Ben Burtt
SoundBorn Jul 12, 1948
Jamesville, New York, USA
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
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
movie2013
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen
movie1996
The American Gangster
movie1992
When Star Wars Ruled the World
movie2004
The Force of Sound
movie2018
Fog City Mavericks
movie2007
Recorded Live
movie1975
The Empire Strikes Back
movie1980
Star Wars
movie1977
Alien
movie1979
WALL·E
movie2008
WALL·E
movie2008
Filmography
2022LIGHT & MAGICas Self - Editortv2021Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fettas Selfmovie2021Star Wars Galaxy of Soundsas Sound Designertv2019Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Soundas Selfmovie2018The Force of Soundas Selfmovie2015Star Wars: The Force Awakensas Sound Designermovie2015I Am Your Fatheras Himselfmovie2014The Signalas Sound Designermovie2014And the Oscar Goes To...as Self - Intervieweemovie2014EditDroid: Rise and Fallas Selfmovie2013The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Ozas Selfmovie2013Star Trek Into Darknessas Sound Designermovie2013Escape from Planet Earthas Sound Designermovie2013Lincoln: An American Journeyas Selfmovie2012Lincolnas Sound Designermovie2012009 Re:Cyborgas Sound Designermovie2012John Carteras Sound Designermovie2012Wings: Grandeur in the Skyas Selfmovie2012Red Tailsas Editormovie2012Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Ofas Selfmovie2011Super 8as Supervising Sound Editormovie2009Star Trekas Special Sound Effectsmovie2008WALL·E's Treasures & Trinketsas WALL·E / M-O (voice)movie2008Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Upmovie2008BURN·Eas Sound Designermovie2008RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”as Selfmovie2008WALL·Eas Sound Designermovie2008Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skullas Sound Designermovie2007Fog City Mavericksas Selfmovie2007The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talkas Selfmovie2006Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Iconas Selfmovie2006Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planetas Selfmovie2005Munichas Supervising Sound Editormovie2005Star Wars: Within a Minute - The Making of Episode IIIas Selfmovie2005Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinemaas Selfmovie2005Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithas Sound Designermovie2005George Lucas: Creating an Empireas Selfmovie2004Star Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planetas Storymovie2004Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogyas Self - Sound Designermovie2004When Star Wars Ruled the Worldas Selfmovie2003The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'as Selfmovie2002Films Are Not Released, They Escapeas Selfmovie2002State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'as Selfmovie2002From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'as Selfmovie2002Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clonesas Supervising Sound Editormovie2002Manassas: End of Innocenceas Directormovie2001R2-D2: Beneath the Domeas Selfmovie2000The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapadesas Sound Designermovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deceptionas Editormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desertas Editormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Lifeas Second Unit Directormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocenceas Sound Designermovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Bluesas Second Unit Directormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventureas Second Unit Directormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doomas Second Unit Directormovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evilas Sound Designermovie1999The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hellas Second Unit Directormovie1999Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceas Sound Designermovie1997Star Wars: The Magic & the Mysteryas Selfmovie1996Behind the Scenes with King Kong in Special Effectsas Directormovie1996The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'as Selfmovie1996Special Effects: Anything Can Happenas Directormovie1996The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Fatheras Sound Designermovie1995The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmenas Editormovie1994Destiny in Spaceas Directormovie1992The American Gangsteras Directormovie1991The True Story of Glory Continuesas Directormovie1990Blue Planetas Directormovie1989Alwaysas Sound Designermovie1989Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadeas Sound Designermovie1988Willowas Sound Designermovie1986Howard the Duckas Sound Effects Editormovie1986Star Wars: Droids - The Great Heepas Writermovie1985Star Wars: Droidsas Creatortv1984The Adventures of André and Wally B.as Sound Designermovie1984Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doomas Sound Designermovie1983From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Sagaas Selfmovie1983Return of the Jedias Lyricistmovie1982listen...as Sound Effectsmovie1981Raiders of the Lost Arkas Sound Designermovie