Nightly News   |  August 20, 2011

Movie magic from trees and trash cans

Marko Constanzo has been responsible for creating the click-clack of high heels on tile or the thud-thud of horse's hooves in hundreds of Hollywood movies. NBC's Amy Robach reports.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> finally tonight, we want you to meet a guy who's making a lot of noise in hollywood. he's played key roles in some of the biggest movies of all time. though you haven't seen him on the big screen , you've no doubt heard him. here's nbc's amy robach .

>> reporter: in "the devil wears prada ," anne hathaway is strolling. but it's not hers you hear. it's his. he's responsible for the sound effects of hundreds of hollywood movies, from heavy snow and broken glass to hollisters and horses. he's making film magic with household items and in the most unlikely of settings. what could pass has a hoarder's basement could pass as his sound stage . it's filled to the brim with just about anything from anywhere.

>> i have no problem diving into a dumpster or lifting something off of a sidewalk that's being thrown away. new jersey has some of the best garbage in the world.

>> reporter: and it's his trash that makes it to the big screen . remember the bath scene in this movie? jeff bridges is in the tub. but it's costanza making the sounds. in "true grit," whether it's a trot or a glop, the best hooves often come from a tree. and when it comes to all those hugs and back-slapping, forget about it.

>> adding a sound to a film enables it to give it a sense of realism. if there was no sound, it would seem empty. but as soon as you bring in some of these other sounds, everything becomes a little bit more natural.

>> reporter: natural but unexpected. take a hounted house or creek ki door, for con stanza, it comes from this butcher table a gift from a friend. no matter the sound, he delivers. and just remember the next time you see an actress walking in high heels , there's a chance he's the one you're hearing, every step of the way. ame robach, nbc news.