Movies - TV
Star Wars’ Unforgettable Seismic Charge Sound Was 25 Years In The Making
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
In the B-plot of George Lucas' 2002 sci-fi romance "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones," Obi-Wan chases Jango Fett as he leaves Kamino in a miniature spacecraft.
Jango drops explosive mines called seismic charges on Obi-Wan. These cylindrical objects float out into space, hold steady for a moment, and then explode into a flash of blue fire.
For a moment, the charges are silent, and then there is a "bwamp"-like orchestral noise instead of the expected "kaboom" sound effect one might usually hear from a movie explosion.
The sound was created by longtime "Star Wars" editor Ben Burtt. He talked about the "bwamp" in the 64th issue of Star Wars Insider Magazine.
Burtt explained that it was selected after tinkering with it for 25 years, first making the noise for the original "Star Wars" in 1977.
The quality of sound recording has changed a lot in those decades. With a digital brush-up, the "bwamp" could be enhanced and made clearer and crisper.
He also was proud of the fact that he edited in a moment of silence before the explosion, giving the bombs a "lightning-and-thunder" style delay.