Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 33 mm projector? I think Franklin institute made a Mistake

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Posted by Michael Moore (Member # 3867) on 04-27-2008, 07:20 PM:

I was out with the family on Saturday to the Franklin Institutes exhibit of Star Wars, and when I was looking at the light saber display they stated that the sound effects were created by the hum of an old 33 mm projector and a microphone cable stripped to bare wire and struck against a TV tube. I took a picture but it did not come out at all. Anyone else go to the exhibit and read the same thing? I wonder if George Lucas approved the exhibit? I would think he would have picked up on it.
I don't think there is a 33 mm projector.

Mike

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-27-2008, 07:52 PM:

No doubt they did make a mistake. I also know a guy that swears that Dimension 150 was projected from fim that was 150mm wide [Roll Eyes]

. Yea... there musta been a Phillips DP150 triple gauge projector for that job! 35mm, 70mm, 150mm...

Mark

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-27-2008, 08:15 PM:

No, they meant 35mm. Ben Burtt was a projectionist at USC while attending the film school. They had either Standard or Super Simplexes in the booth, with selsyn interlock. He remembered the hum the selsyns made when they were switched on, so he returned to record them for the light saber effect.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-27-2008, 08:39 PM:

Most of those effects were made with a guitar pickup on radio station guy wires. ("Hit the guy wire NOW with a hammer.") Louis

Posted by Christos Mitsakis (Member # 143) on 04-28-2008, 01:22 AM:

Ben Burtt on Lightsaber sound

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-28-2008, 05:16 PM:

Louis, the laser gun blasts were guy wire strikes (with some other elements mixed in). [Smile]

Many of the effects are more than one sound mixed together to create an entirely new sound - where one sound modulates another, not just a straight mix. For example, the fundamental sound in a Tie Fighter fly-by is the sound of a walrus roaring.

I also thought it was cool that most of the low-rumble of the interior shots of the Death Star was really a recording of the air conditioner in Ben Burtt's hotel room, slowed down.

Way cool stuff! [thumbsup]

Posted by Michael Moore (Member # 3867) on 04-28-2008, 08:22 PM:

I knew they made a mistake but don't you think they would want to have correct info if they are putting on such a display? I thought well maybe they had to have the whole thing approved by someone who controls Star Wars. what do I know, I think all the sound effect stuff is really cool. Most of it was recorded with common electrical things either in use or used in a different way. The one thing I did not like about the Star Wars exhibit was they did not really talk much more about sound effect other then the light saber.

they really focused on the land speeder and Hovering vehicles of the future, and the space ships of tomorrow and how they compare with Star Wars ships. They focused the most on Empire (at least from what I could see), then the other episodes.

Mike

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 04-29-2008, 03:23 PM:

Tim said "I also thought it was cool that most of the low-rumble of the interior shots of the Death Star was really a recording of the air conditioner in Ben Burtt's hotel room, slowed down. "
And all these years I thought they recorded the airhandlers in a THX theatre that failed opps I mean that the corporations still got passed [Big Grin]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-29-2008, 06:30 PM:

[rofl]