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Ben Burtt

Ben Burtt on Revolutionizing Sci-Fi Sound With ‘Star Wars’ and Creating Darth Vader’s Breathing

Ben Burtt created the sound of my childhood. He gets that a lot. “Yeah, I hear that often,” says the legendary sound designer, creator of the lightsabre swish and Darth Vader’s electronic wheezing, the voice of R2-D2, Chewbacca and, for a younger generation, that of Pixar’s WALL-E. “I guess I altered the DNA of a […]

Ben Burtt, the Man Behind the Voices of R2-D2, E.T., and Wall-E, to be Honored at Locarno

Legendary sound designer Ben Burtt, the man behind R2-D2’s beeps, the lightsaber swoosh and Wall-E’s electronic warble, will be honored at this year’s Locarno Film Festival with the Vision Award Ticinomoda, a prize dedicated to creatives whose work has extended the horizons of cinema. A 12-time Oscar nominee, and four-time winner — he received special […]