Once you've gathered all the Foley sounds, you may be disappointed in their lack of punch, so to speak. Big-budget films enhance the Foley and sound effects for maximum impact, and you can too. First, start with some EQ - sometimes, all that's missing is a little extra sparkle on top or some oomph on the bottom. For impact sounds like punches and kicks, make a copy of the original sound, and use the pitch-shifting function in your audio editor to lower the pitch an octave. Mix the pitched version with the original for a substantial thud. Audio compressors are also useful for increasing the impact of sounds. Start with the presets and tweak the adjustments until you like what you hear.

Remember those footsteps we recorded earlier? As you're editing, find and isolate two or three versions of left and right footfalls. Make tight, clean edits of each, and save them as individual files. On your timeline, scrub to the walking scene, and set temporary markers where each foot hits the ground. Import your Foley footsteps and, on separate audio tracks, align the variations of left and right feet to match the markers. With some careful timeline nudging and a few volume adjustments, you'll have your subject walking in no time.

Finally, you can buy Foley effects, if you just don't have the time or energy to create them from scratch. Digital Juice, Sound Ideas and many other companies offer Foley in their sound effects production libraries. These are professionally-recorded effects that cover a broad range of situations. Just fly them in from the library disc for a quick and efficient production.

The sharp producer knows when enough is enough. Unless you're trying to get Jerry Bruckheimer's job, a dose of moderation is in order. Foley, by its nature, is completely contrived. Your job is to create and blend these effects in an organic way, so your viewers won't even notice. Foley can be quite a challenge, but, as with all video production skills, practice makes perfect. Start small and push yourself a little further each time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go record the squeaky door to the garage before my wife finds the WD-40.

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant.

A good Foley artist knows how to fake sounds: a celery crunch makes a good broken bone, a punching bag makes a good body hit and glasses, well, they make a good glass noise, of course. Some times the Foley sound is a literal translation.

Last winter, we had two big ice storms back to back. The packed ice and snow made a nice crunchy sound when I walked on it. One day, the idea struck that I should make a recording of my footfalls for later Foley use. I grabbed my camera, plugged in a microphone and started recording samples. Back in the edit suite, the sound had a spooky quality, and I couldn't wait to use it. I'm still waiting, but I seized the opportunity to capture a one-of-a-kind real-world sound that will make its way into a project someday.