In celebration of Star Wars Day, Apple today shared a “Behind the Mac” film featuring Skywalker Sound, the sound effects division of Lucasfilm known for films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
Skywalker Sound uses 130 Mac Pro racks, 50 iMac, 50 MacBook Pro, and 50 Mac mini computers running Pro Tools, all of which remotely connect to a central machine room. The studio also uses a fleet of iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV devices to aid its production process. Staff at the ranch even emphasized the role of older equipment such as the Apple PowerBook.
Ben Burtt, the sound designer of the original Star Wars trilogy, the prequel trilogy, and the Indiana Jones franchise, said that his journey started with a Macintosh SE, and urged young people who want to work with sounds in movies to begin building a sound effects collection using “inexpensive applications that you can have access to now on your iPad or your MacBook, that you can actually do all kinds of cutting and sound-mixing at home.”
Sound editor and sound designer Al Nelson said that iPhone recordings are “perfectly useable” in a professional context. Seven-time Oscar-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom explained:
You can tell a lot of the story with sound in a way that is less expensive than visuals, usually, and sometimes more emotionally powerful. If you’re interested in sound or filmmaking, you can record 4K+ video on your iPhone. There’s no excuse. The stuff that’s part of our day-to-day lives is the same stuff you need to record sound and make movies. That’s the real revolution. Ultimately, it will democratize the whole process.
See Apple’s full press release for more information about how Skywalker Sound creates its iconic, cinematic soundscapes.
On Monday, May 9, 2022, Apple will host a unique online Today at Apple session with Skywalker Sound’s Leff Lefferts and Apple Music’s Eddie Francis, featuring footage from Skywalker Ranch and the opportunity to learn from an Apple Creative Pro how to make vocal effects for a character using their voice, everyday objects, and GarageBand. Participants can sign up at apple.co/skywalker-sound.
Related Stories
Apple Teases Star Wars-Themed ‘Behind the Mac’ Film Featuring Skywalker Sound
Apple today released a brief teaser trailer for an upcoming “Behind the Mac” film featuring Skywalker Sound, the sound effects division of Lucasfilm known for the Star Wars franchise and many other high-profile movies.
The full film will be released on Apple’s YouTube channel on May 4, Star Wars Day, and will examine how artists at Skywalker Sound use Macs and other tools to generate the…
Mac Studio Owners Complain of Irritating High-Pitched Noise
Some Mac Studio owners have noticed that their machines are making a high-pitched “whining” sound that appears to be coming from the fan. There are pages of complaints on the MacRumors forums about the issue, and it seems to be affecting a number of users.
Most of the complaints are coming from Mac Studio owners who opted for the M1 Max Mac Studio rather than the Ultra version, which is not…
Telegram Update Adds Custom Notification Sounds and New Chat Muting Options
Telegram Messenger has released a new update for iPhone and iPad that lets users set a custom sound for notifications, in addition to a number of other new features.
Following the update, custom alert tones can be created in the app from short audio files and voice messages that are under five seconds and up to 300KB in size. Multiple custom alerts can be created and assigned to…
Harrison Ford to Star in Upcoming Apple TV+ Series ‘Shrinking’ Alongside Jason Segel
Actor Harrison Ford has signed on to star in upcoming Apple TV+ series “Shrinking,” which comes from actor Jason Segel, “Ted Lasso” co-creator Bill Lawrence, and “Ted Lasso” star and writer Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent on the series.
Ford will star alongside Jason Segel, who has a main role in the show. The 10-episode comedy series will see Segel playing a grieving therapist who…
‘The Essex Serpent’ With Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston Coming to Apple TV+ on May 13
Apple today shared the first trailer for upcoming Apple TV+ series “The Essex Serpent,” which stars Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston. The show is set in Victorian England, and Danes will play London widow Cora Seaborne, who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical sea serpent.
She forms a bond of science and skepticism with the local pastor, played by Hiddleston, but when tragedy…
Idris Elba Thriller ‘Hijack’ Coming to Apple TV+
Apple has picked up a seven-part thriller that’s set to star actor Idris Elba, the company announced today. Called “Hijack,” the upcoming Apple TV+ show will follow a hijacked plane that makes its way to London.
Elba is set to star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use his skills to try to save the lives of the passengers on the plane,…
Latest AirTags Firmware Update Tunes the Unwanted Tracking Sound for Easier Detection
Earlier this week, Apple began rolling out a firmware update for AirTags, and while it wasn’t clear at the time what changes were included in the update, Apple has now revealed in a new support document that it tweaks the sound made by unknown AirTags found to be traveling with you.
AirTag Firmware Update 1.0.301
Tuning the unwanted tracking sound to more easily locate an unknown AirTag.Ap…
Sony Announces ‘LinkBuds’ With Open Design to Let in Ambient Sound
Sony today announced the launch of the LinkBuds, which are the company’s latest true wireless earbud product. The LinkBuds have a unique open air design that’s not quite like any other earbud on the market.
Available in black or white, the LinkBuds have a donut-shaped earpiece that goes in the ear. As with the AirPods 3, there are no foam or silicone tips included with the LinkBuds, with the …
Popular Stories
Apple Abandons Mac Mini Redesign
Apple has seemingly abandoned plans to redesign the Mac mini amid rumors that the next-generation version of the machine will likely feature the same design as the current model.
The M1 Mac mini from 2020. According to a recent claim from reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-generation Mac mini is likely to retain the same form factor as the current model, which is an aluminum unibody…
Testing Out Apple’s Self Repair Program With an iPhone 12 Mini Battery Fix
Apple last week announced the launch of a new Self Repair program, which is designed to allow iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE owners to repair their devices on their own using manuals, tools, and replacement parts sourced directly from Apple.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We were curious how the Self Service Repair program works and how it compares to the…
Top Five Most Exciting Apple Products Coming in 2022
We’re five months into 2022 with the Worldwide Developers Conference on the horizon, to be followed not too long after by Apple’s September event. The second half of the year is shaping up to be exciting, as rumors suggest we can look forward to an array of updated Macs, iPhones, and accessories set to launch. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up the five products we can’t wait to get our…
Apple Drops BOE iPhone Displays After Discovering Unexpected Design Changes
Apple has virtually cut Chinese display manufacturer BOE out of the iPhone 13’s supply chain after discovering design changes to its OLED panels, The Elec reports.
BOE has been supplying OLED display panels for 6.1-inch iPhone models since last year, but the company has only manufactured a “meager amount” of OLED panels for the iPhone since February, according to The Elec. Panel production…
T-Mobile Launches Test Drive Program for Home Internet
T-Mobile today announced the launch of a new internet “Test Drive” program that’s designed to allow users to try out 5G T-Mobile internet in their homes. T-Mobile will send users a gateway to try out for a 15 day period at no cost, with users able to keep their existing internet during the testing program.
To encourage customers to switch to T-Mobile Home Internet, T-Mobile is paying up to…
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/05/04/apple-shares-star-wars-behind-the-mac-film/