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Ben Burtt makes an incredible career shift!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with an interesting tidbit about the man who invented many of the sounds that I'd argue helped make STAR WARS the phenomenon it is... just as much as Williams' music and Lucas' vision. Can you imagine a world without sound man Ben Burtt? Would STAR WARS have worked without the lightsabers having their distinctive hum? Would Chewbacca have worked? What about that distinctive TIE fighter screeching? Would we have had canned blaster fire? Would Vader have been as cool without Burtt's innovation about putting a microphone inside of a scuba tank, resulting in his mechanical breathing, one of THE most recognizable pieces of sound in the history of cinema?
Well, it seems Mr. Burtt has left Lucasfilm for the light and divinity of Pixar. I can't wait to see what new sounds he can come up with that bunch... but I'm sure it'll be a radically different experience from what he's done in the past... What does this mean for INDIANA JONES 4? His work on the Indy series is important... I don't know if guns have sounded cooler than the ones wielded by Indiana Jones and his enemies... Not to mention the whip.
CLICK HERE FOR WHERE THE FULL STORY USED TO BE... LOOK BELOW FOR A COPY AND PASTE OF THE ARTICLE THAT ORIGINALLY RAN FULLY HERE!
Twenty-nine years and 10 months.
No one else besides "Star Wars" creator George Lucas has spent so much time in a galaxy far, far away, up close and personal with Jedi knights, storm troopers, wise old Yoda and those delightful droids R2-D2 and C-3PO as Ben Burtt Jr.
The Syracuse native, who has been sound designer on all six "Star Wars" films, refers to it as his "tour of duty." Almost fresh out of film school with a couple of assignments with low-budget, high-profile filmmakers Roger Corman and Russ Meyer, he was plucked by Lucas for the original "Star Wars."
Through nearly three decades, Burtt also has been in the thick of the progress and process of cinema, from the digital revolution to what is termed "pre-visualization." Ahead of filming, Burtt and fellow technicians film a mock scene which can be shown to Lucas, the cinematographers and camera operators to orient them to the sequence.
With "Sith," Burtt says in a recent phone interview, these small films would be watched by the actors as they played out a scene. This process, he says, gave them a keener sense of the action, rather than simply acting against blue screen before computer-generated characters and scenes were added.
It is over now and Burtt, who has won four Oscars for sound effects editing and creature and robot voice creation, is moving on. He is joining Pixar Animation. It is, he says, time for a fresh wind to blow.
"George hasn't announced officially what his next projects are," he says. At Lucasfilm, almost everyone works from project to project. The "Star Wars" adventures have guaranteed three years' employment, but nothing past that. Besides, Burtt admits, "The last few years have been frustrating, so I was at a point of change. But I had no official plan."
Yet, the time had come for a new challenge and Pixar came calling. He terms it "the most attractive" of his offers. One reason, Burtt chose Pixar was its Bay Area location. The filmmaker has long been a resident of Northern California not far from Lucas' headquarters at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County and its allied operations. Burtt had no desire to pack up for Hollywood.
More significantly, the sound designer and film editor knew many of the Pixar folks. He recalls that many of the Pixar honchos had been Lucas employees when it was a small division of Lucasfilm.
"I had an office just down from them. We were the big shots," he says with a chuckle.
Soon Lucas sold the operation to Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer. Eventually that business became Pixar, which turned out the blockbusters "Finding Nemo," "Toy Story" flicks and "Monsters, Inc."
This week, after a brief break for R & R, the 56-year-old joins that firm. It will not be his first experience with animation.
When the now-Pixar cohorts were working down the hall at Lucasfilm, they persuaded Burtt to try his hand. The result was "The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.," the tale of a bulbous-nosed android named Wally and a persistent bee, the other title creature. Words of wifely wisdom Wives are often said to be the severest critics of their husbands' work. Just ask Burtt. A couple of weeks ago, the co-editor of "Revenge of the Sith" showed a finished print at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. He was worried about its reception and that it might not satisfy fans. He confided his concerns to his wife, Peg. But, after the screening, he was heartened at the cheers and applause the film received. Burtt says, "Peg (in her first look), who is not a 'Star Wars' fan, told me, 'I really can't trust you, Ben.' " Bet that it came as his greatest compliment.
- Joan E. Vadeboncoeur,
staff writer
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Jun 01, 2005 1:49:34 AM CDT
Assuming this post doesn't get eaten by the DNS monster, Ben
by tall_boy
kind of a geek in the interviews, but he came up with a good quip or two in R2-D2 behind the dome.
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How many of the same sounds can you point out from the Indy and Star Wars trilogy. Lucasfilm will manage.
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yeah one more time
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Ben Burtt rocks ... as duz Pistol Opera ... www.pistolopera.com
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One of the highlights of the EP1 dvd was Burtts face. His obvious annoyance and frustration at Lucas and his cut and paste digital editing techniques and the look he gave after the first test screening was priceless.
He seems to feel the same way about them that we do...which may say more about him leaving than that article did?
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Jun 01, 2005 3:11:41 AM CDT
I hope that Ben Burtt and Brad Bird Be Brewin' Something Tog
by cokemachineglow
The most amusing bit on the Empire DVD commentary for me was Burtt talking about when it first came out and all the dissapointed fan boys who didnt feel the film met their expectations. Some things never change. Anyhow, Ben Burtt rocks - I dont think theres ever been movie sound design thats more memorable or that brought more character to everything in the world of the film than in the Star Wars series.
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I haven't clicked on the talkback yet, but I bet I'm around the 7th person to call FIRST! "This is temporary." They should make it permanent! Watching all these jerks type FIRST is hilarious!
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He talked way too much - it was either him talking about crap, or Lucas talking in a way that makes it clear he has no idea why Star Wars is good.
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Ben Burtt, along with Ralph McQuarrie have to be the unsung heroes of the 'Star Wars' odyssey. I wish Ben the best, I'm sure he'll continue to be brilliant, original and highly specific with his sound creations at Pixar.
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Then this totally means the SW TV show will be DOOMED!!! Wait, its ok, it already was.
The sound effects are the BEST part of the originals. I can't imagine the same guy worked on the new ones. All the fx just sound off and wrong in so many ways. Like the annoying hacking of Grievous (that name suits). He's about as awesome as JarJar! -
What, if it ever gets made you mean?
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Jun 01, 2005 5:49:06 AM CDT
Burtt admits, "The last few years have been frustrating..."
by xavier masterson
For all of us, Ben, for all of us...
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When I read that title I thought the news would be that he'd given up the world of film for puppeteering...
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Ben Burtt has make some get sound effects in the past, but his moving on to editing was a terrible idea. John William
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You haven't picked up on the fact that he did the sounds for the Indiana Jones films, have you? Try reading through things, before you show yourself up as knowing NOTHING about Ben Burrt - the guy is responsible for some of cinema's most memorable moments of the last 30 years - get a clue.
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Do you think that is Burrt's way of saying that he thought the prequels sucked? I wish the article had clarified that - why quote him saying that, but not question him further about what he means? Interesting news, but a badly written article - "Bet that it came as his greatest compliment.", anyone? Oh, and DancingFool: why did you think that? Pixar mnade the incredibles, I thought it was fairly obvious. Get a clue.
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Hope they find a good replacement for him for when they do the star wars tv shows... not that i am sure if they will be any good without even a cameo by a main actor or a hint of vader...? Anyone know where they might be heading with the tv shows? i am guessing the bothian spies and the death star plans might feature but what else? greedo ? captain panaka? no idea hope they got somethign good else i cannot see it working. BTW have to ask this quesion as I was pointed to this website www.supershadow.com no way that is lucas scripts on 7,8 and 9 can't be but its interesting nonetheless whoever wrote them f you want a star wars fix that is!
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The sounds he created in the first Star Wars trilogy are some of the best ever.The best part of Attack Of The Clones was the sound effect when Jango lays the charges in the asteroid field(sad isn't it =>).Lucasfilms loss is Pixars gain.BTW did Ralph Mcquarie have any input into the new star wars films?.He is the first person I would've phoned for designs.
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I guess he won't be doing sound for the Star Wars TV Show so. Bummer.
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but Pixar's sound is already always pretty good. Given, sound effects in general have been influenced by this guy. Don't think it'll have a huge impact, but hey, it's not a bad thing.
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just thought I'd be the ninth person to call first...Anyway Lucasfilm already has a giant database of Ben Burtt sound effects from both trilogies, so I don't think it really matters if he's gone.
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Jun 01, 2005 10:20:18 AM CDT
The ship sound effects in all the new films were kind of annoyin
by reverendz
Almost every ship engine had a modulating choo-choo-choo sound in it. Compare it to the sleek roar of the tie fighters in the originals. If you listen, almost every machine effect has some kind of modulation on it. Chug chug chug. It kind of gets old.
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The lady cannot write. And she further demonstrates her ignorance by stating that Luke killed Vader. WTF? Horrible article.
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"Twenty-nine years and 10 months." Wow, that's pretty intriguing.
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Good for him!!!!!!!!! good luck Ben!
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You are 100% right. Ben, while a great sound effects man, was given alittle too much control from "Return of the Jedi" on to the present trilogy. Williams music was always dialed down (or omitted) in favor of his sound effects. I love Burtt's work, but he'll always be third on the totem pole after Lucas and Williams for me. Try a test: play some of Williams action cues while watching the speeder bike chase in "Jedi" and see for yourself. Dark Knight out.
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Dennis Muren has to get third place.
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Watch Being John Malcovich and get back to me.
*sigh* -
The "Bwaaang" electric guitar sounds in the asteroid belt in AOTC. And dialing down Williams isn't a bad idea these days, since he seems to be running out of juice - he's gone from writing huge layered symphonic melodies to repetitive 2 bar phrases.
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"I can't trust you" what?...
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Thought it rocked too. What's your point? That every time you see the words "incredible career shift" you think of BJM? Well, that's your problem, isn't it?
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That's just what Jesus said sir!
(It was a joke, dude) -
Liphook, Dark Knight lite -- spot on. I'm not sure who deserves more of the blame for the hatchet job on Williams' music, though -- Lucas or Burtt.
And yes, I don't like the new ship sounds either, or the creature sounds. -
That was like my favorite part of Episode II. Props, Ben Burtt. Props.
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Jun 03, 2005 9:05:56 AM CDT
Are you sure he's going to do sound at Pixar? They also hir
by minderbinder
I wouldn't be surprised if Burtt is going to be doing something other than sound there. Well, thank goodness for Randy Thom. Burtt has made some cool sounds, but I've liked Thom and Rydstrom's work better.
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