Ben Burtt

Sound·Jul 12, 1948·Jamesville, New York, USA

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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.

Film	Credit
Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett2021 · Self	Self
Jet Jockeys in Love: The Making of CHAIN LIGHTNING ('50)2021 · Self	Self
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound2019 · Self	Self
The Force of Sound2018 · Self	Self
I Am Your Father2015 · Himself	Himself
And the Oscar Goes To...2014 · Self - Interviewee	Self - Interviewee
EditDroid: Rise and Fall2014 · Self	Self
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz2013 · Self	Self
Lincoln: An American Journey2013 · Self	Self
Wings: Grandeur in the Sky2012 · Self	Self
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of2012 · Self	Self
WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice)	WALL·E / M-O (voice)
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up2008 · Actor	Actor
BURN·E2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited)	WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited)
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”2008 · Self	Self
WALL·E2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice)	WALL·E / M-O (voice)
Fog City Mavericks2007 · Self	Self
Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 20012007 · Self	Self
TThe Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk2007 · Self	Self
Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon2006 · Self	Self
Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet2006 · Self	Self
Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III2005 · Self	Self
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema2005 · Self	Self
George Lucas: Creating an Empire2005 · Self	Self
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy2004 · Self - Sound Designer	Self - Sound Designer
When Star Wars Ruled the World2004 · Self	Self
The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'2003 · Self	Self
Films Are Not Released, They Escape2002 · Self	Self
State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'2002 · Self	Self
From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II2002 · Self	Self
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones2002 · Wat Tambor (uncredited)	Wat Tambor (uncredited)
Manassas: End of Innocence2002 · Director	Director
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome2001 · Self	Self
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace1999 · Naboo Courier (uncredited)	Naboo Courier (uncredited)
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery1997 · Self	Self
Behind the Scenes with King Kong in Special Effects1996 · Director	Director
The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'1996 · Self	Self
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen1996 · Director	Director
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen1995 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Destiny in Space1994 · Director	Director
The American Gangster1992 · Director	Director
The True Story of Glory Continues1991 · Director	Director
Blue Planet1990 · Director	Director
Star Wars: Droids - The Great Heep1986 · Writer	Writer
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga1983 · Self	Self
Return of the Jedi1983 · 'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice)	'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice)
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back1980 · Self	Self
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back1980 · Self	Self