Ben Burtt
Sound
Biography
Benjamin "Ben" Burtt, Jr. is a sound designer, film editor, director, screenwriter, and voice actor. He has worked as sound designer on various films, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, WALL-E, and Star Trek. He is responsible for creating many of the iconic sound effects heard in the Star Wars film franchise, including the binary speech of R2-D2, the lightsaber hum, the sound of the blaster guns, and the heavy-breathing sound of Darth Vader, which he made by breathing into a scuba regulator. Burtt has a reputation for popularizing a sound effect dubbed the "Wilhelm scream", which was taken from a character named Wilhelm in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River.
Born: July 12, 1948
Place of Birth: Jamesville, New York, USA
Known For
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Actor Martin Sheen narrates this newly produced, feature-length high definition documentary, touching on the film's timelessness and legacy before diving into the story of its development, production and release.
When Star Wars Ruled the World
A VH1 television special wherein the cast discuss the making of the films and what made the franchise a phenomenon.
The Force of Sound
Go inside the sound design of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. From the ignition of a lightsaber to the chirp of a porg, Star Wars would not be the same without the brilliant sound design and mixing created by Skywalker Sound.
Fog City Mavericks
Fog City Mavericks: The Filmmakers of San Francisco is a compelling exploration of the legendary filmmakers who call the San Francisco Bay Area home including George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Chris Columbus and producer Saul Zaentz. The special weaves interviews, commentaries and unforgettable moments from some of the most visionary movies ever created such as American Graffiti, the Star Wars film series, the Indiana Jones film series, The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Toy Story, The Incredibles, Lost in Translation, Flags of Our Fathers and many others. It also features interviews with those who have worked with Bay Area mavericks: Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Anthony Minghella, Milos Forman and Frank Darabont.
WALL·E
After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E— a robot designed to clean up the earth—discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up
Building Worlds From the Sound Up
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
Even the most devout Star Wars fan might not know that filmmaker and journalist Michel Parbot was once given unprecedented access to the set, stars, and filmmakers behind The Empire Strikes Back. The resulting work, The Making of The Empire Strikes Back, has apparently never been commercially released. Most of the footage has been lost, but 15 minutes has circulated online in recent years. Now, the 1 hour cut of Michel Parbot’s lost documentary has been found.
Return of the Jedi
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
From the earliest versions of the script to the blockbuster debuts, explore the creation of the Star Wars Trilogy.
LIGHT & MAGIC
When George Lucas set out to make Star Wars, little did he know he would end up revolutionizing an industry. This is the story of a team of creative geniuses who put the magic in the movies we love.
Filmography
as Self - Sound Designer and Editor
as Self - Editor
as Self
as Himself
as Self - Interviewee
as Self
as Self
as Self
as WALL·E / M-O (voice)
as WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited)
as WALL·E / M-O (voice)
as Self
as Self - Sound Designer
as Self
as Self
as Naboo Courier (uncredited)
as 'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice)