Ben Burtt
Born: 1948-07-12 in Jamesville, New York, USA
Known For: 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.
Filmography
2022
- LIGHT & MAGIC as Self - Sound Designer and Editor
2021
- Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett as Self
- Star Wars Galaxy of Sounds ... (Sound Designer)
2019
2018
- The Force of Sound as Self
2015
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens ... (Sound Designer)
- I Am Your Father as Himself
2014
- The Signal ... (Sound Designer)
- And the Oscar Goes To... as Self - Interviewee
- EditDroid: Rise and Fall as Self
2013
- Star Trek Into Darkness ... (Sound Designer)
- Escape from Planet Earth ... (Sound Designer)
- The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Self
- Lincoln: An American Journey as Self
2012
- John Carter ... (Sound Designer)
- Lincoln ... (Sound Designer)
- Red Tails ... (Sound Designer)
- 009 Re:Cyborg ... (Sound Designer)
- Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of as Self
- Wings: Grandeur in the Sky as Self
2011
- Super 8 ... (Sound Designer)
2009
- Star Trek ... (Special Sound Effects)
2008
- WALL·E as WALL·E / M-O (voice)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ... (Sound Designer)
- BURN·E as WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited)
- Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up
- RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World” as Self
- WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets as WALL·E / M-O (voice)
2007
- Fog City Mavericks as Self
- The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk as Self
2006
2005
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ... (Editor)
- Munich ... (Sound Designer)
- George Lucas: Creating an Empire as Self
- Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema as Self
- Star Wars: Within a Minute - The Making of Episode III as Self
2004
- Star Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planet ... (Story)
- When Star Wars Ruled the World as Self
- Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy as Self - Sound Designer
2003
- The Sound of 'Indiana Jones' as Self
2002
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones ... (Editor)
- From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II' as Self
- Films Are Not Released, They Escape as Self
- State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II' as Self
- Manassas: End of Innocence ... (Director)
2001
- R2-D2: Beneath the Dome as Self
2000
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades ... (Sound Designer)
1999
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as Naboo Courier (uncredited)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell ... (Editor)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life ... (Editor)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doom ... (Second Unit Director)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues ... (Second Unit Director)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception ... (Editor)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert ... (Editor)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventure ... (Second Unit Director)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evil ... (Sound Designer)
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence ... (Sound Designer)
1997
1996
- The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father ... (Sound Designer)
- The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' as Self
- Special Effects: Anything Can Happen ... (Director)
- Behind the Scenes with King Kong in Special Effects ... (Director)
1995
- Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen ... (Writer)
1994
- Destiny in Space ... (Director)
1992
- The American Gangster ... (Director)
1991
- The True Story of Glory Continues ... (Director)
1990
- Blue Planet ... (Director)
1989
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ... (Sound Designer)
- Always ... (Sound Designer)
1988
- Willow ... (Sound Designer)
1986
- Howard the Duck ... (Sound Effects Editor)
- Star Wars: Droids - The Great Heep ... (Associate Producer)
1985
- Star Wars: Droids ... (Story)
1984
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ... (Sound Designer)
- The Adventures of André and Wally B. ... (Sound Designer)
1983
- Return of the Jedi as 'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice)
- From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga as Self
1982
- listen... ... (Sound Effects)
1981
- Raiders of the Lost Ark ... (Sound Designer)
1980
- The Empire Strikes Back ... (Sound Designer)
- Porklips Now ... (Military Consultant)
- The Making of The Empire Strikes Back as Self
- Star Wars: Music by John Williams as Self
1979
- Alien ... (Sound Designer)
- More American Graffiti ... (Supervising Sound Editor)
1978
- The Star Wars Holiday Special ... (Sound Effects)
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers ... (Sound Effects Designer)
- The Story of the Faithful Wookiee ... (Editor)
1977
- Star Wars ... (Sound Designer)
1975
- Death Race 2000 ... (Sound Designer)
- Recorded Live ... (Sound Re-Recording Mixer)