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HomeNewsFilm, Music & TVThe soundscape of Return of the Jedi, explained by Ben Burtt
InterviewsNewsFilm, Music & TV

The soundscape of Return of the Jedi, explained by Ben Burtt

Mark Newbold
By Mark Newbold

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One of the small wonders inside the Star Wars universe is how every sound sells the world that’s being built. They never feel out of place or wonky, they just take us deeper into a world we are slowly beginning to understand. That goes for the blasters but also the foreign languages spoken on every planet.

The man behind the mythos is Ben Burtt. He’s the guy who was behind the scenes of your childhood. Creating the “voice” of R2-D2, the lightsaber hum, the sound of the blaster guns, the heavy breathing of Darth Vader, and the Ewoks’ language, Ewokese.

And that’s only his Star Wars work. But how did he do all of that? Like how can you make a language?

Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
  • Re-released classic film score with newly restored masters!
  • Audio CD – Audiobook
  • 05/04/2018 (Publication Date) - Walt Disney Records (Publisher)
$13.37 Amazon Prime
Buy on Amazon This is a paid link. Learn More. Price incl. tax, excl. shipping.  Details correct as at: 2025-08-17
SourceINDEPTH Sound Design
Mark Newbold
Mark Newbold
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's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage 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.
- Fundraiser -
InterviewsNewsFilm, Music & TV

The soundscape of Return of the Jedi, explained by Ben Burtt

Mark Newbold
By Mark Newbold

-

- Advertisement -

One of the small wonders inside the Star Wars universe is how every sound sells the world that’s being built. They never feel out of place or wonky, they just take us deeper into a world we are slowly beginning to understand. That goes for the blasters but also the foreign languages spoken on every planet.

The man behind the mythos is Ben Burtt. He’s the guy who was behind the scenes of your childhood. Creating the “voice” of R2-D2, the lightsaber hum, the sound of the blaster guns, the heavy breathing of Darth Vader, and the Ewoks’ language, Ewokese.

And that’s only his Star Wars work. But how did he do all of that? Like how can you make a language?

Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
  • Re-released classic film score with newly restored masters!
  • Audio CD – Audiobook
  • 05/04/2018 (Publication Date) - Walt Disney Records (Publisher)
$13.37 Amazon Prime
Buy on Amazon This is a paid link. Learn More. Price incl. tax, excl. shipping.  Details correct as at: 2025-08-17
SourceINDEPTH Sound Design
Mark Newbold
Mark Newbold
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's contributed to Star Wars Insider (since '06) and Starburst Magazine (since '16) as well as ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com, StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia, Model and Collectors Mart, Star Trek magazine and StarTrek.com. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since the stage 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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