While the invasion of Ukraine by Russia rages on, the work done by the incredible team at Respeecher also continues, despite the ever-constant threat of bombings and attacks. Based in Kiev the team, who had already done exemplary work on recreating the voice of a thirty-something Luke Skywalker for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, set to work on bringing back the deep, menacing tones of Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi, a mission even more vital to the fictional galaxy of Star Wars given the step-back from the role of veteran actor James Earl Jones.
Respeecher, which uses archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers from long ago. Belyaev was rushing to finish his work as Putin’s troops came across the border. “If everything went bad, we would never make these conversions delivered to Skywalker Sound,” he says. “So I decided to push this data right on the 24th of February.”
Back at Skywalker Sound in Northern California, Matthew Wood was the supervising sound editor on the receiving end of the transmissions from Ukraine. He says that they hired Respeecher because the vocal performances that the start-up generates have an often elusive human touch. “Certainly my main concern was their well-being,” says Wood, who is a 32-year veteran of Lucasfilm. “There are always alternatives that we could pursue that wouldn’t be as good as what they would give us. We never wanted to put them in any kind of additional danger to stay in the office to do something.”
What Respeecher could do better than anyone was re-create the unforgettably menacing way that Jones, now 91, sounded half a lifetime ago. Wood estimates that he’s recorded the actor at least a dozen times over the decades, the last time being a brief line of dialogue in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. “He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” says Wood. “So how do we move forward?” When he ultimately presented Jones with Respeecher’s work, the actor signed off on using his archival voice recordings to keep Vader alive and vital even by artificial means—appropriate, perhaps, for a character who is half mechanical. Jones is credited for guiding the performance on Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Wood describes his contribution as “a benevolent godfather.” They inform the actor about their plans for Vader and heed his advice on how to stay on the right course.
Mark Mulcaster was fortunate enough to chat with Respeecher CEO Alex Serdiuk on Making Tracks, an episode you can listen to below.
ADVANCED LIGHTS WITH SOUND EFFECTS: Combining advanced LEDs and entertainment-inspired sound effects, the Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber is the most realistic Force FX Lightsaber yet
PREMIUM DETAILING FOR AUTHENTICITY: The Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber features design and deco based on Darth Vader ‘s iconic red Lightsaber featured in the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series
ENTERTAINMENT-INSPIRED EFFECTS: Use the switch and button on the hilt to activate entertainment-inspired sound effects, progressive ignition, battle clash effect, duel effect, and battle sequence mode
INCLUDES STAND AND REMOVABLE KYBER CRYSTAL: Proudly display this Lightsaber on the included stand, with or without the removable blade, and show off the included removable kyber crystal
BUILD AN EPIC COLLECTION: Look for other Star Wars The Black Series premium roleplay items such as Force FX Lightsabers and helmets (Sold separately. Subject to availability.)
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He currently contributes to Star Wars Insider, ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com and Starburst Magazine, having previously written for StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia and Model and Collectors Mart.
He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since it began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
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While the invasion of Ukraine by Russia rages on, the work done by the incredible team at Respeecher also continues, despite the ever-constant threat of bombings and attacks. Based in Kiev the team, who had already done exemplary work on recreating the voice of a thirty-something Luke Skywalker for The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, set to work on bringing back the deep, menacing tones of Darth Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi, a mission even more vital to the fictional galaxy of Star Wars given the step-back from the role of veteran actor James Earl Jones.
Respeecher, which uses archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers from long ago. Belyaev was rushing to finish his work as Putin’s troops came across the border. “If everything went bad, we would never make these conversions delivered to Skywalker Sound,” he says. “So I decided to push this data right on the 24th of February.”
Back at Skywalker Sound in Northern California, Matthew Wood was the supervising sound editor on the receiving end of the transmissions from Ukraine. He says that they hired Respeecher because the vocal performances that the start-up generates have an often elusive human touch. “Certainly my main concern was their well-being,” says Wood, who is a 32-year veteran of Lucasfilm. “There are always alternatives that we could pursue that wouldn’t be as good as what they would give us. We never wanted to put them in any kind of additional danger to stay in the office to do something.”
What Respeecher could do better than anyone was re-create the unforgettably menacing way that Jones, now 91, sounded half a lifetime ago. Wood estimates that he’s recorded the actor at least a dozen times over the decades, the last time being a brief line of dialogue in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. “He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” says Wood. “So how do we move forward?” When he ultimately presented Jones with Respeecher’s work, the actor signed off on using his archival voice recordings to keep Vader alive and vital even by artificial means—appropriate, perhaps, for a character who is half mechanical. Jones is credited for guiding the performance on Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Wood describes his contribution as “a benevolent godfather.” They inform the actor about their plans for Vader and heed his advice on how to stay on the right course.
Mark Mulcaster was fortunate enough to chat with Respeecher CEO Alex Serdiuk on Making Tracks, an episode you can listen to below.
ADVANCED LIGHTS WITH SOUND EFFECTS: Combining advanced LEDs and entertainment-inspired sound effects, the Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber is the most realistic Force FX Lightsaber yet
PREMIUM DETAILING FOR AUTHENTICITY: The Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber features design and deco based on Darth Vader ‘s iconic red Lightsaber featured in the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series
ENTERTAINMENT-INSPIRED EFFECTS: Use the switch and button on the hilt to activate entertainment-inspired sound effects, progressive ignition, battle clash effect, duel effect, and battle sequence mode
INCLUDES STAND AND REMOVABLE KYBER CRYSTAL: Proudly display this Lightsaber on the included stand, with or without the removable blade, and show off the included removable kyber crystal
BUILD AN EPIC COLLECTION: Look for other Star Wars The Black Series premium roleplay items such as Force FX Lightsabers and helmets (Sold separately. Subject to availability.)
Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He currently contributes to Star Wars Insider, ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com and Starburst Magazine, having previously written for StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia and Model and Collectors Mart.
He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since it began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.
Disney Legend James Earl Jones, the voice behind the iconic characters Darth Vader and Mufasa, passed away Monday, September 9, surrounded by family at his home in Dutchess County, New York. He was 93 years old. Disney, Lucasfilm and George Lucas have all issued statements on his passing.
It is with profound sadness that we report the news that the legendary actor, and iconic voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, passed away at the age of 93 at his home in Dutchess County, NY, today September 9th 2024.
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Respeecher, which uses archival recordings and a proprietary A.I. algorithm to create new dialogue with the voices of performers from long ago. Belyaev was rushing to finish his work as Putin’s troops came across the border. “If everything went bad, we would never make these conversions delivered to Skywalker Sound,” he says. “So I decided to push this data right on the 24th of February.”
