Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

May 17, 1980 (Washington, D.C.)
May 21, 1980 (United States)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back is a movie released in 1980. It was the second Star Wars movie and fifth episode in the Star Wars Saga.

Ben Burtt served as Sound Design and Supervising Sound Effects Editor, and Randy Thom contributed in Sound Effects Recording; both contributed to the film's then small sound design and editorial facility, Skywalker Sound (which at that point was growing and soon to be given its first name, "Sprocket Systems"). Edward M. Steidele and John Roesch served as foley assistants to the uncredited foley artist Gary A. Hecker. The original re-recording was at Samuel Goldwyn Studios. For the 1997 Special Edition & 2004 Edition, Sound Designer Ben Burtt and Sound Editor Teresa Eckton reprised their original roles on the film. Tim Fox served as an archivist for the 1997 edition; Sean England was the Audio Archivist for the 2004 version. Matthew Wood joined as Supervising Sound Editor for the 2004 & 2011 editions; Jamie Forester was Skywalker Sound's Post Production Supervisor for the 2004 edition.

Storyline

After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader and a bounty hunter named Boba Fett all over the galaxy.

Sound Effects Used

• George Lucas Astromech Critical Yell
• H-B SCI FI - ROCKET BY, NOISY
• Hollywoodedge, Machine Gun Silence PE1010701 (debut)
• Hollywoodedge, Synth Gun Shot Ricoch PE206601/Sound Ideas, GUN, LASER - LASER GUN: SINGLE SHOT 01
• LOONEY TUNES EXPLOSION SOUND 03 (Heard in only prints 1997-2015)
• SKYWALKER, AIRPLANE - INERTIA STARTER, BIPLANE (debut)
• SKYWALKER ALARM BUZZING SOUND 02 (debut)
• SKYWALKER, ALARM - IMPERIAL SIREN
• SKYWALKER, ANIMAL, ALIEN - WOOKIEE CALL 01
• SKYWALKER, BULLET - HOTH BLASTER RICOCHET
• SKYWALKER, BULLET - PROBE DROID BLASTER, SCI-FI (debut)
• SKYWALKER, BULLET - RAPID, LASER-LIKE RICOCHETS (debut)
• SKYWALKER, BULLET - SMALL DOUBLE RICOCHET
• SKYWALKER, BULLET - SMALL HIGH-PITCHED RICOCHET (debut)
• SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - ARTOO'S ELECTRIC ZAP (debut)
• SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - BIG VARIOUS SPARKINGS (Except for one of the sparks which debuted in this film; the rest are used in 2004- prints only.)
• SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - OLD-FASHIONED ELECTRICAL CRACKLES
• SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - PULSE SHRIEK 01 (debut; low-pitched)
• SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - THE FORCE WHINE (debut)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 01 (2004-2015 prints only)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 02
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 04 (debut)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 05 (debut)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 07 (debut)
• SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 14 (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - AT-AT STOMP (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - BIG CRUNCH (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - DEEP THUMP AND CRACKLE (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - DISTANT, FAINT EXPLOSIONS 01 (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - SMALL EXPLOSION (debut)
• SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - THERMAL DETONATOR: CHARGE 01 (debut)
• SKYWALKER GLASS, SMASH - LARGE WINDOW CRASH 02 (debut)
• SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND (debut)
• SKYWALKER, HISS - HARPOON LAUNCHER, WEAPON
• SKYWALKER, HUMAN - YELL, SHORT, FEMALE 01 (debut)
• SKYWALKER HYPERDRIVE FAILURE SOUND (debut)
• SKYWALKER LASER BLAST SOUND
• SKYWALKER LIGHTSABER SOUND
• SKYWALKER, METAL - AT-AT LEG ROAR (debut)
• SKYWALKER, METAL - BIG CLANK WITH SQUEAL (debut) (low-pitched)
• SKYWALKER, METAL - PROTOCOL DROID MOVING
• SKYWALKER, METAL - TRAIN MECHANICS SCRAPING (debut)
• SKYWALKER, METAL - WEIRD CLANK (debut)
• SKYWALKER, SCI FI GUN - AT-AT GUN (debut)
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - CHEWIE'S BOWCASTER GUN
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - ION CANNON GUN
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - LUKE'S BLASTER GUN (debut)
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - TIE FIGHTER GUN
• SKYWALKER, SCI-FI GUN - X-WING FIGHTER GUN
• SKYWALKER, SIZZLE - QUICK SIZZLE (debut)
• SKYWALKER, SPACECRAFT - SPACECRAFT PASS BY 02
• SKYWALKER, SQUISH - TAUNTAUN GUTS (debut)
• SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - ARTILLERY FALL 01
• SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - SCREAM-LIKE PASS BY (debut)
• SKYWALKER, WHOOSH - SYNTHESIZED JET FLY BY
• SKYWALKER, WIND - HEAVY WIND WHISTLING (debut)
• SKYWALKER, WIND - REACTOR SHAFT EXPLOSION, WIND, WEATHER (debut)
• SoundDogs, Guns Military, Battles - Grenade Launcher Sweetner; Synthy Zap Followed By Wavy Trail - Off. From
• Sound Ideas, AMBIENCE, FOREST - FOREST, SPOOKY NIGHT (debut)
• Sound Ideas, AMBIENCE, SWAMP - SWAMP, VERY ACTIVE, THICK & WET (debut)
• Sound Ideas, Animals - Baby elephant growls and trumpets
• Sound Ideas, AUTO, BAT MOBILE - ORIGINAL BAT MOBILE: START, PULL AWAY
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, AIRPLANE - PROP PLANE POWER DIVE SCREAM (heard in briefly as Luke's snowspeeder begins to go down; left stereo track only)
• Sound Ideas, CARTOON, SWISH - LONG SWISH BY
• Sound Ideas, COUPLING - FREIGHT CARS COUPLING IMPACT, TRAIN (debut)
• Sound Ideas, Electric - Sparks & Hum - C U - Series Of Amazingly Creaky Sparks And Reverberant Decay (debut)
• Sound Ideas, ELEPHANT - VARIOUS SNORTS, GROWLS, TRUMPETS, ANIMAL (Used for the Wampa)
• Sound Ideas, Explosions - Incoming Artillery - C U - Very Good, Explosions With Incoming Whoosh Of Shell, Large Concussive Whumps From Explosion, Some Whistles An
• Sound Ideas, EXPLOSION - SMALL BLAST 02 (Universal Studios)
• Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - SMACK
• Sound Ideas, MOTOR, AIR - COMPRESSED AIR DIESEL STARTER (debut)
• Sound Ideas, MOTOR, COMBUSTION - LARGE, 2 DIESEL ENGINES IDLE (debut)
• Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 03 (Heard 3 times in a -12 pitch.)
• Sound Ideas, WIND - BLAST, MODULATION & HOWL, WEATHER (debut)
• WB FIRE HISS/WHOOSH SOUND
• Wilhelm Scream (1st, 3rd & 4th screams)

Other Audio Used

20th Century Fox Fanfare (1980 John Williams Version)

Image Gallery

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)/Image Gallery

Audio Samples

Sound Ideas, WIND - BLAST, MODULATION & HOWL, WEATHER as heard in the film when Luke is sucked out of a window by heavy wind during his lightsaber fight against Vader.