smooth musical transitions in response to gameplay changes
CSequencing audio files horizontally in the editor timeline
DApplying horizontal EQ to balance frequencies in game audio
Horizontal re-sequencing blends between musical states — combat, exploration, stealth — by finding musical transition points and seamlessly switching. Vertical re-orchestration adds and removes musical layers. Together they allow adaptive music that never loops repetitively.