The Origin of the Hollywood Silencer with Star Wars Sound Designer Ben Burtt
Royal Armouries
•
24m
Could a revolver really be suppressed and if so, how would it sound? In this special episode of What Is This Weapon? Jonathan Ferguson explores a mysterious 1940 Enfield design for a suppressed revolver that never made it off the drawing board. But that’s just the beginning.
From sketches to Hollywood myths, we unravel the origins of how silencers have been (mis)represented on screen with help from Star Wars sound legend Ben Burtt.
Where did the iconic “pew pew” come from? Why do movie silencers sound nothing like the real thing? And what is the real sound of silence?
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