Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535880
28 M PS E . O R G ay 4, 2025 – On the day that has become colloquially known as "Star Wars Day," the Motion Picture Sound Editors partnered with the fabulous team at the Fox Studio Lot to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, presented for the first time in Dolby Atmos and provided exclusively for this event by Lucasfilm. Upon arrival, guests enjoyed a stroll through the historic streets of the Fox Studios Lot, marveling at legendary murals and sauntering down avenues of classic movie and television sets. Nestled near the newly revitalized Fox Sound Department, which has brought back sound editorial and complete post-sound services to the Lot, their destination was the famed Darryl F. Zanuck Theater, where they were immediately immersed in the Star Wars Universe, courtesy of John Williams' soaring score; the perfect backdrop to the buzz of attendees mingling before the screening. Many donned their Star Wars outfits and posed on our red carpet! In addition to serving the MPSE's mission of promoting the art and importance of sound to our industry colleagues, and the general public. This particular screening had the power to bring together generations of families. And did it ever deliver! Said one attendee, "It's been a long time since I can say my son was impressed with his parents. You gave us a great family memory today." The atmosphere was joyous and electric as young and old fans shared their love and stories of what Star Wars has meant to them. Once our 400+ guests took their seats in the theater, the crowd hummed with anticipation, and a spontaneous cheer erupted as soon as the lights went down. Watching and hearing this masterpiece in Dolby Atmos was a truly transportive experience! No matter their age, everyone was a kid again. When the lights came back up, it was our immense honor to welcome co-supervising sound editor and five-time Academy Award nominee Matthew Wood to the stage. The Q&A was moderated by the MPSE's own Vice President, Eric Marks. We are so grateful that Matthew took time away from his duties at the Skywalker Ranch to regale our guests with stories about this incredible film and his personal path to sound. As with so many sound professionals, Matt did not arrive through traditional channels. He was fortunate to grow up in Northern California, not far from the Skywalker Ranch, and found his way in the door at age 17, testing video games. During his early days at the Ranch, a brand-new concept was emerging: digital sound. He soon found himself working on an early digital audio workstation called SoundDroid, which was developed at Lucasfilm. Skywalker gave SoundDroid its first real test run on the George Lucas- produced television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. It was on this project that Matt had his first meeting with legendary Star Wars sound icon Ben Burtt. Matt and Ben formed a fast friendship over their shared love of sound … and humor! Matt brought both his brilliance and humor to our event. It may have been known amongst hardcore Star Wars fans that they were in the presence of a legend of the Star Wars canon, but for those in the audience not in the know, Matt revealed his starring role beyond his sonic talents. During preproduction, the casting team had struggled to find the right person to voice a principal character in the film, exhausting their typical voice-casting avenues. They decided to cast a wider net and accept submissions from non-traditional sources. Matt disguised his name, calling himself "AS," and submitted his audition tape. It's hard to say who was more surprised when his recording was chosen to be the voice of General Grievous, Matt, Ben, or George! Mr. Wood came to the event prepared not just to inform but also to entertain our attendees! He brought his laptop, loaded with the plugin chain he used to modulate his voice. After prompting the audience to lead him in with Obi- Wan's famous line, "Hello there," Matt treated the audience to a riveting, live performance of General Grievous! Matt also gave us a peek behind the sound curtain with photos from the post-production process, studios, and the sound team. Ever the prankster, he jokingly commented about a picture, "Oh wait, it's moving." … Suddenly, via Zoom, the sound master of Star Wars and four-time Academy Award winner Ben Burtt appeared onscreen! The crowd went wild! Ben pulled double-duty on Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, serving as both the picture editor and co-supervising sound editor, giving him the ability to insert and direct the sound elements from the beginning. He shared that his secret to great sound design is constant collaboration and communication with the whole team. He also gave the audience the inside scoop on creating sounds for weapons and other key scenes from the film. One M