Ben Burtt

Ben Burtt

Sound·Age 77 — born July 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.

AnimationFamilyScience Fiction

32Credits2 TV · 30 films
1975–2021Years activefirst to latest
10.0 Highest ratedSpecial Effects: Anything Can Happen
7.5 Average ratingacross 32 titles

Top TV shows 2best Ben Burtt shows

  1. 1Star Wars Galaxy of Sounds posterStar Wars Galaxy of SoundsSound Designer · 7 eps · 20216.0
  2. 2Star Wars: Droids posterStar Wars: DroidsCreator · Story · 13 eps · 19855.4

Top movies 30best Ben Burtt movies

  1. 1Special Effects: Anything Can Happen posterSpecial Effects: Anything Can HappenDirector · 199610.0
  2. 2The American Gangster posterThe American GangsterDirector · 199210.0
  3. 3Recorded Live posterRecorded LiveSound Re-Recording Mixer · 19758.4
  4. 4The Empire Strikes Back posterThe Empire Strikes BackSound Designer · 19808.4
  5. 5Star Wars posterStar WarsSound Designer · 19778.2
  6. 6Alien posterAlienSound Designer · 19798.2
  7. 7WALL·E posterWALL·EWALL·E / M-O (voice) · 2008 · Animation8.1
  8. 8Manassas: End of Innocence posterManassas: End of InnocenceDirector · 20028.0
  9. 9Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up posterAnimation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up20088.0
  10. 10Raiders of the Lost Ark posterRaiders of the Lost ArkSound Designer · 19817.9
  11. 11Return of the Jedi posterReturn of the Jedi'Freeze' Officer in Endor Bunker / Tortured Power Droid (voice) · 19837.9
  12. 12Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade posterIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeSound Designer · 19897.9
  13. 13BURN·E posterBURN·EWALL·E / M-O (voice) (uncredited) · 20087.5
  14. 14Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith posterStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the SithEditor · Supervising Sound Editor · 20057.5
  15. 15Star Trek posterStar TrekSpecial Sound Effects · 20097.4
  16. 16Star Trek Into Darkness posterStar Trek Into DarknessSound Designer · 20137.3
  17. 17Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom posterIndiana Jones and the Temple of DoomSound Designer · 19847.3
  18. 18Destiny in Space posterDestiny in SpaceDirector · 19947.3
  19. 19Star Wars: The Force Awakens posterStar Wars: The Force AwakensSound Designer · 20157.2
  20. 20Invasion of the Body Snatchers posterInvasion of the Body SnatchersSound Effects Designer · 19787.2
  21. 21Munich posterMunichSound Designer · Supervising Sound Editor · 20057.1
  22. 22Willow posterWillowSound Designer · 19887.0
  23. 23009 Re:Cyborg poster009 Re:CyborgSound Designer · 20127.0
  24. 24Lincoln posterLincolnSound Designer · 20126.8
  25. 25Super 8 posterSuper 8Sound Designer · Supervising Sound Editor · 20116.8
  26. 26The True Story of Glory Continues posterThe True Story of Glory ContinuesDirector · 19916.8
  27. 27Red Tails posterRed TailsEditor · Sound Designer · 20126.6
  28. 28Star Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planet posterStar Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden PlanetStory · 20046.6
  29. 29Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones posterStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesWat Tambor (uncredited) · 20026.6
  30. 30Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace posterStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom MenaceNaboo Courier (uncredited) · 19996.6

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