Join the legendary Ben Burtt for a look at his incredible career in an event that takes place this coming Saturday 22nd April at the David Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles starting at 6.00pm and moderated by Midge Costin.
Join the Academy Museum for a special conversation with Academy Award–winner Ben Burtt as we revisit his legendary career. This program will explore Burtt’s early career, sound as an art form, and a behind-the-scenes look into the making of his installation Behold: Ben Burtt featured in the Inventing Worlds and Characters: Encounters gallery in the museum’s Stories of Cinema exhibition. The conversation will be moderated by filmmaker Midge Costin (Making Waves).
Ben Burtt
Ben Burtt has more than 45 years of experience as a writer, director, film editor, sound designer, and sound mixer.His work includes documentaries, network television movie specials, and educational, specialty, and feature films.Burtt has a degree in Physics from Allegheny College and master’s degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.
Burtt received a Special Achievement Oscar for the creation of the alien, creature, and robot voices featured in Star Wars (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 has also earned additional Oscar nominations for Return of the Jedi (1983), Willow (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (1996), Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), and WALL-E (2008).
Burtt is the voice of Pixar’s robot WALL-E and the source of Darth Vader’s breathing.
Also a film scholar, Burtt is a yearly presenter of programs for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with Craig Barron.
Most recently, Burtt created a special film called Behold which has a dedicated circular theater in the Academy Museum
