Reception with the Filmmakers

More about Burtt and Barron

Oscar-winning effects wizards Craig Barron and Ben Burtt have contributed to some of the most beloved films of our time. Sound effects specialist Burtt is the voice of Pixar’s WALL•E and Star Wars’ R2-D2 and the source of both Darth Vader’s heavy breathing and the iconic lightsaber sound. Perhaps the foremost expert on traditional matte painting—through which fantastic environments were painstakingly realized by hand on glass backdrops—visual effects specialist Barron has worked on The Empire Strikes Back and E.T. for George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic, the X-Men and Star Trek franchises, and Zodiac and Hugo with his own company Matte World Digital. The pair are also celebrated historians and regular presenters on the practice of special effects throughout film history.

• Craig Barron filmography on IMDB
• Ben Burtt effects filmography on IMDB