10 Mistakes That Actually Improved The Final Films
3. The Lightsaber Sound Was Made By A Broken Microphone
The power of sound is often overlooked, but it plays a vital role in countless films. Horror movies, for example, rely on good sound effects and music to build tension, while many classic films contain iconic sound effects that have become parts of popular culture over the years.
One of the best-known sound effects of them all is the lightsaber "swish". It's easy to imagine that tons of work and testing went into the creation of this sound, with designers and experts going through all sorts of tests and trials before finally settling on a noise that worked. In truth, the effect was, once again, made by accident.
Sound designer Ben Burtt was tasked with bringing the lightsaber to life. It was Burtt's first big film and he was ready to do whatever it took to get the right sounds, even recording a bear's growl to capture a sound effect for Chewbacca.
For the lightsaber, Burtt walked past a TV while holding a broken tape recorder. The microphone picked up a weird buzzing sound from the TV and Burtt thought it would work perfectly as the basis for his lightsaber effect. He still had to modify it a little and mix it with another sound he'd developed, but that random accident helped to bring about one of the most iconic noises of cinematic history.