The Art of Sound: Ben Burtt's Aural Universe Creating a Sound Universe Ben Burtt Jr was invited to look at the concept art for Star Wars before filmin
The Art of Sound: Ben Burtt’s Aural Universe
Creating a Sound Universe
Ben Burtt Jr was invited to look at the concept art for Star Wars before filming began. As he examined the artwork, he says he heard the lightsaber as much as saw it – it was the sound of a film projector. "I was a projectionist at a theatre," he says. "I could hear a projector motor – not when it’s running the movie, but as it sat still: a musical humming. Fifty per cent of the lightsaber is that projector. I mixed it in with the buzz of a television tube." So when you hear one of Burtt’s most famous sound effects, you are listening to cinema.
From Film to Fantasy
Yet it’s only one part of an amazing aural universe that Burtt has created, as instantly recognisable as John Williams’ theme music. Where would Star Wars be without the sound of Han Solo’s blaster – made by hitting a high-tension wire with a hammer? Or the plaintive yowls of Chewbacca – a melange of vocalisations and animal recordings? The voice of R2-D2 is Burtt himself. "I was trying keyboards with electronic effects, and it didn’t have life. It wasn’t coming from something alive; something that was thinking. It’s only when I was able to channel a voice element into it that it changed. It’s about 50% vocal, 50% electronic."
A Life of Sound
Burtt’s first job was recording the sounds of engines for Death Race 2000, produced by the late Roger Corman. "I was a film student at the time. There was work to be had at low-budget studios if you could operate a Nagra recorder – a Swiss recorder, the beautiful, most coveted machine of all time. A friend, Richard Anderson – later, we did Raiders of the Lost Ark – got a job supplying sounds for movie trailers, and Joe Dante was the editor cutting the trailer. He showed me the imagery, and I started recording things for the cars – mostly airplanes. Because they were unusual sounds, they started using them in the feature as well. So it came backwards through the trailer into the feature."
Experimentation and Performance
During our conversation, Burtt physically or vocally performs many of his sound effects. He also gives me a spot on impersonation of Joe Dante, as well as WALL-E, the titular robot from the hit Pixar movie. "As a sound person, the most useful sounds are ones you perform, not just vocally but also with props like a foley artist. If you have a squeaky door knob, you perform with it because you’re trying to get a feeling into it. I’m alone in the studio for weeks at a time. So I’m an experimenter. If I want to test something, I’m not going to bring an actor to try it right away. I love trying it myself. I’m an old ham."
Cross-Pollination
Often work for one project would find new life elsewhere: "Ridley wanted the sound of a transmission beacon coming through space, this repeating distress signal to run for the first 20 minutes of the movie, as if it’s pulling you in. I tried many different things and he didn’t buy any of them. So I ended up with tapes of this interesting unused material. Then Raiders of the Lost Ark came along, I pulled out one of my favourites, and it became the sound of the ghosts coming out of the Ark of the Covenant. Don’t tell Ridley!"
Conclusion
Ben Burtt’s life has been a journey of experimentation and performance, of creating a rich aural universe that has brought iconic sounds to some of the most beloved films of all time. From the lightsaber to R2-D2’s voice, every sound effect is a testament to his unique approach to sound design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What inspired you to get into sound design?
A: I was always fascinated by the sounds around me and the way they could be manipulated to create something new.
Q: How do you approach sound design for a film?
A: I try to experiment and push the boundaries of what is possible with sound. I believe that the most useful sounds are the ones that come from performance, whether it’s vocal or physical.
Q: What’s your favorite sound effect that you’ve created?
A: I think it’s the lightsaber sound from Star Wars. It’s a combination of the projector motor and the buzz of a television tube that has become iconic in popular culture.
Q: How do you collaborate with directors and other filmmakers?
A: I work closely with them to understand their vision and then experiment with different sounds to bring it to life. I’m always looking for ways to push the boundaries of what is possible with sound.
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