Image Example of a Explosion in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) for the Sound.
This is a Skywalker Sound and/or Weddington Productions/Technicolor Sound Services sound effect. It's an explosion sound recorded and created by Ben Burtt, Randy Thom, and Gary Summers for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Today, it's still considered as a stock sound effect though.
Info
- First Recorded: 1980
- Creator: Ben Burtt, Randy Thom and Gary Summers
- Owner: Skywalker Sound and/or Weddington Productions/Technicolor Sound Services (1980-present)
- Origin: United States
- Year debut: June 12, 1981
- First Heard: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Area Used: Worldwide
Sound Effects Description
It sounds like this: "CHUR-SHURRR!" Almost many variants of this sound were made by Skywalker Sound. Some variants are modified/processed to have a different sound quality or kind of sound to them, but I (BigIdeas70258) can tell that it's this sound that they modified. In many Skywalker projects, this sound effect is part of a common sound effects cluster, where the sound of fire hissing (a classic WB sound effect) and a subtle "CHRRR" sound follow, among other fire sounds; this SFX cluster was probably designed by Ben Burtt, and has been combined into at least 2 Skywalker explosion SFX clusters as well.
This is one of the most popular explosion sound effect that was used more than a hundred or thousand medias, especially the Skywalker Sound projects. It was used exclusively by Weddington Productions/Technicolor Sound Services in their own projects work.
Similar Variations
- Joel Valentine Explosion Sound 02? (included, unless confused with a similar-sounding sound; need verification.)
- Pro Sound Effects, Explosions, Many Versions, Rumbling, Punchy, Light Debris, Long and Drawn Out at Head (included in SFX cluster)
- Pro Sound Effects, Gas Explosion, Fiery Whoosh, Rumbling Decay, Crackling, Sustained Burning at Tail (lower-pitched)
- Pro Sound Effects, Gas Explosion, Cracking Impact, Fiery Whoosh, Rumbling, Sustained Crackling Burn, Two Versions (various pitches)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - EXPLOSIVE RICOCHET, HIGH RICCO, EXPLOSION ACCENT (included in a heavily processed version)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE EXPLOSION (included)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE EXPLOSION, LOUD, HYPER-REALISTIC (included in SFX cluster)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - ROCKET LIFTOFF EXPLOSION (slowed down)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SEISMIC CHARGE EXPLOSION (included)
- SoundDogs, Explosions Fires - Solar Explosions; Tk1 Multiple Wide Boomy Explosion In Rapid Succession. Tk2 Explosion With Flare Ups & Rumbly Rolloff, Like Treated Thunder Cracks. Great For Lightning Striking A Tree. Very Good* - Bomb With Explosion Gas Hi (included, low-quality, many times)
- Sound Ideas, Explosion Large 5x - Five large battle-style explosions (included in SFX cluster)
Used In
TV Shows
- Arcane League of Legends
- Ben 10
- Clone High
- Family Guy
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
- Infinity Train
- Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (Heard once in "Home One", 2nd segment, part of a Skywalker sfx cluster only.)
- Love, Death & Robots
- Regular Show
- Rick and Morty
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Star Wars: Clone Wars (Heard twice in CHAPTER 10, with a Skywalker Sound sfx cluster that includes the same sound. A more pronounced variant of this sound is heard twice among the aforementioned sfx cluster.)
- Star Wars: Rebels
- Superman: The Animated Series
- Wander Over Yonder
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
Movies
- Action Jackson (1988)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) (Heard for the Volcano eruption scene in the end of the film, I TMD the Hedgehog think.)
- Antz (1998) (Used for the stomping flat; SFX cluster only.)
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- Batman Returns (1992)
- Battleground: 21 Days on the Empire's Edge (2004) (Heard once in a Skywalker explosion SFX cluster during the chapter "Shooting at the Press".)
- Best of the Best II (1993)
- Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
- Big City Greens: The Movie: Spacecation (2024)
- The 'Burbs (1989)
- A Christmas Carol (2009) (Heard after a coffin door opens, probably to suggest the sound of hellfire.)
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
- Cloverfield (2008)
- Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
- Critters (1986) (Heard as part of a Skywalker Sound SFX cluster only.)
- Dante's Peak (1997)
- Daylight (1996)
- Desperado (1995)
- Die Hard (1988)
- Die Hard 2 (1990)
- Double Team (1997)
- Dragonball: Evolution (2009)
- Evolver (1995)
- The Eye (2008)
- The Faculty (1998) (Skywalker SFX cluster only)
- The Fifth Element (1997)
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (Skywalker SFX cluster only.)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Frequency (2000) (Heard as part of a Skywalker Sound SFX cluster only.)
- From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
- F/X2 (1991) (Skywalker SFX cluster & variants only)
- Gremlins (1984) (Heard twice in a Skywalker SFX cluster only as the movie theater explodes.)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
- G-Saviour (1999)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Hellboy (2004) (SFX cluster and variants only)
- Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) (Heard once when Murphy's #82 NASCAR hits Jeff Gordon's #24 NASCAR after he crashes into the track wall in an attempt to hit Herbie and Maggie.)
- The Hitcher (1986)
- Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil (2011)
- Howard the Duck (1986)
- In Your Dreams (2025)
- The Incredibles (2004)
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (debut)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Iron Man 2 (2010) (includes Skywalker variants)
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
- Iron Monkey (1993) (2001 US version)
- Kiss the Girls (1997)
- The Last Airbender (2010)
- The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
- The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
- Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean (2005)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) (Only heard in the remastered version.)
- Manassas: End of Innocence (2002)
- Mimic 2 (2001) (Skywalker SFX cluster only, slightly lower-pitched)
- Mission: Impossible II (2000)
- The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
- Munich (2005) (Heard for an explosion early in the film, I BigIdeas70258 think.)
- My Way (2011)
- Nanny McPhee (2006)
- Needful Things (1993)
- Pearl Harbor (2001)
- Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020)
- Pixels (2015)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Predator (1987)
- Red Tails (2012)
- Road House (1989)
- Robocop (1987)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Shattered Lies (2002)
- Shin Godzilla (2016)
- Space Jam (1996)
- Speed (1994)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Spies in Disguise (2019)
- Starship Troopers (1997)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (Heavy usage of this, including variants.)
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) (Only heard in the 1997, 2004 & 2011 versions.)
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (Only heard in the 2004 & 2011 editions.)
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) (Heavy usage of this, including many variants.)
- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Forces Awakens (2015)
- Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
- Superman Returns (2006)
- The Terminator (1984) (Only heard in the remastered version.)
- Terminator Genisys (2015)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) (Heard as part of Skywalker Sound SFX clusters.)
- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
- The True Story of "Glory" Continues (1991)
- Titan A.E. (2000) (Skywalker variants and in SFX clusters only.)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Transformers One (2024)
- Tremors (1990)
- Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)
- Twisters (2024)
- Volcano (1997)
- WALL-E (2008)
- War Horse (2011)
- The War of the Worlds (1953) (Heard in the 2018 4K Master.)
- Willow (1988)
- Wings (1927) (2012 version)
- The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998)
- XXX: State of the Union (2005)
- Young Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Peacock's Eye (1995)
- Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen (1995)
- Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert (1999)
- Young Indiana Jones: Love's Sweet Song (1997)
- Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evil (1997) (A processed variant is used once for a gunfire.)
- Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life (1999)
Shorts
- Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (1996)
- Sprocket Systems: The First Ten Years (1987) (Heard during footage of a large explosion, the ACTUAL source of the sound.)
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Sounds
- The Stereo Demonstration Film (1982) (slowed down)
- Wow! (1990)
Video Games
GameCube:
N64:
- Donkey Kong 64
- Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo
PC:
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Shrek the Third (2007) (Video Game)
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo
PlayStation 2:
- Black (2006) (Video Game)
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Shrek the Third (2007) (Video Game)
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
PlayStation 3:
PlayStation 4:
PlayStation Portable:
PlayStation Vita:
Unsorted:
- Star Wars: Battlefront (2004 Video Game) (dubbed as "exp_ord_rocket_large01" and also used in "exp_obj_large01". One of the processed variants used is dubbed as "exp_ord_rocket_med03")
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2002) (Video Game)
Wii:
Wii U:
Xbox:
- Black (2006) (Video Game)
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Xbox 360:
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Shrek the Third (2007) (Video Game)
Xbox One:
Theme Parks
Trailers
- Die Hard (1988) (Trailers)
- George of the Jungle (1997) (Trailers) (A modified-wooden variant is heard when the back of a tree explodes.)
- EA Star Wars: Battlefront & Battlefront II (2015-) (Trailers)
- Star Wars: Episodes II & III (Trailers)
YouTube Videos
- Battle For Dream Island: The Power Of Two
- The Best Pals Hand Movie (2018)
- Crash Frontier
- Hoffy1138
- Webkinz
- WhitneyGoLucky
Audio Dramas
- Super Robot Wars F (Drama CD) (Heard in a high pitch, traced from Die Hard.)
Anime
- Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS (Traced from The Fifth Element (1997).)
Image Gallery
Audio Samples
(Modified-wooden variant)
(Processed variant)
(Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens variant)