Shaving Cream and Credit Cards: 14 Origins of Famous Movie Sound Effects
![Shaving Cream and Credit Cards: 14 Origins of Famous Movie Sound Effects](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/5/9/8/779598_320x180.jpg)
There's nothing quite like the experience of watching a movie in a theater. The big screen, the surround sound, the all-consuming immersion ... it's an unforgettable experience. But have you ever wondered how all those amazing sound effects are created? Read on to find out!
Some of the most iconic sound effects in cinema history were actually created using simple household items. For example, the "swooshing" sound of a lightsaber was created by combining the sounds of a motorized fan and a studio microphone picking up interference from a television set. The "explosion" sound in many action movies is actually a combination of recorded sounds of various real-life explosions, mixed together and edited to create the desired effect.
Other sound effects are achieved through more creative means. For example, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were brought to life using a mixture of animal sounds and mechanical noises. The result is an unforgettable audio experience that enhances the visuals on screen and immerses the viewer in the story.
So next time you're watching a movie, take a moment to appreciate all the hard work that went into creating the perfect soundscape. It's truly one of the many magical elements that make cinema so special.
The most iconic sounds from classic movies are often created with stuff you can find lying around your kitchen. Here's how the world's top audio designers took a DIY approach to 14 famous movie sounds.
![It takes an animal village to make a TREX JURASSIC PARK CRACKED.COM Sound designers used several animals to create the sound of a T-Rex, including a whale (breathing), lions, tigers, and gators (low-frequency roaring), elephants (the primary, primal roar) and adorable koala bears for grunting sounds.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/2/779602.jpg)
![Movie projectors made magical LIGHT SABERS Sincerely STAR WARS CRACKED.co Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt recorded two Simplex projectors humming in harmony, then added the sound of a TV's transmission whir. To simulate the sabers' movement, Burtt simply moved an active mike back and forth in front of a speaker playing the sound.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/8/779608.jpg)
![A condom on the mike created the LIQUID MORPH HOWARD STO 100 Old -N-Wax English wood Polish a Conditioner on Scratch Cover TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY dark CAUTION GRACKED.co To create the sound of liquid metal becoming flesh, the sheathed mike was dipped into a viscous solution of water, flour, and furniture cleaner. It would make these huge goopy bubbles, says soundman Gary Rydstrom. believed it.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/5/779605.jpg)
![Can't do a flip if you ain't got that THWIP THINGHOW SPIDER-MAN CRACKED.COM With great power comes great sound design. To create the thwip of a web shooter, audio techs combined more than 40 elements including plucked fishing line, compressed air, and spidey shaving cream spurts.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/1/0/779610.jpg)
![A crusty crab inspired PREDATOR PREDATOR CRACKED.COM Voice actor Peter Cullen was creeped out by the sounds of a dying, upside down crab he once saw on a beach. When called upon to come up with the Predator's signature sound, he mimicked the dying crustacean's clicks and gurgles.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/6/779606.jpg)
![Raiders starts the action with a runaway BOULDER RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK CRACKED.COM Soundman Richard Anderson combined two sounds to simulate the boulder threatening to squish Indiana Jones: A car without a motor rolling down a hill and a heavy lawn roller doing the exact same thing.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/9/779609.jpg)
![More sound files than Star Wars: WALL-E ts WALL-E GRACKED.COM The futuristic animation required a massive number of made-up noises. TO create the sound of Wall-E moving slowly, audio designers used an old army radio generator. For the little guy's faster speeds, the choice was a bi-plane starter motor.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/1/1/779611.jpg)
![It doesn't take space tech to create SLIDING DOORS STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION CRACKED.COM The sound of the swooshing doors on the Starship Enterprise was based on the whoosh of a flare gun, combined with sound designer Jim Wolvington's sneaker squeaking on the audio studio floor.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/1/2/779612.jpg)
![Things that make you go BAMF sice X2: XMEN UNITED CRACKED.com Comic book fans know that X-Man Nightcrawler appears with his trademark sound effect BAMF! For the film, sound designers combined high-pitched air release with the sucking sound you hear when opening a can of dog food.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/1/4/779614.jpg)
![You're going to need an umbrella FALLING FROGS MAGNOLIA -CRACKED.co To record the sound of frogs splatting on cars, sidewalks, and rooftops, Richard King and Eric Potter took pieces of chicken and ham into an abandoned house and started throwing them around. In summary, sound design can be pretty gross.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/1/3/779613.jpg)
![The smashing guitar had a familiar KABONG KILL BILL: VOL. 2 CRACKED When the Bride takes a guitar to the noggin of Daryl Hannah's Elle Driver, it makes a familiar noise: It's the actual KABONG! sound from old Hanna-Barbara Quickdraw McGraw cartoons.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/4/779604.jpg)
![Here's a sound trick that will make your HEAD SPIN THE EXORCIST CRACKED.COM How did they make the sound of Linda Blair's head spinning round? SFX man Gonzalo Gavira pulled out a cracked leather wallet full of credit cards, held it up to the mike and twisted. The riffling sound made the final cut.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/7/779607.jpg)
![You can't tuna fish, but you can tune a TARDIS POLICE WE SCX IX WEST DR. WHO CRACKED.co I remember a phrase about the 'rending of the fabric of time and space,' SO I wanted a sort of tearing sound, says sound designer Brian Hodgsen. He got the effect by dragging his front-door key over a broken down piano's strings.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/3/779603.jpg)
![Above and beyond to create the kiss of BULLSEYE TOY STORY 2 CRACKED.COM Sound designer Gary Rydstrom asked for volunteers to capture the sound of Bullseye licking Woody's cheek. Gary smeared peanut butter all over the face of the junior audio guy, then recorded the sound of an actual COW licking it off his actual face.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/0/1/779601.jpg)