Go behind the scenes with the sound team at Skywalker Sound and learn how they designed and developed all of the sound effects for the movie "Star Wars: Rogue One." 

Career

Find out how the sounds of Rogue One were made.

Remake part of a show or movie you like or come up with something new of your own. You can film on your phone or digital camera. Get practical experience in what it takes to produce and direct a film. 

Start a film project with your friends.

Get a jump start on what you want do in college or test your interest before you get there by taking a class in person or online in audio effects! 

Education

Take a class in audio effects. 

Sound Engineers

Operate machines and equipment to record, synchronize, mix, or reproduce music, voices, or sound effects in sporting arenas, theater productions, recording studios, or movie and video productions.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Second Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

First Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Sound Engineering Technicians

Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians and Radio Operators

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Equipment Workers

Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.

Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.

Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones.

Report equipment problems and ensure that required repairs are made.

Mix and edit voices, music, and taped sound effects for live performances and for prerecorded events, using sound mixing boards.

Synchronize and equalize prerecorded dialogue, music, and sound effects with visual action of motion pictures or television productions, using control consoles.

Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.

Reproduce and duplicate sound recordings from original recording media, using sound editing and duplication equipment.

Separate instruments, vocals, and other sounds, and combine sounds during the mixing or postproduction stage.

Create musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film postproduction.

Tear down equipment after event completion.

Convert video and audio recordings into digital formats for editing or archiving.

Set up, test, and adjust recording equipment for recording sessions and live performances.

1/3 octave equalizers

Amplifiers

Audio compressors

Audio filters

Audio mixer consoles

Cable testers

Channel equalizers

Condenser microphones

Desktop computers

Digital audio recorders

Digital delay pedals

Digital oscilloscopes

Digital samplers

Dynamic microphones

Dynamics processors

Electret microphones

Laptop computers

Microphone pre-amps

Multitrack tape recording machines

Musical instrument digital interface MIDI sequencers

Noise reduction systems

Parametric equalizers

Peak equalizers

Personal computers

Polarity checkers

Pressure zone microphones

Reverb devices

Ribbon microphones

Shelving equalizers

Soldering irons

Studio intercom systems

Volt-ohm meters VOM

Wireless microphones

Wireless receivers

Wireless transmitters

Apple Final Cut Pro

Autodesk AutoCAD

Avid Technology

Avid Technology Pro Tools

Cisco IOS

Computer aided design CAD software

Data entry software

Linux

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Visio

Musical instrument digital interface MIDI software

You have to get used to rejection and be willing to keep going. I have a library of sounds that didn't work out for the project I was developing them for, but some have worked for others and succeed. 

I experiment with various materials and technologies to develop sound effects for movies. I spend a lot of time recording, editing, and manipulating different sounds to create something new. 

Sound Designer

I can't do this. I'm just going to fail. 

[Male narrator #2] Everywhere you turn, people try to tell you who for yourself? that empowers people to define different backgrounds. country interviewing from all walks of life. search of wisdom and it actually takes doing what you love. this is Roadtrip Nation. You probably recognize that right? nervous. Yeah you like that? about Vader having a some kind. Yeah through a scuba regulator. Oh ok. a scuba tank charged with pressure. here. little tiny microphone and inside and held it and then breathe. an unusually close perspective, of vrrr sensation. So how did you get to sitting at what you love everyday? I grew up in Syracuse New York. I found that going into growing up. putting on costumes and this sort of thing. interest in movies as a career. growing up, it was majored in physics. was still making movies for fun. science for the moment and career. So I went to the USC cinema and I thought and maybe two years of it system and I can come back teacher and pursue what I I was there for about ten days on a plane and I came home. of doing this and I door closing and I'm standing you know my whole world was this door closing. bedroom where I grew up and failed completely. That definently resonates with me, maybe in Rhode Island is so small and out and I feel that uncertainty you just freeze up. that motivated you to finally and not turn around? my opportunities locally plant my imagination, folks at USC said start another semester and hold about it for some months it and I went back. attempt to do that. time of trauma to some extent. what I wanted to do but when I the campus and said we're student interested in sound film called "The Star Wars." well they didn't say so, that screen is, that was what early paintings movie might look like, "Wow, was 14, a version of job," and I got the job. where that was going to lead. still talking about it Ok who wants to shoot? There was the whole kind of fandom, absurd opportunity that allowed to have. It was like taking a time warp back to the because he had the original Star Wars that he sparked my You know for hours imitating the sounds he came he came up with them, of all. The sound of the lightsabers was the first sound oddly enough but... How? Yeah I was going to say how did you record that? movie theater and in the projector's interlock motors. but not maybe dangerous was in my apartment and I into my recorder and connecting cable on it so "zzzzz" getting into the mic. sounds dangerous there I like buzz and I took the hum of the blended the two together. recorder and another microphone front of the speaker. "mmmmm" like this. movement of the swords that way. effect or, in those days and splicing sound tape. Physical stuff. with presenting your audiences? really putting it out there really vulnerable. like me, makes things computer and there's lots and and someone did not and it's once a long time ago to make Alien, you know. And they sound of a transmission. things and I could not felt terrible, I had failed. later and used it in ghosts coming up out of the I got an Academy Award. happen. rejection. project on the first one precedent for a character that any words and we were really understand what the heck was we were talking about it were verbalizing sounds. do this and R2 comes in boop beep hoop beep" a sound like that and so I realized one day wait a doing kind of what we want? process of combining my with the synthesizer. there. you know the human part of it. to see if it still anymore, but the basis for you could do different [R2D2 sounds] know. the human input, my recorder in high school and voice at the same time (makes sounds) you kind of get the performance right? of it which is the machine so the best things we've ever done done pretty quickly and to over think it sometimes. So then, what advice would you give to and you know? second, well I do think clear goals in mind goal, you don't have isn't working out. you will be able within those goals. times where you just feel I had those times. nervous to think about. didn't like that, I didn't think it's part of a passage everybody at some point. Ben, that was incredible. plugged in as he is. mastered it. fascinating character. And now I can say I've been to Skywalker ranch script of The Star Wars, like... We are in Emoryville, California. We are about to with Ralph Eggleston. a reference for completely imaginary to make it like, authentic. It's pretty cool to see  that community of working together in synergy to like Monsters, Inc. Like what? I always wanted to do animation and film and Disney animations Especially Cinderella like what is this thing that cry? this is amazing. when I was a kid about of a school called CalArts. accepted and I was able to go at the very end of '92. much ever since. to do, art direct Toy Story. I'm curious to learn more about your creative process, project generally? Every project is so different. really hard on encouraging here to realize is. Every four course in the subject matter of advantage of that because part is doing all the research Getting to it's bare essence. present it and all of that. research you do? Because can't figure out how Nemo talks that you're creating. clownfish to talk actually. of that. working on Ratatouille when they got to go to Paris and I dump. For our films we in the ground, we climb we're not supposed to go. went to a bunch of cruise of the interior bowels of a dumps, a lot of them. fun, it's really fun. drawing on just every Absolutely. interested in creative fields curious if you have any path to take. I would give anybody fun with some research. something go out and find out to do especially with always get a dozen books on through them and just keep just really it but a lot their little world of what out of that and go world. Go to different places see a rock concert then go opera then go see a movie So cool, so cool! Nature is so cool. We got the funk situation going on dude. working. to Portland was like, that might have been the first seeing just how he just perceives mind-blowing and walking onto illustrations everywhere. like thats the part where he passion for like anything. said Ok I'm going to put my what I'm going to pursue. Now I'm finding out even how I want to apply where I don't really know that's where I'm at. I also actually wasn't quite sure what I fit in in engineering, feminine and engineering never seen together. bring in high school girls that either subconsciously opted out had the opportunities. girls that were like me. some bigger companies, it was daughter and I actually had found out I was pregnant. not as smart because I I was considered would hire for a technical job. syndrome, I don't know if impostor syndrome. that no matter how good you accolades you get, you're waiting for people to find out. this at some point of time in hits women and men in So women in technology. belong and that everybody else just I was terrified of these that I was a fraud. attacks, I would cry, like, I'm looking at my past this for other people, how not feel like I did. out of college, would you give? you need to be this way to I'm like why? that have been put it this way and how can we should challenge that. way to move our society forward. phrase in the language is: always done it. status quo. Alright! Cool. Yeah, her story was really inspiring and societal pressures that molds and boxes you in that she absolutely to do and is doing is inspiring other so on and so forth. definitely. of moments, um, deal where we explain where we trouble deciding what we want said the words, I'm not a a good designer, I'm not the I've always been at the bottom. What makes you feel like you're not a good designer? hard not to compare I'm not going to say comparing yourself to others being scrutinized and to like a terrible place to be. surprised I made it completely honest. spot there. throat, you survived it. that. was just saying to have that and feel like. That's true, but I'm such a confident person to fake it. I can convince awesome even when I don't only so many jobs and if you means you better have a damn yourself, which I don't have. But, that's why we're all here because uncertainty in each other. nothing else matters, the thing that excites you kind of marinate on and kind of into something cohesive. happens to me in that's what it is. We're in Seattle At experience music project I think sometimes when you don't know what you want don't know yourself. Now that we have these big drives we're into our groove Growing up in a small village, everybody knows you. somebody else. I got into music not because I wanted even make money and retire. because I felt like in my heart to say. the program you just watched. people in life Naviance Summer Institute. David Woldenberg, I'm eighteen years old high school. is Jezelle Minos from Corona Del Mar over to the Naviance we'll be interviewing educators leaders like how do you you at my age? how did they get their start. will actually benefit me. Hey how are you guys doing? I'm Jezelle. Nice to meet you. how exactly you think definition of success is. to make it possible. drive for your passion? the morning and I hit the really do because I have It's driving me to become a you find something that really you happy. Then I think that's important to helping you really want to reach. perspective to offer. drive you. passion with the will not steer you wrong. Help young people find their way by sharing tell us what you love to do. ShareYourRoad.com 

The road-trippers head to Skywalker Ranch, where Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt recounts driving cross-country to California twice before his dreams of being a sound designer beat back his fear of change; plus Pixar animator Ralph Eggleston on getting beyond the world you inhabit and going deeper into what interests you, and Janice Levenhagen-Seeley of ChickTech on challenging the status quo.
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<a href="http://academy.autodesk.com/"><img width="96%" height="96% style="position:left" src="http://archive.roadtripnation.com.s3.amazonaws.com/roadtrip/logo/Fueled_By_Autodesk.png"></a>

Challenge the Status Quo

When I was at USC, somebody called the campus and said, we're looking for in sound who could come and well, they didn't say so, cheap. that artwork on that screen, depicted what the movie might look like. wow, I made this film when I was 14, I'm cut out for this job. I didn't know where it was gonna lead, talking about it 40 years later. 

Desire

Determination

Opportunity

Passion

I Made This

[SOUND] >> You probably recognize that, right? >> [CROSSTALK] Vader breathing. >> It's making me nervous. >> [LAUGH] Yeah. having a breathing mask of some kind. through a scuba regulator. >> It's back here. charged up with the pressure. little tiny microphone and the regulator, and then breathe. in this unusually close icy cold kind of sensation. >> Here. like doing what you love everyday? was one way of not growing up. costumes and acting out stories and in movies as a career. still making movies for fun. the moment and I went to USC Cinema. I'll go out there, and get this out of my system. pursue what I thought I was going to do. and I chickened out. I can remember closing and I'm standing on the inside. cuz there was this door closing, clunk. I thought I had failed completely. maybe all of us, but in particular, tight knit, it's hard to step out. >> And like I feel that uncertainty and you to finally get in the car and go and opportunities locally and imagination that it could grow. come back and start another semester. thought about it for some months and uncertain about what I wanted to do. the campus and said, we're looking for in sound that can come and well they didn't say so, cheap. that artwork on that screen, wall in their office. depicted what the movie might look like. I made this film when I was 14, I'm cut out for this job. where it was going to lead, be talking about it 40 years later. >> Yeah! >> There was the whole fandom because no fan should be allowed [LAUGH] to have. it was like taking a time warp back to because he had the original stuff, like, sparked my imagination as a child. imitating the sounds that he came up with. that was the coolest thing of all. the first sound I ever made for >> How? how did you record that? was a projectors, called interlock motors. they go [SOUND] like that. but not maybe dangerous enough. I was in my apartment and plugged into my recorder. cable in it, so it was getting hum. wow, that sounds dangerous there. I recorded that buzz. and I just blended the two together. another microphone, and >> Wow, yeah. I could produce the movement anything. computers, everything was done cutting and tape and physical stuff. your creative work to audiences? really putting it out there, everyday that get thrown away, my computer and there's lots and someone did not. make a sound for the movie Alien. sound of a transmission. I could not sell one to the director. used it in Raiders of the Lost Ark for Covenant and I got an Academy Award so. >> [LAUGH] It was the same sound. first one because it wasn't precedent for without using any words. understand what the heck was going on. about it all the time and in here and he goes [SOUND] like that. that and I'd answer him that way. well wait a second, wait a second. of combining my own voice and it's that synthesizer right there. works cuz often it doesn't anymore. this synthesizer [SOUND] and pitches on the keyboard. the trick to it was the human input, recorder in high school. >> What? >> And of got the human input, >> And you get the electronic part of it, you get a 50 50 blend. ever done in my opinion instinctively. give to people kind of in our age and- to have clear goals in mind. something isn't working out. successfully within those goals. times where you just feel like >> It was a long time ago. I think it's part of a passage that is everybody at some point. 

Acceptance

Goals

Interview

Had these two worlds where I was in science and science fiction you might say, too. feeling in my stomach like knots. after college where I felt stalled. I just didn't know. relive those two years. where we need your help. >> I know, but what I but is that I got through it. have clear goals in mind. something isn't working out and in a while is okay. the corner that's waiting for you and successfully within those goals. 

Courage

Struggle

Ben Burtt Highlight

How is your experience with presenting your creative work to audiences? it out there cuz you really are really every day that get thrown away. my computer and there's lots and someone did not. to make a sound for the movie Alien, sound of a transmission. could not sell one to the director. used it in Raiders of the Lost Ark for the covenant, and I got an Academy Award. >> [LAUGH] 

Failure

Get Used To Rejection

[SOUND] >> You probably recognize that, right? >> The script talked about Vader through a scuba regulator. charged up with the pressure. little tiny microphone and the regulator, and then breathed. unusually close perspective, cold kind of sensation. 

Experience

Talent

Vader

I have, and I go home, I have notebooks like this, three ring notebooks filled. they're tabbed like this, and they're just I've been doing that since high school. World War II bombers that end up in space? and some names and some things and I'll go back and have a good laugh. that pass through your mind. pocket, and I talk into it when something. it interferes with your family life. you're always thinking about something. something's percolating there under I need to capture that moment and save it. it might be very useful later. 

Inspiration

Instincts

Idea Books

I grew up in Syracuse, New York. was one way of not growing up. putting on costumes and in movies as a career. I was still making movies for fun. the moment, and I went to USC Cinema. maybe two years of it, I can come back and be a science teacher, and I chickened out and I can remember closing and I'm standing on the inside. there was this door closing, clank. my bedroom where I grew up, all of us, but in particular Rhode Island >> Yeah. >> And I feel that uncertainty, then you just freeze up and. you to finally get in the car and and imagination that it could grow. come back and start another semester. me, and thought about it for got the courage up and went back. it was a time of trauma to some extend. uncertain about what I wanted to do. 

Doubt

I Chickened Out

R2 was the most difficult project on the first one because there wasn't much communicate without using any words. understand what the heck was going on, about it all the time and maybe R2 should do this and beep boop boop boop beep like that, and I'd answer him that way. aren't we doing kind of what we want? of combining my own voice, synthesizer right there. the human part of it. just to see if it still works, basis for R2 [SOUND] was this synthesizer. different pitches on a keyboard. the trick to it was the human input, recorder in high school. I could combine my voice [LAUGH] [SOUND] which is sort of a performance, right? >> And you get the electronic part of it, the best things we've ever done in my pretty quickly and instinctively. 

The Human Input

I, you know, I didn't realize it but little things that I had done, you know, my interest in history and photography and trick photography. were gathered together and all these liberal arts together. electrical engineering, English, of it in filmmaking. that I ever took in some way because filmmaking is involved writing. sociology. in science and history. they've all been useful to me. 

Everything Applies to Film

I want to know what that was, the official Star Wars sound effects map. working on the first film, I was given a tape recorder by you know, they said go out and record things. to record things just for fun. graph paper in them that you use in a lab. I'll look over there. of records of things I did. of course remember this digitally. >> But the sounds I would make. I would give a description how I did it. just find R2, electric tones, lasers. from, where it came from, just notes. a lot of things over the years. on these new set of movies, and after Return of the Jedi. microphone distributor. you right there. with reverb phased mutual. dry ice combined with a rocket launcher. >> Combined with what? >> Yeah, that's true. >> Why not? >> Extended sizzle. a language when you do this. like this happens in any art. these are important diagrams to keep. sound in the movie. >> I wrote this down in 1976. 

Planning

Sound Map

I find I do the same with songwriting. I have my voice memos on my iPhone are all >> Yeah. oh I've got some lyrics coming through. >> If you go back and listen to it though? >> You're like what was I >> Well, occasionally yeah, occasionally, >> There's something what the heck was I much what we do is like writing. of to me the exercise of translating it to the page so somebody else can read it. it's like that with song writing, that with the sound design that I do. things inside you, and in an original way for you, saying, do you understand this? that, sometimes you can't ideas that's always flowing. if I go to the convenience store to fan in a refrigerator there, recorder, bring it back, turn it on, put then pretend to shop for a few minutes. refrigerator motor recording >> Wow. did that actually happen? always trying to, inner wheels turning, something in my experience. connects with something I'm experiencing, 

Refrigerator Noise

I mean not everything I do is science fiction though. when I did Lincoln, the movie science fiction. the script for instance called for his pocket watch, and look at it and of scenes, where his watch was in it. maybe we can get Lincoln's actual watch. So I went on a quest to find does this has anybody ever recorded it. a really interesting pursuit, even though one's in the Smithsonian. watch that belonged to Lincoln, was in the Kentucky Historical Society. Star Wars fan, so he was real interested, they carefully, and there we go. >> So when you watch Lincoln. >> And hearing Lincoln's actual watch ticking. the scene in the movie was cut out. the watch is sort of incidental, scenes get removed, it was a long movie. 

Lincoln's Watch

In my senior year in college, I had a guest come to the school, and he was a scientist. up with the concept of in geostationary orbit. endeavours he was a writer of he at the time that I was in school he was the script 2001 Space Odyssey, the movie. there was really nothing published about how they created the illusions. physics department to give a talk and career and how he got to where he was and how did you do that movie in 2001 [LAUGH]. the blackboard to go up and the effects in the film. this because here I saw a man who science fiction. and so I felt well maybe I can do that. sort of be in science but movie making and science fiction as well. 

Ben Burtt

Sound Designer

Videos

Ben Burtt

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

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My work combines:

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Technology

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Day to Day

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Advice for Getting Started

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