How the iconic Star Wars blaster sound effect was made

Proof that touching grass is more important than working

they really said pew pew but make it iconic

OMG Star Wars blaster fights will never feel the same anymore. I wonder where the lightsabers sound was from now

sound design is undefeated.

Star Wars fans attend The Phantom Menace midnight premiere (1999)

In 1977, when Star Wars was released, I was a radioman on a navigation beacon on a remote island in the Mediterranean in the days just before the satellite constellations that created GPS. We broadcast from an 800-foot radio tower. When I returned home and saw the movie, I recognized that sound immediately.

That’s amazing to see

One of the best fight scenes ever in a movie

It’s crazy how such a simple object created one of the most famous sounds in history

We did this with the wires on telephone poles in our neighborhood before Star Wars came out. It was as cool as putting playing cards in the spokes of our bikes.

There used to be a giant water tank in my home town that we would throw rocks at as kids, made the exact same laser sound. Still not sure why but we spent hours of our lives pegging stones at it.

When I was little I got a slinky from a friend for my birthday. It was around 81. I don’t know how I figured it out but if you hold it to your ear while allowing the other end to fall it sounds exactly like this. I told my older brother that must have been how they made those sounds in Empire. I thought I was so smart.😎

The owner of that radio tower calling his lawyer to find out if it is too late to get royalties...

The iconic Star Wars lightsaber hum was created by sound designer Ben Burtt. A steady film projector motor hum + accidental TV interference buzz. He then moved a mic around a speaker playing that combined hum and buzz for the swinging “vwoom” effect, Doppler effect.

Iconic

@maxkeiser I used to work in transmission power lines and made that sound often. Always thought it sounded like a blaster.

Legendary move

So freaking cool. True creatives

@FrancescoDeBen8

This is the genius Ben Burtt

Cable hum and a hammer? Genius.

Reminds me of the Sugar Creek incident in '86... we found this tape in the lab.

There's nothing normal about good inventions and discoveries.

We get daily inspiration from things around us

This scene in the Star Wars “making of” doc is literally what led me into a lifelong obsession with sound design. . .

It’s really original

Who knew the Force was just a guy smacking a cable? 😂😂😂

This was done for safety reasons only. OSHA wouldn't permit real Laser Blasters to be used on set.

The real inspiration

Honestly, the story behind that sound is legendary 😳

True Hollywood magic.