Wall-E Animation Foley and Sound Design

This segment featuring sound designer Ben Burtt was Included as a special feature on the 2008 DVD release of Wall-E.
Video and characters © Walt Disney Pictures.

[@joeybonin7691]

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Wall E should have won an Oscar for sound design.

[@redeyedbandit1251]

To this day, I still think Wall-E got robbed from the Sound Editing Oscar. I mean Dark Knight made gunshots loud but entire worlds were created through sounds alone in here. Then people had complaints about Bane's voice in Rises.

[@markparkinson6947]

Bane was a character in The Dark Knight Rises, which is a different movie. But yeah, I agree that Wall-E should have won.

[@redeyedbandit1251]

@@markparkinson6947 No worries, I meant it in the sense that after The Dark Knight won an Oscar, it probably made them think they can do no wrong so they did the same thing for Rises, but it bit them in the ass when people complained about his voice being inaudible for the IMAX Prologue. It begs the question, does it warrant an Oscar for the original movie if they made a basic and obvious mistake for the sequel?

[@markparkinson6947]

@@redeyedbandit1251 Well, if The Dark Knight is not automatically changed as a result of the sequel, as in story or technical edits within the Dark Knight as a result of what took place in The Dark Knight Rises, then I think The Dark Knight is warranted their Oscars. Regardless, it's amazing how much effort was put into the sound design of Wall-E, which takes place in a fictionalized dystopian future, as opposed to the Dark Knight, which takes place in a modern setting with noises that we can easily encounter in our own lives.

[@redeyedbandit1251]

@@markparkinson6947 It's also the popularity vote too that puts Oscars into effect. One of the biggest movies of the year will definitely get a massive hype train going on. Especially when there were rumours if Heath Ledger didn't win an Posthumous Oscar for his role, most people would riot. I don't agree with the Academy Awards a lot of times, but it put movies on the map which I haven't heard of or had interest in them. Even with the whole Sound Editing thing, everything people take about art is definitely subjective but having Oscar attached makes people rank things and have a biased opinion with a refusal to accept anything different. For me with WALL-E, you can see from this documentary alone that so much effort and knowledge was poured into making this movie with the library of sounds. If an entire world was created through sounds alone, you have truly experienced escapism.

[@markparkinson6947]

@@redeyedbandit1251 Indeed!

[@johnburton6470]

I remember watching this featurette in the bonus features when Wall-E came out on disc, and being completely ENTRANCED - kick started my love of sound design and eventual career. Thanks Ben Burtt :)

[@musikafossora]

I think this was one of the movies that sparked my interest in sound design, next to Jurassic Park and Star Wars, of course :)

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

The original Poltergeist in 1984.

[@dionst.michael1482]

Didn't want the video to end. Great segment

[@ISEEKSPACE]

Wall-E is a masterpiece

[@newdykung6775]

16:14 Ah yes the origin of Wall E voice

[@dionst.michael1482]

Star Wars and subsequent documentaries of the franchise were the movies that made me aware of the wonderful world of sound design and special effects at a very young age.

[@SlyHikari03]

I love the pen synth thing. That’s pretty cool.

[@SharkyCartelRailroad]

i remember watching this every time i put in wall e

[@pmgvictor4625]

Video about sound design for Wall-E Good portion of the video: Sound designs made from Disney in the 1930s 40s Honestly amazing

[@squidcaps4308]

Note, high frequencies have the same speed of sound than all other sound waves in a material. What makes springs etc unique is that the strike itself creates the high frequency and as the spring vibrates, it slows down the vibrations over time. So, the high frequency pulse of course arrives first as it is the one that started it all but the rest of the frequencies HAPPEN after the initial high frequency pulse and have a descending pitch. Metal plates are used as plate echoes as there is also a lot of reflections happening back and forth, which makes up the rest of the sound when hitting a spring. There is also constant variations of a pitch in a slinky, as it contracts and extends, wobbles around and the spring parameters change rapidly, it modulates the reflections that go up and down, the whole length. So we get two waves going on, one slower moving mechanical wave motion going up/down, side to side and sound waves, bouncing back and forth along the length of the spring, former modulating the latter.

[@Summer__bummer]

The old foley machines are so cool

[@DerSchneb]

Would love to work under Ben. I love doing foley. I used to do a bit of it at Norton Aerospace Audio Visual Lab in San Bernardino, CA. They wanted to apply sound effects to multiple WWII gliders crash landing. The archival black and white film had no sound, (of course) and it was my task to generate the sound. I did it successfully with the sound of falling trees that were being cut down. Worked great!

[@luaplay6332]

ill NEVER forgett wall-e he is my childhood :,)

[@alangriffin8146]

Well, they certainly naile what they were going for. Wall-E is a classic.

[@Raekh_]

15:54 Forgot how cute Wall-E was... Aw...

[@emilypetsche1]

15:45 That’s so cool

[@allanegleston4931]

this is answering a long asked question on who put and who makes the sounds . i was told that there are groups and they do a lot of talking like these guys are . thanks for sharing.

[@larrymorris6465]

1:02 i like WALL-E's *CLEARS THROAT* sound.

[@ijosemi]

no tengo ni idea de como llegue a este video pero wow, viva el team de diseño sonoro

[@Baztation]

1:47 so cute!

[@anneduff9294]

Fantastic video.. you have opened up my world.. wow

[@GregoryAmicar57]

Did you know that WALL-E'S voice is Ben Burrt

[@raghucharukesi8289]

Wonderful

[@colazo_official27]

im a music producer and this was so inspired

[@vanessagrigsby9703]

Im actually listening to this video and it’s audio in particular for my music tech class.

[@Kamer.Sounds]

Big up the Bonus Features

[@saradinizlyra9579]

sou apaixonada por essa animação, um,a das minhas preferidas. Os personagens são comoventes e encantadores...humanos, mais que a média de seres do nosso planeta, e saber com que carinho as vocalizações foram criadas, me faz vibrar de alegria. É emocionante, grata por compartilhar. Aqui Brasil, outubro de 2022.

[@bendixersoftwares6434]

Absolutely amazing!

[@agt7532]

How's this made before it went on DVD?

[@_d_h_]

Fantastic

[@actorjad]

beautiful

[@orkunsanal]

amazing!

[@arniec6817]

Amazing.

[@Josuh]

Sound design is so interesting

[@sadhusomalaksana1831]

Awesome

[@Antoniomadrigalthecuteone]

15:42 I like that

[@Baztation]

this is too cool

[@designdoodle943]

These videos are so interesting

[@EppieC]

Burtt kind of reminds me of Bob Odenkirk

[@MarzzRover]

This movie is almost 20 years old and I think it is still my favorite. You just don't get sound design like this in modern films, and especially not animated films. Everything just feels so stalk and boring.

[@Howlingburd19]

Dude, there is literally no flaw in this movie!

[@charliethomas844]

Does anyone know the brand of shotgun Mic he is using at 7:25 to record the wind sound? Would be useful for a university essay?:)

[@radijo1357]

What is the name of the device used in 14:40 :D

[@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook]

Jawharp it's also called a juice- ummm I think it's also called a juiceharp but I don't think that's right

[@nxspringable]

I see Lightning and Mater 9:39

[@ItsTimeToPull]

Does anyone know what microphone they are using the record the inertia starters for WALL-E's movement

[@elamado1539]

wooow

[@arielg7000]

LOVRU

[@user-ht5th7vq9w]

walle at sound

[@Sergeant_Blain]

he is very scientific.... no words

[@gabrieldassi8591]

5:15 what's the sound?!

[@josephbennett3482]

A very old early days steam powered automobile sputtering sound effect.

[@gabrieldassi8591]

@@josephbennett3482 what are the name of the props Jimmy MacDonald and Wayne Allwine used to recreate that sound effect of the very old early days steam powered automobile sputtering?

[@josephbennett3482]

@@gabrieldassi8591 not sure because they made all of their stuff from random objects , there really isn't no actual name for any of it.

[@arquivosdiversos3318]

Mayrton me trouxe aqui

[@natethanerd]

Mrs pOWERS

[@glynnwilliams4183]

2:02

[@m1ke1981]

He’s like a Walter Lewin of sound design!

[@mitschcrafter6766]

15:54 Are you Among us?

[@steeks9132]

goddammit its everywhere

[@mitschcrafter6766]

@@steeks9132 you wont escape it

[@gatotheusofficial]

Where are the charging one?

[@josephbennett3482]

WALL-E's charge complete sound is the Mac computer boot up sound.

[@clock____93]

But space doesent have sound

[@pointview4113]

Walli

[@pointview4113]

!

[@denversaclamitao8884]

What name this movie

[@Osmone_Everony]

You can't be serious! Do you ever read the titles of KZbin videos?😆

[@seblograsso]

I see Casey Jr The Circus Train. 4:50

[@seblograsso]

15:09 15:14 And the WHISTLE

[@geraldleerilea]

Thank you for everything! Here’s a little something for fun: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKvXXmmLj7qapdU

[@timedintegral1982]

sauce

[@toonzach2870]

You probably know this now, but it was a featurette on the WALL-E DVD/Blu-Ray.

[@SebastianDecilia]

Copy of johnny five