PERSONAL HERO: Ben Burtt - Sound Designer

Apr 10, 2007 | 6:33 AM PST
Tags: Ben Burtt, sound design, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, USC, sound effects, Fox Studios, editing, sound mixing, John Williams
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“It’s an intimidating thing to introduce the man who invented your profession,” observed Andrew Plain, sound designer, in welcoming Ben Burtt of Lucasfilm fame to the stage. It was Burtt who developed the sound universes for the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, among other classics. A master in his field. He'd come to Fox Studios, Sydney, to work on the new Star Wars trilogy, thankfully taking an evening out to talk to the local filmmaking community.

The weird thing about this (to me) famous man is he isn’t intimidating at all. Actually, Ben Burtt is funny. Self-deprecating. This, after all, is a fella who created the now famous blaster sounds in Star Wars by going round tapping the cables on flagpoles. Made Jabba The Hutt speak by mixing the stirring of cold mashed potato with sounds from his wife who had flu. Here’s a lateral thinker. And someone who knows the importance of play.

Ben started making his own films with friends when he was 10 to 15 years old. He called this little creative enterprise “The Thrill Factory”. By 1975 he was just finishing his Masters in Film Production at USC (George Lucas’s old film school) when Gary Kurtz called to ask if anyone there had an interest in Sound Design. They were looking for a replacement for Walter Murch. Ben Burtt’s name was put forward, and soon he was working on Star Wars. There was a great deal of angst that this movie would be too abstract to appeal- that no one would understand it- a feeling which lingered even after its release.

The idea of a single “Sound Designer” was new. Indeed, that title still isn’t officially recognised. Back in ’77 in Hollywood, Production Recordists would pass their stuff to Sound Editors who would then pass it on to the Sound Mixers without much communication. What Ben Burtt and Walter Murch did was combine the roles of editor and mixer, and record many new sounds for the project. They created the whine of the Tie Fighters by mixing an elephant scream with the swoosh of a car passing by on a very wet highway. Chewbacca was voiced by a cinnamon bear named “Pooh” left for a couple of days without food: they recorded him saying “I’m hungry” and mixed it with a few other animal sounds. 

It isn’t arbitrary, though. Ben explains there’s “a language of sound effects,” a series of conventions you learn, as with pictures. “You can choose a wind that’s cold and lonely or one that’s warm and friendly” thus sound can emotionally spin a scene. Your sounds go in to make an impression, not to be realistic, so “distortion can be your friend.” For example, rocket engines sound more powerful when you add some overload distortion from a cheap microphone. There are styles to soundtracks, just as with painting. He keeps wishing he’d be asked to work on something subtle and quiet- but it never seems to happen.

The creation of a soundtrack begins with production recording. Performances tend to be better, more natural and spontaneous in the dialogue recorded on-set, and stray noises like footsteps can also be useful. However, they usually need to be re-recorded later to get it clean: looping for dialogue, foley for footsteps and other immediate sounds.  

Next comes Ben’s main area of interest: the sound effects layer. The basis for any sound editor is a library of sound, whether you assemble it yourself (like Ben) or buy it (e.g. “Sound Ideas” which is huge). This is what you draw on. Most of his collection consists of real acoustic sounds recorded out in the field, and one of Lucas’s great projects was sending them out between movies to build up the library. It’s important to a sound where you record it, and for getting those great echoes on the gunshots in the Indiana Jones films, he goes to Lone Pine, California, which is his “acoustic playground.” Lately, his assistant has been walking round Sydney with a DAT recorder, picking up sounds like the tall ship Batavia creaking at dock. But only on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series did Ben get the chance to go out and record sounds specifically, building up customised libraries just for those films. For each Star Wars, he undertakes 1,000 separate recording projects.     

The original Star Wars took 3 months of sound editing, giving them finished but separate tracks. Mixing these into a unified whole took another 12 weeks. That’s a long time, but “it’s nothing that comes fast or easy.” However tight the deadline, Ben has found it always ends up taking 12 person-weeks to mix a movie right. If the timeline’s compressed down to 10 or 6 weeks, you end up simply working more hours, or needing to put on more people. So time must be set aside, things can’t be rushed: it requires careful changes to balance the effects against the music, which is such an important relationship. It’s a process of subtraction: you choose what to show on the soundtrack, what not to. An example of this is the soundscape in the opening of Raiders, with the crickets and the kookaburras swirling round the music. That was a nice opportunity for contours- quiet then loud. And if you want a sound to be loud and powerful (i.e. Indy’s first gunshot) you have to be quiet beforehand. Some big films forget that.  

On Star Wars Episode One (The Phantom Menace) they did 6 or 7 temporary mixes, including one or two in stereo. These temp mixes (and music) are often more exciting than the finished mix, as more experimentation goes on. Naturally he consults with Johnny Williams re the music, but those big symphonic scores occasionally frustrate him by taking up so much of the spectrum. There was one scene where the punches Ben gave Indy were completely covered up by Williams’s cymbals crashing down on the same beats. He actually gaussed the great man’s timpani a bit to push it down! The relationship:

               Sound is the Action               e.g. A poison dart flies out.

               Music is for the Reaction      e.g. Harrison Ford’s surprise.

In the new Star Wars trilogy (Eps 1,2,3) they are making an effort to stay loyal to the sounds and design of Eps 4,5 & 6. That’s not hard, given Ben has a certain taste, certain style. Nevertheless, in this age of non-linear editing “when the tools I used to hold in my hand are now icons on a screen,” he thinks sound mixing is harder. The main problem: working with shorter grabs. You have less opportunity to build up a sound over time, which is what helps communicate it to the brain. For the Pod Race- the scene which consumed most of his work on Ep One- he’d planned out all these sounds with nice rising and falling perspectives, but as the cuts got shorter and shorter much was lost. It’s a danger with working on AVID’s: you overcut pictures because it’s so easy. Unlike the audience, you watch your scene 500 times on a small screen and keep adding shots to maintain your own interest. The more shots there are, the more work for the sound man. The ideal situation for mixing would be a few hours a day because you lose objectivity- “your hearing wears down”- but of course, that’s a dream world.  

Today at Fox Studios, Ben spotted George’s old friend Francis Coppola having lunch. “Should’ve asked him how Walter Murch was doing- and what ever happened to that DVD remaster of Apocalypse Now.” Sydney seems to be making them welcome: since Ben and his family arrived here in June of 2000, he’s just found the people so friendly and helpful and obliging, he wanted to say thanks. And with that, the 400 of us who’d been so entertained and informed by this man gave a round of applause to thank him.

Reported by David Williams, August 2000

 

Member Comments: 57

Delete cici visit blog


Apr 10, 2007 | 8:35 AM PST

This is fantastic! Worth the wait.

One question: Ben Burtt calls Mr. Williams "Johnny?" That makes him sound more human and less god-like. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that.

:-)

Again, Dave...great post!!

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Apr 10, 2007 | 8:51 AM PST

You're so nice to me, cici. Thanks so much for reading this dense, rather technical post.

I guess I don't quite share your sense of detachment from ol' Johnny Williams, in spite of the fact that he is a Film God. This comes down to two factors:

(1) He shares the same name as my brother
(2) He looks like my Dad

And another incidental one:

(3) He started his career as Johnny Williams (in his TV composer days).

Last edited by videowilliams on April 10th at 8:52 AM.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 10, 2007 | 9:14 AM PST

Terrific post Dave! I greatly admire the sound artists that bring life to visuals. My admiration is extended by the fact that it is easy for me to tune out sound. No drippy faucet or whiny motor bothers me. While I'm sure some would call that an advantage, I think I miss out on stuff. But then, I guess I can't be aware of everything ;-)

I learn alot on OTL! The more I learn about movie magic, the more fascinated I am.

Last edited by DawnAkemi on April 10th at 9:35 AM.

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Apr 10, 2007 | 9:33 AM PST

Thanks, Dawn! Yes, those backroom boys are masters in their own right. The freakiest thing to me about a really good soundtrack is how it makes the pictures look better. About the only thing they can't tweak after the fact is the on-screen performance. Mark Hamill (who played Luke Skywalker) had something to say about that, when the Star Wars 20th Anniversary Digital Remasters came out:

"George could do all of these wizardlike things to the special effects and soundtrack, but there wasn't a thing I could do to improve my acting!"

Last edited by videowilliams on April 10th at 9:34 AM.

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Apr 10, 2007 | 10:55 AM PST

Johnny wrote the "Gilligan's Island" lyrics!

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Apr 10, 2007 | 12:34 PM PST

I thought Sherwood Schwartz wrote the lyrics and Johnny Williams wrote the music. Whichever- it's a song the whole world knows. Now that you've mentioned it, BradJacques, I'll have that song in my head all day!

Delete JessicaMarie visit blog


Apr 11, 2007 | 4:09 AM PST

I really, really enjoyed this post. It educated me and entertained me.

Well done, Mr. Williams...2000, huh? You've continually forced yourself to write all of this time?

How I wish it wasn't painful for you...your brilliance should be effortless so that you share it more often.

And, dangit, why couldn't I get into USC???

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Apr 12, 2007 | 7:23 PM PST

"2000, huh? You've continually forced yourself to write all of this time?"

You've got me there, Ms. Sutherland. Even though I've given you a spanking every time you tell me "write more, this is brilliant", you keep coming back and saying it again.

I guess my strange compulsion to write as well as possible began at the age of 6 when my best friend Anthony learned to spell

H-O-T C-O-F-F-E-E.

I couldn't rest until I'd topped him with

A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A.

It's been rolling ever since.

Composer Johnny Williams had an interesting thing to say about his own creative process in the cover notes to the Raiders Of The Lost Ark soundtrack CD. Of the famous Raiders March, he said:

"A piece like that is deceptively simple to try to find the few right notes that will make a right leitmotivic identification for a character like Indiana Jones. I remember working on that thing for days and days, changing notes, changing this, inverting that, trying to get something that seemed to me to be just right. I can't speak for my colleagues but for me things which appear to be very simple are not at all, they're only simple after the fact. The manufacture of these things which seem inevitable is a process that can be laborious and difficult."

...We could almost be related...

No spanking this time, Jessica. I'm thrilled you like the way I write. Coming from you, that's praise indeed.

Last edited by videowilliams on April 12th at 7:25 PM.

Delete JessicaMarie visit blog


Apr 14, 2007 | 10:12 PM PST

I heart Wallabies.

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Apr 14, 2007 | 11:37 PM PST

*dreamy sigh*

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Apr 15, 2007 | 9:34 AM PST

Many wet seasons ago in the pre-Cambrian, I saw a documentary where Ben re-enacted the happy accident on the very spot where he obtained that phaser shooting sound. Out hiking with some friends he snagged his rucksack walking under a supporting cable for some white structure – either a radio mast or an electrical pylon from primordial memory – and thus phaser history was born.

I feel sorry for that “Pooh” bear though, they could have just used your average teenager – they’re always hungry.

If you really want to hear how important sound is, play the film The Name of the Rose starring Sean Connery as you would play a CD. You can follow the action like a radio play; you don’t need see what is happening.

In fact I believe audiences will forgive you most things – even boom shadows and bad acting – provided you have a good story and an easily audible sound.

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Apr 15, 2007 | 3:40 PM PST

Um... what he said.

(Sometimes a comment's so complete, there's nothing I can add. Thanks, Manifesto!)

Last edited by videowilliams on April 15th at 5:04 PM.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:17 PM PST

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
a tale of a fateful trip.
That started from this tropic port,
aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
the skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day,
for a three hour tour, a three hour tour………
The weather started getting rough,
the tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew,
the Minnow would be lost; the Minnow would be lost.
The ship took ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle,
with Gilligan, the Skipper too,
the Millionaire, and his Wife,
the Movie Star, the Professor and Mary Ann,
here on Gilligan's Isle.

And then, after our 30 minutes of fun with the Castaways was done, we would hear…….

So this is the tale of our castaways,
they're here for a long, long time.
They'll have to make the best of things,
it's an uphill climb.
The first mate and his skipper too,
will do their very best,
to make the others comfortable,
in the tropic island nest.
No phones, no lights, no motor cars,
not a single luxury.
Like Robinson Crusoe,
it's primitive as can be.
So join us here each week my friend,
you're sure to get a smile.
From seven stranded Castaways,
Here on Gilligan's Isle.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:25 PM PST

And you wrote that all from memory..?

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:26 PM PST

What do you think?

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:29 PM PST

I'm guessing yes- that Gilligan's Island and Hawaii Five-O were the only two things they showed on Hawaiian TV- so those words are burned into your brain.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:31 PM PST

Hawaii Five-O didn't have any lyrics, just a tune.

But you are almost correct....

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:39 PM PST

Did you know that Gilligan's Island is actually a representation of Hell? Think about it...

Nobody on the island wants to be there, yet none are able to leave. Each one of the characters represents one of the 7 deadly sins:

Ginger represents LUST - she wears skimpy outfits, is obsessed with her looks, and is a borderline nymphomaniac.

Mary Ann represents ENVY - she is jealous of Ginger's beauty.

The Professor represents PRIDE - he is an annoying know-it-all.

Mr. Howell represents GREED - no explanation needed.

Mrs. Howell represents SLOTH - she has never lifted a finger to help on any of their escape plans.

The Skipper represents two sins: GLUTTONY - again, no explanation needed and ANGER - he violently hits Gilligan on each show.

This leaves Gilligan. Gilligan is the person who put them there. He prevents them from leaving by foiling all of their escape plots. Also, it is HIS island. Therefore, Gilligan is SATAN.

Crazy? He does wear red in every episode.

Last edited by videowilliams on April 22nd at 7:40 PM.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:43 PM PST

Is this what you Aussies study instead of say........Shakespeare?

I never knew there could be such depth to Gilligan's Island.

Last edited by DawnAkemi on April 22nd at 7:44 PM.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:47 PM PST

Oh, Gilligan's Island is full of instructive lessons!

Like even complex mechanical devices such as cars can be built just using coconuts and palm trunks, as the professor demonstrated.

Last edited by videowilliams on April 22nd at 10:55 PM.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:51 PM PST

Or the fact that 7 people stranded on an island without food or fresh water can survive in perfect comfort indefinitely.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:51 PM PST

Golly Dave....I hate to be the one to break it you, you being so sweet and all, and, generally speaking, smart,.......but, um, you can't really do that with coconuts. Its fiction.

I hope I'm not contributing to your need for therapy or anything.....

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:52 PM PST

Um...ditto for the food and fresh water part.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:53 PM PST

NO WAY!!!!

But I saw it on TV!

It must be true!

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:54 PM PST

I know, I know....it is with extreme reluctance that I am breaking your fragile hold on reality...

Delete   Edit videowilliams visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:55 PM PST

Next you'll be telling me Santa Claus isn't real either.

By the way, did you know that the US Coast Guard actually received authentic requests to please go out and rescue those poor people?

Last edited by videowilliams on April 22nd at 9:14 PM.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:55 PM PST

Don't be pulling that gun out of your pocket!

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Apr 22, 2007 | 7:58 PM PST

Oh, every time I saw Ginger, the gun in my pocket... oh, nothing.

Say, Dawn, do you consider yourself more Mary Ann or Ginger?

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 7:58 PM PST

Somehow that doesn't surprise me...about the coast guard.

It's so hard to be the smartest person in the world. It's actually a burden.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:00 PM PST

Definitely Mary Ann and I'm embarrassed to admit it...

I'm sure there is some Ginger in me too.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:01 PM PST

Why? Which one are you...Professor, Gilligan, Skipper, or Mr. Howell?

Delete   Edit videowilliams visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:02 PM PST

I think you mean the smartest person in YOUR world... and look who you're comparing yourself to: a country with lots of people who thought Gilligan's Island was real.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:05 PM PST

You know, I always thought Mary Ann was actually sexier than Ginger. Those short shorts and that halter top she bounced around in... ooh la la!

But Tina Louise (as Ginger) got ripped off because the execs feared that as a former Playboy bunny she would be too sexy for network television, so they stipulated that she must never be seen in swimwear for example. She had to always have her body covered up. That's why you always see her wearing those tight long dresses. It was such a waste of talent.... and it totally pi$$ed her off!

That plus the fact that she considered herself a proper Shakespearean actress, far superior to this silly baggy-pants comedy she was stuck in.

A bit like you!

Last edited by videowilliams on April 22nd at 8:12 PM.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:08 PM PST

I identified the most with the Professor.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:11 PM PST

Eh...there's definitely a place for silly comedy in my heart.

I thought Mary Ann was prettier too. But I wanted to be glamorous cause I thought that that was better than a homegrown country girl, even if she did make terrific pies...at least, I felt this way growning up. Now, glamour, shmamour! Not into all that pretension.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:13 PM PST

Of course, there is the tension of opposites, cause I like to dress up in slinky dresses ;-)

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:14 PM PST

"I wanted to be glamorous"

A bit like wanting to be intelligent- I daresay many people think you are- at least in this place.

Do Hawaiians have a rep for being simple & straightforward, or sassy, or what? I know you killed and ate Captain Cook... though that was quite some time ago.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:14 PM PST

The Professor....woulda guessed that.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:16 PM PST

Yes, the Professor- always concocting these brilliant schemes- always producing these great inventions (out of coconuts)- and always foiled in the end. A tragic figure.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:18 PM PST

No...not really glamourous...more like quirky and bohemian.

As far as Hawaiians....based on myself, I'd say sassy and straightforward. Not very simple.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:22 PM PST

Hey, I just looked it up- Gilligan's Island was actually Mokuoloe in Kaneohe Bay, locally known as "Coconut Island!" Looks like I've been asking the right person all these questions.

I loved Gilligan's Island. I loved the whole metaphor. It was deeper than Shakespeare for me.

Last edited by videowilliams on April 22nd at 9:20 PM.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:26 PM PST

Yep, I remember hearing that. I have dim memories of boating to that island.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:29 PM PST

Don't tell me... a three hour tour.

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:35 PM PST

I'm still there today....working on my coconut computer and making pies....being jealous of Ginger....

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:35 PM PST

And the rescue planes just keep flying over your head...

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:38 PM PST

I don't even wanna be rescued anymore, cause what you don't know is that after the last episode, the professor and I had a love child and are raising it together. He made a crib out of coconuts. And we just live on love....no need for food or water.

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:40 PM PST

That's the sweetest thing I ever heard.

What's the child's name?

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:42 PM PST

Aurora

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:43 PM PST

*dreamy sigh*

Delete DawnAkemi visit blog


Apr 22, 2007 | 8:44 PM PST

I've seen that dreamy sigh before.....

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Apr 22, 2007 | 8:47 PM PST

*extra-original never-heard-before for-Dawn-Akemi-only dreamy-godd@mned-sigh*

Delete JessicaMarie visit blog


Apr 23, 2007 | 11:19 PM PST

stopped by to say hi...thanks for the clever GI convo.

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Apr 24, 2007 | 6:02 PM PST

Always a joy to see you, Jess!

It seems to me that Gilligan's Island is a bit like those McDonalds breakfasts you love. We all know it's junk, yet we can't get enough. And it's eaten all over the world.

Say, here's a GI joke I stumbled across that might appeal to you:

Q: If the professor can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?
A: The religious right won't let him- they don't want science anywhere near a holy site.

Last edited by videowilliams on April 25th at 2:31 PM.

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Apr 26, 2007 | 9:36 PM PST

There is a "Gilligan's Island" off the southern coast of Puerto Rico!

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Apr 26, 2007 | 10:08 PM PST

I thought that was "Jurassic Park"!

Delete cici visit blog


Apr 27, 2007 | 10:32 AM PST

How the heck did I miss this great Gilligan's Island conversation?? And how was the word "coconuts" used so many times without ever forming a double-entendre?

Some mysteries will never be solved.

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Apr 27, 2007 | 11:38 AM PST

That's a good point, cici. I guess I was too busy staring at Dawn's coconuts to think of one.

Come to think of it...

Q:What did the hurricane say to the coconut palm?
A: Hold on to your nuts, this is no ordinary blow job!

Last edited by videowilliams on April 27th at 11:43 AM.