- Known For
- Sound
- Born
- July 12, 1948
- Place of Birth
- Jamesville, New York, USA
Ben Burtt
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
movieRay Gunn
2026 · Sound Designer
tvLIGHT & MAGIC
2022 · Self - Sound Designer and Editor, Self - Editor
movieUnder the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett
2021 · Self
tvStar Wars Galaxy of Sounds
2021 · Sound Designer
movieJet Jockeys in Love: The Making of CHAIN LIGHTNING ('50)
2021 · Self
movieMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019 · Self
movieThe Force of Sound
2018 · Self
movieStar Wars: The Force Awakens
2015 · Sound Designer
movieI Am Your Father
2015 · Himself
movieThe Signal
2014 · Sound Designer
movieAnd the Oscar Goes To...
2014 · Self - Interviewee
movieEditDroid: Rise and Fall
2014 · Self
movieThe Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
2013 · Self
movieStar Trek Into Darkness
2013 · Sound Designer
movieEscape from Planet Earth
2013 · Sound Designer
movieLincoln: An American Journey
2013 · Self
movieLincoln
2012 · Sound Designer
movie009 Re:Cyborg
2012 · Sound Designer
movieJohn Carter
2012 · Sound Designer
movieWings: Grandeur in the Sky
2012 · Self
movieRed Tails
2012 · Sound Designer, Editor
movieMichael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
2012 · Self
movieSuper 8
2011 · Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
movieStar Trek
2009 · Special Sound Effects
movieWALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets
2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice)
movieAnimation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up
2008
movieBURN·E
2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited), Sound Designer
movieRKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
2008 · Self
movieWALL·E
2008 · WALL·E / M-O (voice), Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
movieIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2008 · Sound Designer
movieFog City Mavericks
2007 · Self
movieStanding on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
2007 · Self
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
movieThe Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
2007 · Self
movieRobby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon
2006 · Self
movieAmazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet
2006 · Self
movieMunich
2005 · Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
movieStar Wars: Within a Minute - The Making of Episode III
2005 · Self
movieBen-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005 · Self
movieStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005 · Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
movieGeorge Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005 · Self
movieStar Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planet
2004 · Story
movieEmpire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
2004 · Self - Sound Designer
movieWhen Star Wars Ruled the World
2004 · Self
movieThe Sound of 'Indiana Jones'
2003 · Self
movieFilms Are Not Released, They Escape
2002 · Self
movieState of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'
2002 · Self
movieFrom Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'
2002 · Self
movieStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002 · Wat Tambor (uncredited), Editor, Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
movieManassas: End of Innocence
2002 · Director
movieR2-D2: Beneath the Dome
2001 · Self
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades
2000 · Sound Designer
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception
1999 · Editor
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert
1999 · Editor
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life
1999 · Editor, Second Unit Director
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence
1999 · Sound Designer
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues
1999 · Second Unit Director
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventure
1999 · Second Unit Director
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doom
1999 · Second Unit Director
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evil
1999 · Sound Designer
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
1999 · Editor, Second Unit Director
movieStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999 · Naboo Courier (uncredited), Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
movieStar Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997 · Self
movieBehind the Scenes with King Kong in Special Effects
1996 · Director
movieThe Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
1996 · Self
movieSpecial Effects: Anything Can Happen
1996 · Director
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father
1996 · Sound Designer
movieThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen
1995 · Director, Writer, Editor
movieDestiny in Space
1994 · Director
movieThe American Gangster
1992 · Director
movieThe True Story of Glory Continues
1991 · Director
movieBlue Planet
1990 · Director
movieAlways
1989 · Sound Designer
movieIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989 · Sound Designer
movieWillow
1988 · Sound Designer
movieHoward the Duck
1986 · Sound Re-Recording Mixer, Sound Effects Editor
movieStar Wars: Droids - The Great Heep
1986 · Associate Producer, Writer
tvStar Wars: Droids
1985 · Story, Creator
movieThe Adventures of André and Wally B.
1984 · Sound Designer
movieIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984 · Sound Designer
movieFrom Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
1983 · Self
movieReturn of the Jedi
1983 · 'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice), Sound Designer, Lyricist
movielisten...
1982 · Sound Effects
movieRaiders of the Lost Ark
1981 · Sound Designer
moviePorklips Now
1980 · Military Consultant
movieThe Making of The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Self
movieSP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Self
movieThe Empire Strikes Back
1980 · Sound Designer
movieStar Wars: Music by John Williams
1980 · Self
movieMore American Graffiti
1979 · Supervising Sound Editor
movieAlien
1979 · Sound Designer
movieInvasion of the Body Snatchers
1978 · Sound Effects Designer
movieThe Star Wars Holiday Special
1978 · Sound Effects
movieStar Wars
1977 · Sound Designer
movieDeath Race 2000
1975 · Sound Designer
movieRecorded Live
1975 · Sound Re-Recording Mixer
A Bucket of Water and a Glass Matte
movieA Bucket of Water and a Glass Matte
—