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Ben Burtt is a legendary sound designer and editor for such films as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Willow, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and many others. He's won two Oscars; one for E.T. in the Best Effects and Best Effects Editing category, and another for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in the same category. He's also garnered two Oscar Special Achievement awards and has been nominated for 5 other Oscars. Burtt's most memorable work includes the "voice" of robot R2-D2 in Star Wars as well as various sound effects like the lightsaber and the speederbike chase sounds from Return of the Jedi.
Born in Syracuse, New York, Burtt earned a college degree in Physics. In 1970, he won the National Student Film Festival with a war movie called Yankee Squadron. For his work on the special effects film Genesis he won a scholarship to USC, where he earned a Master's Degree in Film Production.
Burtt is, probably infamously, known for including a sound effect dubbed "The Wilhelm scream" in many of the movies he's worked on. Taken from a character named "Wilhelm" in the film Charge at Feather River, the sound can be heard in Star Wars when a stormtrooper falls into a chasm and in Raider of the Lost Ark when a Nazi soldier falls from a moving car.
[1] (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123785/) Ben Burtt profile at IMDB
[2] (http://www.starwars.com/bio/benburtt.html) Ben Burtt profile at Star Wars.com
[3] (http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/) Site detailing the history of The Wilhelm Scream
--Kucharo 06:29, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)
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