Ben Burtt
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
2008
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999
Return of the Jedi
1983
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002
LIGHT & MAGIC
2022
LIGHT & MAGIC
2022
Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett
2021
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
2004
BURN·E
2008
Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III
2005
From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II
2002
Filmography
WALL·E
as WALL·E / M-O (voice) · 2008
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
as Naboo Courier (uncredited) · 1999
Return of the Jedi
as 'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice) · 1983
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
as Wat Tambor (uncredited) · 2002
LIGHT & MAGIC
as Self - Sound Designer and Editor · 2022
LIGHT & MAGIC
as Self - Editor · 2022
Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett
as Self · 2021
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
as Self · 2019
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
as Self - Sound Designer · 2004
BURN·E
as WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited) · 2008
Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III
as Self · 2005
From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II
as Self · 2002
The Force of Sound
as Self · 2018
And the Oscar Goes To...
as Self - Interviewee · 2014
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
as Self · 1980
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome
as Self · 2001
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
as Self · 1997
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
as Self · 2008
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
as Self · 2002
When Star Wars Ruled the World
as Self · 2004
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
as Self · 1983
I Am Your Father
as Himself · 2015
The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
as Self · 1996
Star Wars: Music by John Williams
as Self · 1980
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
as Self · 2005
WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets
as WALL·E / M-O (voice) · 2008
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
as Self · 1980
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
as Self · 2013
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
as Self · 2012
Fog City Mavericks
as Self · 2007
Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet
as Self · 2006
Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
as Self · 2007
Lincoln: An American Journey
as Self · 2013
Films Are Not Released, They Escape
as Self · 2002
The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'
as Self · 2003
Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon
as Self · 2006
State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'
as Self · 2002
A Bucket of Water and a Glass Matte
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
as Self · 2007
EditDroid: Rise and Fall
as Self · 2014
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up
· 2008
Jet Jockeys in Love: The Making of CHAIN LIGHTNING ('50)
as Self · 2021
Wings: Grandeur in the Sky
as Self · 2012