Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek (XI)

[GhostFaceSaint]

By now many have viewed the DVD/blu-ray special feature on Ben Burtt's work on the sound effects of the film. For those who don't know Burtt was the sound composer of the new film, a former Star War's and Indiana Jones sound composer who originally went into Star War films as a huge Trekkie who brought with him an appreciation of Star Trek TOS's sound design and now working on the new film he tried to replicate the methods from TOS.

AN example of what he brought to the new films sound design are the musical style of bleeps and chimes on the USS Enterprise, akin to TOS. Burtt really wanted the flavor of TOS in the film and I believe he accomplished that after much research along with trial and error working on different ways of composing sound.

So what did you think of the films sound composition?

 

[JonnyBoy]

I think it was pitch-perfect. Its pretty telling that the documentary opens with the beginning of the film, since everyone pretty much agrees that it set the stage perfectly, sonically. The sonar pings and radio noise really suck you in, and everything from that point on is great.

The homages to TOS and other films are spot-on. The bridge sounds on the Enterprise, from the consoles to the background noise, are incredibly nostalgic, and unique amongst other films of the genre. The transporter is awesome. I was surprised in the theater to hear how closely it resembled the original. I wasn't expecting that.

Most of all, the moments where they used the actual sound effects from previous films and TOS were a treat. When Chekov begins briefing the crew, the three-note call is a lift from TOS. The same goes for the comm button press on the Captain's chair. Some of the computer sounds during the Kobayashi Maru are straight out of the TOS films. There are other moments that aren't coming to me, but they are all great.

One of my favorite sounds in the film is the Photon Torpedo. When the Enterprise finally unleashes them on the Narada, I had a huge grin on my face, and the sound is perfect. This film deserves the Oscars for sound design and editing.

 

[OneBuckFilms]

I'm sure we all have our favorite moments of this man's incredible contribution to the movie.

Ben Burtt's work here said "Star Trek" right from the opening, with the "Sonar Pings" (actually the TOS sound used whenever we saw the viewer.), and the starship whines that sped up produced something akin to the classic warp acceleration sound from TOS.

As pointed out in interviews around the web, it's all kind of musical in a way.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I don't own blue ray. I have the two disk DVD. I don't remember seeing a sound doc on it.

Please help. Is it an easter egg, a'la the sound design film that is in the special features disk of Episode II?

 

[Clancy_s]

Watching the movie I didn't notice the sound design - it did it's job and added realism and weight to the movie, without my being conscious of how they did it.

This is one of my favourite extras - a whole lot of stuff I was only vaguely aware of that improved the movie in subtle ways. JJ showed his stuff in realising he needed Burt and getting him.

per trekmovie.com Burt was recently awarded the HPA award for sound design. JJ presented the award, IMO it made a nice vid:

http://trekmovie.com/2009/11/18/vid...trek-sound-designer-ben-burtt-with-hpa-award/

 

[darkwing_duck1]

If they were going to do TOS sounds, they should have just DONE TOS sounds, either using the originals or recreating them. There were some glaring mistakes like the "intercom beep" that should have been a bosun's whistle. The "new" transporter whine was the best because it was the closest to the original sound.

 

[Jeri]

That store room of old research materials turned on the latent librarian in me. And Ben, too; that guy is a research guru. I loved watching him flip through those old sound-effect notebooks. Imagine the stuff in there.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

I have the 2-disc DVD as well and there's no sound documentary on it. I hope it turns up on YouTube or somewhere, since I don't have a Blu-Ray player.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

What a bummer that the two disc set doesn't have the sound documentary. It is really interesting....and pretty amazing, all the work and research he did.

I loved the sound effects. I loved what he did with them. The pings etc during the phaser fight on the Narada was pretty awesome. I love the sound of the ships going to warp-- really i loved it all. I don't think there was a single effect i didn't love.

 

[M'Sharak]

I don't own blue ray. I have the two disk DVD. I don't remember seeing a sound doc on it.

Please help. Is it an easter egg, a'la the sound design film that is in the special features disk of Episode II?

It's a feature on the Blu-Ray set only, and not an easter egg.

If they were going to do TOS sounds, they should have just DONE TOS sounds, either using the originals or recreating them. There were some glaring mistakes like the "intercom beep" that should have been a bosun's whistle. The "new" transporter whine was the best because it was the closest to the original sound.

You may have missed the earlier Burtt interview in which he said that no sounds from the original series were used, but that in many instances, they went to great lengths to get very close to the original sound. If you didn't hear the original sounds in every instance, that's a design choice, made deliberately, and not a mistake.

EDIT:

Interview with master sound designer Ben Burtt

 

[Shatmandu]

The only sounds I didn't care for were those from the hand phaser. Too "light" for my tastes.

Joe, twee! twee!

 

[jefferiestubes8]

So what did you think of the films sound composition?

Sound-related is the mix work done for DVD & Blu-ray
brought up and quoted here
http://trekbbs.com/showpost.php?p=3513363&postcount=103

originally via POST magazine.

 

[Classic Fan]

The sounds were one of the highlights of the entire movie.

I picked out almost all of the classic sounds that were used in my first viewing, i was smiling all the way through the movie. Even the button clicks and scanner whirs were there, communications in the background of the sets, engine drones/warp charge, the intraship hail button, communicator pips (especially the classic pips and communicators used on the kelvin)

Although, like Shatmandu said, i didnt care much for the phaser blasts myself, although i loved the transporter shimmer, that was blended in flawlessly with an entirely new sound that made it sound the same, but, well, not the same.

Although, the main absence i felt was the boatswain whistle. Didnt hear that, ill have to watch the BD again, although, when Pike broke up the bar brawl, he used the boatswain whistle to alert the officers. Nice little touch there to use it that way.


And the fact that he went and re-recorded all of those from scratch in the same methods as the original sound engineers. This guy deserves an oscar for sound design at least.