Was the famous “Wilhelm Scream” used in “The Force Awakens?”
The “Wilhelm Scream” is a stock sound-effect that has been used in hundreds of films over the years as an inside-joke/homage among filmmakers. It was first heard in the 1951 film Distant Drums but is famously named after Private Wilhelm who is shot with an arrow and screams in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River.
The scream rose to fame in recent decades when Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt used it in his work on Star Wars and other films. And other filmmakers have followed the lead—such as Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, and Peter Jackson—and used it themselves in their films.
If you are unaware of what the Wilhelm Scream sounds like, watch this video compilation which includes clips of it’s use in Star Wars films among others:
Since each Star Wars film including the prequels has had at least one occurrence of the “Wilhelm Scream” in them, can anyone recall/remember if the Wilhelm Scream was heard anywhere in The Force Awakens? I realize the film is still in theaters and sources for actual clips don’t exist at this point, but some description of a scene and perhaps who might have screamed the Wilhelm Scream would be appreciated.
Best Answer
It did occur in the movie, very near the beginning, when Poe and Finn escape in a TIE fighter and fend off some stormtroopers with the TIE fighter's weapons. It is, of course, one of the stormtroopers blown away who utters the Wilhelm scream.
It is a bit faint and overshadowed by the general noise (and soundtrack?) and not directly in your face, which might be why you missed it. But you can definitely hear it in that scene.
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What is the Wilhelm scream used in?
It originated in 1951 in the film Distant Drums. The Wilhelm Scream sound effect is most commonly used when someone is falling from a great height, shot, or thrown from an explosion. It's inclusion in so many movies has become something of an inside joke for filmmakers and the audience who understand the reference.Is the Wilhelm scream in every Star Wars movie?
On February 22, 2018, sound editor Matthew Wood revealed that Lucasfilm has decided to not use the Wilhelm scream anymore following the release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens and instead replace it with a new stock sound effect.Who did the famous scream in Star Wars?
Well, much of it stems from a running gag among film school students from the University of Southern California. In the early 1970s, they discovered the stock sound effect and began to use it in their work. They called it the \u201cWilhelm scream\u201d after the movie and character they first noticed it in.The Suicide Squad Soundtrack | So This Is the Famous Suicide Squad – John Murphy | WaterTower
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