Skywalker Sound
 | |
| Division | |
| Industry | Sound effects, Sound editing and Remastering |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California. |
Key people |
George Lucas Josh Lowden (General Manager of Skywalker Sound) Leslie Ann Jones |
Number of employees | 160 |
| Parent |
Lucasfilm (The Walt Disney Company) |
| Website | Skysound.com |
Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of the Lucasfilm motion picture group. Its main facilities are located at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California.[1]
History
Skywalker Sound was founded as Sprocket Systems in San Anselmo, California.
While located in San Anselmo, Sprocket Systems came into contact with the local residents from time to time. For instance, Kentfield resident Pat Welsh was "discovered" while shopping at a camera store and went on to provide the voice for E.T.. During the sound recording of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford could be spotted practicing his bullwhip technique in the parking lot.[2]
Sprocket Systems moved from San Anselmo following a disastrous flood in January 1982 and changed its name to Skywalker Sound in 1987 after the company moved to Skywalker Ranch.
Skywalker Sound's staff of sound designers and re-recording mixers have either won or been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound and Best Sound Editing every year since Star Wars in 1977 (in that year Ben Burtt was given a Special Achievement Award, since the category for Sound Editing had not yet been established).
Mixing stages, editorial services, and scoring stages are all located in a central 'Tech Building', with dining areas and living quarters in the vicinity but separate from the main work area.
Skywalker Sound has won 15 Academy Awards and received 62 nominations.
Staff
- Richard Beggs
- Tom Bellfort
- Steve Bissinger
- Steve Boeddeker
- Jeremy Bowker
- Christopher Barnett
- Christopher Boyes
- Ben Burtt
- Bob Edwards
- Frank Eulner
- Andre Fenley
- Ryan J. Frias
- Richard Hymns
- Leslie Ann Jones
- J.R. Grubbs
- Scott Guitteau
- Lora Hirschberg
- Pete Horner
- Ren Klyce
- Casey Langfelder
- Dennis Leonard
- Michael Levine
- Scott Levine
- Tom Myers
- Al Nelson
- Tim Nielsen
- Steve Orlando
- David Peifer
- Juan Peralta
- Gary A. Rizzo
- Gary Rydstrom
- Chris Scarabosio
- Michael Semanick
- Michael Silvers
- Mac Smith
- Gary Summers, M.P.S.E.
- Randy Thom
- Ethan Van der Ryn
- Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
- Bonnie Wild
- Dug Winningham
- Matthew Wood
Partial filmography
Any film with an asterisk means that though Skywalker Sound did not provide the sound, a creative worked on it.
1970s
- Star Wars (1977)
- More American Graffiti (1979)
1980s
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
- Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
- Captain EO (1987)
- Willow (1988)
- Always (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
1990s
- The Neon Empire (1991)
- Backdraft (1991)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- Single White Female (1992)
- Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Baby's Day Out (1994)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Se7en (1995)
- Strange Days (1995)
- Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- The Rock (1996)
- Con Air (1997)
- Hercules (1997)
- Titanic (1997)
- A Bug's Life (1998)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Armageddon (1998)
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Fight Club (1999)
2000s
- X-Men (2000)
- Dinosaur (2000)
- What Lies Beneath (2000)
- Cast Away (2000)
- 102 Dalmatians (2000)
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
- Osmosis Jones (2001)
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
- Pearl Harbor (2001)
- Jurassic Park III (2001)
- Monsters, Inc. (2001)
- Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
- Minority Report (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- The Ring (2002)
- Lilo & Stitch (2002)
- Panic Room (2002)
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- Daredevil (2003)
- Mickey's PhilharMagic (2003)
- Hulk (2003)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- Peter Pan (2003)
- Shrek 2 (2004)
- The Incredibles (2004)
- The Polar Express (2004)
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- War of the Worlds (2005)
- Munich (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Cars (2006)
- Charlotte's Web (2006)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- Zoom (2006)
- Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
- Eragon (2006)
- Monster House (2006)
- Ratatouille (2007)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
- The Simpsons Movie (2007)
- Bee Movie (2007)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Beowulf (2007)
- WALL-E (2008)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- Bolt (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- Up (2009)
- Avatar (2009)
- A Christmas Carol (2009)
- Terminator Salvation (2009)
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
- Coraline (2009)
- Fanboys (2009)
- I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)
2010s
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
- Despicable Me (2010)
- How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- The Last Airbender (2010)
- Rio (2011)
- Cars 2 (2011)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
- War Horse (2011)
- The Lorax (2012)
- ParaNorman (2012)
- Brave (2012)
- The Avengers (2012)
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
- Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
- Flight (2012)
- Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
- The Croods (2013)
- Epic (2013)
- Despicable Me 2 (2013)
- Monsters University (2013)
- The Lone Ranger (2013)
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Rio 2 (2014)
- The Boxtrolls (2014)
- Gone Girl (2014)
- Maleficent (2014)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
- Big Hero 6 (2014)
- Strange Magic (2015)
- Home (2015)
- Inside Out (2015)
- Tomorrowland (2015)
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
- The Peanuts Movie (2015)
- Jurassic World (2015)
- Minions (2015)
- Ant-Man (2015)
- The Good Dinosaur (2015)
- The Walk (2015)
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
- Finding Dory (2016)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
- The Jungle Book (2016)
- The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
- Zootopia (2016)
- The Angry Birds Movie (2016)
- The BFG (2016)
- Life, Animated (2016)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
- Moana (2016)
- Doctor Strange (2016)
- Sing (2016)
- Rogue One (2016)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
- Cars 3 (2017)
- Despicable Me 3 (2017)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
- Coco (2017)
- Ferdinand (2017)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
- Phantom Thread (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
- Isle of Dogs (2018)
- Ready Player One (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
- Incredibles 2 (2018)
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
- Next Gen (2018)
Upcoming
- The Grinch (2018)
- Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018)
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
- Spies in Disguise (2019)
- Untitled Avengers film (2019)
References
- ↑ Lev-Ram, Michal (November 1, 2015). "Behind the scenes at Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound". Fortune. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ↑ San Anselmo Historical Museum: 1970: Approaching the 21st Century