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Ben Burtt on Lightsaber Sound Design

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Uploaded on May 23, 2007

Ben Burtt talks about creating the sounds for the lightsabers in Star Wars. As he worked on "A New Hope", Burtt probably wasn't aware that he was inventing modern sound design.

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Uploader Comments (digitaldave1234)

  • Datelesswonders

    Does this explain how the clashing sound was made?

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  • digitaldave1234

    He also recorded sounds of Kenneth Strickfaden's lab equipment from Frankenstein, and I'd bet some of those high-energy sounds ended up in the Lightsaber family.

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    in reply to Datelesswonders (Show the comment)

Top Comments

  • lukepc92

    A stormtrooper with a lightsaber? HERESY!

    · 45

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  • mmmdubstep

    I love the shot of him swinging the shotgun mic around like a lightsaber. Pure awesome. Man's a genius.

    · 16

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Video Responses


All Comments (160)

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  • D3cyTH3r

    Another one of the production crew who just happened to hit pure gold on the same movie. Your music, sfx, model-makers, casting, and actors all do the same and you have yourself a timeless classic

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  • Bleakmage

    I didn't hear one, so. . .

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    in reply to Datelesswonders (Show the comment)
  • brandonwrightmusic

    that is so interesting

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  • sixfoursoul1

    wow I thought it was just a synthesiser ...this is way more indepth that I thought.

    · 3

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  • Curiousonic

    You can hear when the lightsabers are clashing that it is the same sort of sound as the laser pistols in the film. To create that he hits a tight, thick steel wire.

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    in reply to Datelesswonders (Show the comment)
  • 1littledaddy1

    You described that very well!

    Absolutely Brilliant!!!

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  • Andrea Patane

    Sound rules! 

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  • Marcel Sirer

    "Genius..." XD

    · 3

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    in reply to illmindset (Show the comment)
  • Firestorm1820

    That's very interesting.

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  • ShnarfV2

    The tension spring on a radio tower was used for the Blaster Sound.

    I can't link the video directly, (watch?v=aTbtHVFyKoQ?t=1m45s) but there is the last segment.

    As far as I'm aware, the lightsaber clash was meant to have been achieved by using welding robs/welding equipment. I'm not 100% sure, but it does seem plausible.

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    in reply to Gareth Watson (Show the comment)
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