Wilhelm Scream rights

[ergalthema]

What must be done to legally use the Wilhelm Scream sample in a feature?

[TVPostSound]

It might be in PD by now.

All these films have used it.

Best "Wilhelm Scream" Titles



















.



















.

[Raketel]

The wilhelm scream is originall from the movie "Distant Drums"(1951, United States Pictures). Maybe you should contact the company that holds the rights for that movie and ask them for the conditions of a license for that very short part. It's used so often, it should be no problem to get clearance from them.

[charles maynes]

Originally Posted by bradhebert

What must be done to legally use the Wilhelm Scream sample in a feature?

It has been used so much, that I think it is really become a bit passe.... the ownership is very tangled but I think it would source back to Republic Pictures. But Ben Burtt found the recording in the Warner Bros Library- Paramount now holds the rights to the Republic properties, so they would be the ones to talk to if you were so inclined. though typically the sound recording is treated as an effect vs a vocal performance (which would require residuals).

My casual suggestion is that if it is being used incidentally, don't sweat it- if it is a story point or will be given more attention than the general sound effects around it, contact Paramount for a license.

[Jorn Lavoll]

i have a couple of recordings of an actor doing some very good varations of the wilhelm scream.... if thats of interest
they are for sale online for about a bck a piece

[ergalthema]

Interesting, I just found that it's been on freesound for years, apparently no problem?

freesound :: view sample :: wilhelm.wav


While I'm here,
I took a class on copyright law and still don't understand much. The CC license on freesound seems to state that anything on the site can be used in a film or music recording as long as there is credit given somewhere. Does this mean that each sample would have to have the name of the uploader in the credits of a film? Their username?

[soundfx]

Originally Posted by bradhebert

Interesting, I just found that it's been on freesound for years, apparently no problem?

freesound :: view sample :: wilhelm.wav


While I'm here,
I took a class on copyright law and still don't understand much. The CC license on freesound seems to state that anything on the site can be used in a film or music recording as long as there is credit given somewhere. Does this mean that each sample would have to have the name of the uploader in the credits of a film? Their username?

I would really really not worry about that. I've used the wilhelm on braodcast TV several times, just incidentally. Its ubiquitous, so I treat it as an effect. And I wouldn't worry about crediting anyone from freesound. You may be over thinking things juuuuust a tad.

[Eric L]

Don't use the Wilhelm.

Come up with your own signature.

It's like painting a picture and signing Van Gogh instead of your name.

[Patch Morrison]

Originally Posted by Eric L

It's like painting a picture and signing Van Gogh instead of your name.

i dunno if its about claiming ownership of it.

i thought it was more of a way for mixers to tease each other, to see who can weave it into the mix most subtly without it being instantly noticed.

maybe im wrong..

[stuartprovine]

Wanting to cling to a gag that's so boringly overused will only date you and your project.

It's like a slipping on a banana peel stunt. Super-lame unless you do it right. Very few people do it right. I can count them on one hand at this point.


Don't do it.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Patch Morrison

i dunno if its about claiming ownership of it.

i thought it was more of a way for mixers to tease each other, to see who can weave it into the mix most subtly without it being instantly noticed.

maybe im wrong..

I thought it was least subtly.

[narcoman]

Originally Posted by Patch Morrison

i dunno if its about claiming ownership of it.

i thought it was more of a way for mixers to tease each other, to see who can weave it into the mix most subtly without it being instantly noticed.

maybe im wrong..

totally right. I've put it in the oddest of places....

[Eric L]

My point was not about ownership of the sound. It is widely known as someone elses signature. It is in all of his work and he was the first to use it. So why would anyone else copy this? Seems unoriginal to me. Heard it last night in Inglorious Basterds and all I could think of is why did they use it. Pulled me right out of the movie. It is so overused now. Maybe some think they are joining some special club by using it.

[charles maynes]

Eric- we tried to get it into "The Alamo" but were frustrated by it being too obvious. We did however get the Howard Dean scream in at a key moment.


I put the wilhelm into the first "Fantastic Four" film 3 times.... the last two times were with less than 15 seconds between them....

I guess you had to be there to appreciate the reasons we choose to do that....

[nucelar]

Resurrecting an old thread because this ad is currently airing on tv here. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it!!!
YouTube

[georgia]

I sneak it into projects... just 'cause it's fun to try. And its a big inside joke in the industry. no other reason to do so... it's just a bit off a


cheers
geo

[Bill@AudioVision]

Originally Posted by georgia

I sneak it into projects... just 'cause it's fun to try. And its a big inside joke in the industry. no other reason to do so... it's just a bit off a


cheers
geo

A couple more come to mind that I try to sneak in... way back there..
Shattering glass a second or so after a golf swing...
Chain saw during a long tilt up of a Redwood tree or totem pole...

[soundfx]

I heard the scream many times playing Red Dead Redemption yesterday. I don't really care if its unoriginal. It brought a smile to my face.

[soundguydave]

I get more bummed out by the sound ideas record scratch I hear in everything.

[RScott]

From playing many PC games in my school days, I giggle every time I hear the Warcraft II pig sound effect.

A great game called System Shock 2 had psionic monkeys that were very creepy. In the 3d Alice in Wonderland they monkeys used the same sound effect for almost every monkey vocalization. About 2-3 effects over and over. And every time they played, it took me out of the movie and into the game. Not that the movie was tremendous.....

I see a new lol thread for spotting library effects.

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by Eric L

My point was not about ownership of the sound. It is widely known as someone elses signature. It is in all of his work and he was the first to use it. So why would anyone else copy this? Seems unoriginal to me. Heard it last night in Inglorious Basterds and all I could think of is why did they use it. Pulled me right out of the movie. It is so overused now. Maybe some think they are joining some special club by using it.

I'm not going to pick sides here but as one who 'doesn't get miffed when I hear the wilhelm' and have used it myself (including one spot that probably only myself and my co-mixer would spot, and another that was just begging for it [guy behind a paintball mask gets shot close-range in the nads]), I'll just ask (tongue-in-cheek, of course):

Eric, do you create your own sound effects for each and every sound?
Ever cut in "the" dog bark? There are many, maaaaaany unoriginal uses of sound out there. One popular big US network tv series has the same 4 door sounds regardless of what the characters actually walk through, pretty much.


Me,I DO get miffed when I hear unoriginal uses of certain sounds. Especially when they're used and dropped straight in as per the CD track. Timelines and deadlines are just that, but you know, pitch it, cut the duration, etc. Soooo many sounds off libraries are 'over-utilized'; perhaps as another inside joke?

I'm jus' sayin'... Hey, I just put in "the" dog bark AS an inside joke amongst my colleagues because we all hate it but it was the perfect choice for a recent scene.

Jeff

p.s. in agreement with Eric, if you wish to go create your own signature sound, go for it. Then maybe in 30 years people will be using YOUR sound.