Footsteps, glass breaking, punches, door slams, clothes swishing, rain on the windscreen. How would your TV or film be if all these sounds and many more like them were missing? In the world of production it is not always possible to record these sounds as they happen or they are just not big enough, and so need to be replaced.

In sound design, Foley is the reproduction of these everyday sound effects that are added to films, TV shows and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality, and it requires someone to create them. Enter the Foley artist.

This week Gino spoke, via Zoom, to Academy of Sound Engineering lecturer, Sean Radford, about the art of Foley and just what it entails. As each sound effect is recorded live, it is important to have an understanding of recording techniques, how microphones work and what they do, as well as having an active imagination; you might need to replicate those difficult sounds like someone's arm breaking (celery - who knew?).

It is these added and enhanced sounds that are an integral part of the on screen universe, and without them the illusion doesn't work. Paradoxically, the better Foley artist you are, the less you are noticed.

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Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

A quarter of the way through 2026 and it's another Monday morning and another episode of African Couch Potato. Welcome to the latest news, views and reviews.

Sadly, we kick off with the loss of Chuck Norris. Probably most well-known for Walker, Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris is a legend in the world of martial arts and entertainment. He inspired countless memes, jokes, alongside much admiration for his achievements and personality.

Also leaving us is Showmax. Africa’s biggest streamer will end on 30 April, so you have one more month to get your binge fix. Over the last two years Gino has chatted to many guests, from both behind and in front of the cameras, whose shows or films appeared on Showmax. So, goodbye Showmax, welcome back DStv Stream.

Netflix is bringing sexy back with season 3 of Tyler Perry’s Beauty In Black, and South Africa’s very own Fatal Seduction wraps up season 2.

The new Bafana Bafana jerseys are out and you have a couple of months to grab yours. From 11 June the world gives it all up to soccer as the FIFA World Cup gets underway, and in the very first game South Africa will take on Mexico. You can watch all the action on SABC, so no excuses.

The US v Iran might be an interesting game, if they get that far.

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com

WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews

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https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2026

Over the last 30 years or so, we have seen many films and TV productions that have, in different ways, looked at the issues of South Africa's troubled past, but very few have looked from the white, English-speaking perspective.

The Reconciliation is an art-house drama about people who believe they’ve changed, until change asks something real of them. Anchored in a particularly South African context, the film explores the true costs of reconciliation when holding on to the past begins to suffocate the future.

The story unfolds over a single Christmas Day at an old family home in an affluent suburb of Cape Town, where a mother tries to bring her fractured family together for what may be their final Christmas together. Determined to keep everyone at the table and preserve the appearance of unity, she finds her belief in reconciliation put to the test.

ACP managed to hook up over Zoom with independent filmmaker Jonty Acton, currently in Germany, to talk about the film, his own childhood experiences that had such an influence on the storyline, and what finally pushed him to look at "crowdfunding" as a way forward.

The film asks a simple, but perhaps uncomfortable, question:

What happens when reconciliation becomes a way of avoiding real change?

You can find Jonty's project at the Indiegogo.com link below. They are at over 80% of the required funding at the time of writing. Check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/jonty-acton/the-reconciliation----a-south-african-feature-film?ref=search

Yes? No? Send us a text

Let us know what you think, what movie or series you would like to see featured, or just to tell us how brilliant it all is:
instagram.com/africancouchpotato
twitter.com/africancouchpot
gino.arlechino@gmail.com

WhatsApp Channel: Mzansi Film News, Views and Reviews

YouTube; African Couch Potato - YouTube

https://www.patreon.com/c/AfricanCouchPotato

Gino Shelile’s profile • Letterboxd
Member of the Film Critics Association of South Africa (FCASA)

Produced by Ted Loukes and A10 Consulting
ted@aten.co.za

Music by The_Mountain from Pixabay

© SANTE MEDIA 2026