Ben Burtt

Ben Burtt (born Benjamin Burtt, Jr.) was born on July 12, 1948 in Jamesville, New York, US.   Burtt was making films from 1958 to 1963 at the 'Thrill Factory', albeit for friends and family, and had always had an ear for sound.  He recorded and re-recorded sounds that he liked from his favorite shows on TV.

Burtt attended Nottingham High School (Syracuse, NY) and then Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, US and graduated in 1970, majoring in physics (both of his parents taught college level science), but he was still making films as a sideline hobby.  It was in that same year his 'hobby', a film called Yankee Squadron, won the National Student Film Festival.  Additionally another one of his films, Genesis, garnered Burtt a scholarship to USC's school of Cinema-Television.  

In 1973 Burtt worked with fellow USC alum Robert Zemeckis on Field of Honor as the stunt coordinator and sound man.  It was the first sound project other than his own films.  He also worked with another USC alum, Richard L. Anderson, they found part-time outside work as sound editors, on trailers and for Roger Corman and for Russ Meyer and others.  At the time nobody was really into doing sound work so they were able to find quite a few jobs.

His original plan for USC was to become a director but during one summer session Burtt was offered an opportunity to catalogue sounds for the students.  The library to be catalogued were mostly old RKO and Republic films and sound archives inherited by USC  the path of sound irresistible and spent much of his time in the sound department, and was a teacher's assistant there as well as a projectionist for the student cinema (the main hum of a lightsaber comes from the recorded sound of the projectors in the booth he worked in there).  He graduated from USC in 1975 earning a Master's Degree in Film Production.  Just about a week after getting his Masters, Gary Kurtz and George Lucas hired him, a replacement for Walter Murch, onto the Star Wars project for sound, he spent a year recording organic sounds to be used for the film.

Burtt is the man who coined the term 'Sound Designer', the job was really a combination of sound recordist, sound editor and sound mixer.   All of those jobs had people who did ONLY what their titles suggested, whereas when hired to work on Star Wars, Burtt found that he was doing bits of each and more so he gave the position a name.

Burtt worked for Lucas and Lucasfilm from 1975 until 1990 when he set off on his own, got out of the dark environs of the sound department and started to explore other avenues of film that interested him.  Directing, editing and producing heading the list.

 

 

Film Actor

King Kong~1933 (DVD release 2005) - Himself (documentary: RKO PRODUCTION 601: THE MAKING OF KONG - EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD)

Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema~2005 - (V Ben Hur) Himself

Behind the Tunes - Crash! Bang! Boom!: The Wild Sounds of Treg Brown~2004 - (V)  Himself

Birth of the Lightsaber, The~2004 - (V)  - Himself

Films Are Not Released, They Escape~2002 - (V)  - Himself

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 (uncredited) -  Naboo Courier

From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga~1985 (V) -  Himself

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi - voice of Jabba the Hutt/Officer on Endor in bunker "Freeze!"

Star Wars~1977 - R2-D2/Jawas/Red 11 (voice 'Red Eleven, standing by')

 

Film Director

Chassis~2006

Manassas: End of Innocence~2002

Special Effects: Anything Can Happen<IMAX: Special Effects>~1996 (see Actor Connections - Film)

Destiny in Space~1994

American Gangster, The~1992

True Story of Glory Continues, The~1991

Blue Planet~1990

Adventures of Young Indiana Jones~1992 - (20 episodes - second unit director)

 

Film Editor

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith~2005

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones~2002

Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: The Trenches of Hell, The~1999 (V)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999

Special Effects: Anything Can Happen~1996

Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert, The~1992 (V)

True Story of Glory Continues, The~1991

 

Film Special Effects

Milpitas Monster, The~1975 (special effects) You can buy a copy HERE

 

Film Sound

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith~2005 (post-production) (sound)

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones~2002 (sound designer) (supervising sound editor)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 (sound designer) (supervising sound editor)

Blue Planet~1990 (sound re-recording mixer)

Always~1989 (sound designer) (sound re-recording mixer)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade~1989 (sound designer) (sound re-recording mixer)

Willow~1988 (sound designer) (sound re-recording mixer) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Howard the Duck~1986 (sound effects editor) (sound re-recording mixer) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Dream Is Alive, The~1985 (sound designer)

Adventures of André and Wally B., The~1984 (sound designer)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom~1984) (sound designer) (sound re-recording mixer)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi~1983 (sound designer)

Dark Crystal, The~1982 (sound designer) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Raiders of the Lost Ark~1981 (sound designer) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back~1980 (sound designer) (supervising sound effects editor)

More American Graffiti~1979 (supervising sound editor) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers~1978) (special sound effects)

Star Wars~1977 (sound designer) (special edition) (special dialogue and sound effects)

Field of Honor~1973 (sound recordist)

 

Film Other

Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy~2003 (V) (special thanks)

Alien Legacy, The~1999 (V) (archival material)

Wow!~1990 (V) (creative consultant)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi~1983 (lyricist: Ewokese lyrics)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial~1982 (E.T.'s voice design) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Porklips Now~1980 (military advisor)

Field of Honor~1973 (stunt coordinator)

 

TV Actor

Wall*E~2008 - main roles to be "voiced" electronically by Burtt

 

TV Director

Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen~1995 

 

TV Editor

Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen~1995 

Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The~1992  (episode Palestine, October 1917) (episode Somme, Early August 1916) (episode Verdun, September 1916)

 

TV Sound

Star Wars: Clone Wars~2003  (original sound effects)

 

TV Writer

Droids~1985 - 

    Tale of Roon Comets 11/9/85

    Roon Games 11/16/85

    Across the Roon Sea 11/23/85

    Frozen Citadel, The 11/30/85

    Great Heep, The (Parts 1 & 2) 6/7/86

    

Books

Star Wars Galactic Phrase Book & Travel Guide: A Language Guide to the Galaxy~2001

 

Video Games Sound

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter~2002  (original sound effects)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars~2002  (original star wars sound effects)

 

Awards, Honors and Nominations

Academy Awards

Nom 2000 Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (shared)

Nom 1997 Best Documentary, Short Subjects for Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (shared)

Rec'd 1990 Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (shared)

Nom 1990 Best Sound for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (shared)

Nom 1989 Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing for Willow (shared)

Nom 1984 Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Nom 1984 Best Sound for Star Wars: episode VI - Return of the Jedi (shared)

Rec'd 1983 Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (shared)

Rec'd 1982 Special Achievement Award - Sound Effects Editing for Raiders of the Lost Ark (shared)

Rec'd 1978 Special Achievement Award - Sound Effects (alien, creature, robot voices) for Star Wars

Allegheny College:

Rec'd 2004 Honorary Doctorate

BAFTA Awards:

Nom 2000 Best Sound for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (shared)

Nom 1990 Best Sound for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (shared)

Nom 1985 Best Sound for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (shared)

Nom 1984 Best Sound for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (shared)

Nom 1982 Best Sound for Raiders of the Lost Ark (shared)

Nom 1981 Best Sound for Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back (shared)

Rec'd 1979 Best Sound for Star Wars (shared)

DVD Exclusive Awards

Nom 2001 Video Premiere Award Best Audio Commentary for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (shared)

Golden Satellite Awards

Rec'd 2005 Best Sound Mixing and Editing for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Motion Picture Sound Editors Awards

Nom 2003 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Domestic Features: Sound Effects/Foley for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (shared)

Nom 2000 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Dialogue and ADR for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (shared)

Nom 2000 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing - Effects & Foley for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (shared)

Online Film Critics Society Awards

Nom 2003 Best Sound for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (shared)

His first thoughts on Star Wars, while making the film: ""gee, well, if this comes out good the fans, those few people who like science fiction, will like it." Maybe if we’re really lucky, I mean my fantasy was if it really comes out good we might get invited to a Star Trek convention, we could post a little table there. And I thought that was the ultimate goal.""

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