The Real Dean Scream

In 2004, Howard Dean's presidential run fell apart, punctuated by an incredibly strange sound he made onstage at the Iowa caucus.

2016 / Jody Avirgan / FiveThirtyEight, US

In 2004, Howard Dean's presidential run fell apart, punctuated by an incredibly strange sound he made onstage at the Iowa caucus.

The Dean Scream, as it's come to be remembered, went viral across the American media landscape, and is often credited with the demise of Dean's campaign. In collaboration with ESPN Films (the people who make the "30 For 30" series), producer Jody Avirgan & his team at the FiveThirtyEight Elections Podcast revisited this political spectacle to unearth what was really heard in that room.

The Real Dean Scream team included reporter Galen Druke, producers Asthaa Chaturvedi and Emma Jacobs, and sound engineers Chloe Prasinos and Steven Jackson.

How did Howard Dean feel about revisiting his gaffe in such a public way? That and more, in our behind-the-scenes interview.

Here's the accompanying short film from FiveThirtyEight about what really happened to Howard Dean's campaign.