March 4, 2009
• Burtt was sound designer for "WALL-E"
• Video conference open to the public
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Academy AwardTM winning sound designer Ben Burtt, nominated this year for Disney/Pixar's film "WALL-E," will video conference with University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) music technology students at noon Wednesday, March 18. The conference, open to the public, will take place in the UAB Mary Culp Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. S. The event is coordinated by UAB Assistant Professor of Music Technology Scott Phillips, Ph.D.
Burtt, winner of four Academy AwardsTM and a 12-time nominee, is known for many famous and noteworthy films, including "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones" and "WALL-E." Burtt pioneered modern sound design, especially in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He created many of the iconic sound effects heard in the "Star Wars" films, including the voice of robot R2-D2, the light saber hum and the heavy-breathing sound of Darth Vader. Burtt has directed several IMAX documentary films. He edited the entire "Star Wars" prequel trilogy and episodes of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles."
Before his work, science fiction movies tended to use electronic-sounding effects for futuristic devices. Burtt sought a more natural sound, blending in "found sounds" to create effects. He used his own vocalizations for some sounds heard in the "Star Wars" movies. Burtt also used a recording of his wife, who was suffering from a minor cold and was sleeping in bed, for the film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." In 2008, Burtt created the "voice" of the title character and other robots in Disney/Pixar's film "WALL-E," about a lonely garbage compacting robot. He also is responsible for sound effects in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," and recently completed work on the new "Star Trek" film.