Ben Burtt
Sound
Biography
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.
As actor 43
WALL·E
2008
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999
Return of the Jedi
1983
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002
LIGHT & MAGIC
2022
BURN·E
2008
Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett
2021
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy
2004
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back
1980
And the Oscar Goes To...
2014
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome
2001
Fog City Mavericks
2007
Within a Minute: The Making of Star Wars Episode III
2005
From Puppets to Pixels: The Making of Star Wars Episode II
2002
I Am Your Father
2015
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga
1983
The Force of Sound
2018
Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon
2006
The Making of 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
1996
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005
Star Wars: Music by John Williams
1980
Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet
2006
WALL·E's Treasures & Trinkets
2008
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
1997
Lincoln: An American Journey
2013
The Making of The Empire Strikes Back
1980
Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001
2007
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
2005
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
2008
Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You Never Heard Of
2012
John James: The Movie
When Star Wars Ruled the World
2004
The Sound of 'Indiana Jones'
2003
The Making of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
2013
State of the Art: The Pre-Visualization of 'Episode II'
2002
Films Are Not Released, They Escape
2002
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
2007
Wings: Grandeur in the Sky
2012
A Bucket of Water and a Glass Matte
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up
2008
EditDroid: Rise and Fall
2014
Jet Jockeys in Love: The Making of CHAIN LIGHTNING ('50)
2021
On the crew 59
WALL·E
2008
Star Wars
1977
Alien
1979
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2015
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
1984
The Empire Strikes Back
1980
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1989
John Carter
2012
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
1999
Star Trek
2009
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2008
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005
Return of the Jedi
1983
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
2002
Star Trek Into Darkness
2013
Star Wars: Droids
1985
Munich
2005
Lincoln
2012
Super 8
2011
Willow
1988
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1978
Escape from Planet Earth
2013
Howard the Duck
1986
The Signal
2014
Always
1989
Ray Gunn
2026
BURN·E
2008
More American Graffiti
1979
Red Tails
2012
The Star Wars Holiday Special
1978
Death Race 2000
1975
009 Re:Cyborg
2012
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evil
1999
Star Wars Galaxy of Sounds
2021
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father
1996
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Trenches of Hell
1999
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventure
1999
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Attack of the Hawkmen
1995
The Adventures of André and Wally B.
1984
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Phantom Train of Doom
1999
Star Wars: Droids - Treasure of the Hidden Planet
2004
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Demons of Deception
1999
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Mystery of the Blues
1999
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence
1999
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert
1999
Blue Planet
1990
Recorded Live
1975
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades
2000
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Oganga, the Giver and Taker of Life
1999
Star Wars: Droids - The Great Heep
1986
Destiny in Space
1994
listen...
1982
Special Effects: Anything Can Happen
1996
The American Gangster
1992
The True Story of Glory Continues
1991
Manassas: End of Innocence
2002
Porklips Now
1980
Behind the Scenes with King Kong in Special Effects
1996