Ben Burtt

Ben Burtt has more than 30 years of experience as a writer, director, film editor, sound designer, and sound mixer. His work includes feature films, documentaries, network television movie specials and educational specialty films. Burtt received an Oscar for the creation of the alien, creature, and robot voices featured in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and for Sound Effects Editing for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); he won Oscars for Sound Effects Editing for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). He also has earned nominations in the Sound Mixing category for Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); in Sound Effects Editing for Return of the Jedi, Willow (1988) and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for WALL-E (2008). Burtt voiced Pixar’s robot Wall-E as well as the breathing of Darth Vader.

Also a film scholar, Burtt annually presents programs for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with Craig Barron. The two of them have also hosted features on Turner Classic Movies broadcasts as well as the TCM Classic Cruise and TCM Classic Film Festival.