Ben Burtt

Ben Burtt

Sound

Born: 1948-07-12 in Jamesville, New York, USA

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.

Known For

WALL·E

WALL·E

WALL·E / M-O (voice)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Naboo Courier (uncredited)

Return of the Jedi

Return of the Jedi

'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice)

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Wat Tambor (uncredited)

LIGHT & MAGIC

LIGHT & MAGIC

Self - Sound Designer and Editor

LIGHT & MAGIC

LIGHT & MAGIC

Self - Editor

BURN·E

BURN·E

WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited)

Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett

Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett

Self

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Self

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

Self - Sound Designer

R2-D2: Beneath the Dome

R2-D2: Beneath the Dome

Self

Star Wars: Music by John Williams

Star Wars: Music by John Williams

Self

SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back

SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back

Self

Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III

Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III

Self

Fog City Mavericks

Fog City Mavericks

Self

From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga

From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga

Self

And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To...

Self - Interviewee

From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II

From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II

Self

The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'

The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'

Self

Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon

Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon

Self

Lincoln: An American Journey

Lincoln: An American Journey

Self

When Star Wars Ruled the World

When Star Wars Ruled the World

Self

Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet

Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet

Self

WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets

WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets

WALL·E / M-O (voice)

RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”

RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”

Self

Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of

Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of

Self

George Lucas: Creating an Empire

George Lucas: Creating an Empire

Self

Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema

Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema

Self

Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001

Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001

Self

The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'

The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'

Self

Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery

Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery

Self

The Force of Sound

The Force of Sound

Self

The Making of The Empire Strikes Back

The Making of The Empire Strikes Back

Self

No Poster

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk

Self

The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Self

I Am Your Father

I Am Your Father

Himself

State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'

State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'

Self

Wings: Grandeur in the Sky

Wings: Grandeur in the Sky

Self

Films Are Not Released, They Escape

Films Are Not Released, They Escape

Self

Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up

Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up