Gary Roger Rydstrom (born June 29, 1959) is an American

sound designer In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

and film director. He has been nominated for 20

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for his work in sound for movies, winning 7.

Life and career

Rydstrom was born in Chicago. He graduated from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

School of Cinematic Arts The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...

in 1981.Notable Alumni
, USC School of Cinematic Arts, ''Accessed August 10, 2008. He began his career at

Skywalker Sound Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of Lucasfilm. Founded in 1975, the company's main facilities are located at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley, near Nicas ...

, Northern California in 1983. Offered the job by a college professor, he received the opportunity to work with his mentor, ''Star Wars'' sound designer

Ben Burtt Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, ''Invasion of the Body ...

. After gaining invaluable experience as a sound technician in '' Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'', Rydstrom went on to do sound design for the comedy '' Spaceballs''. The sound design for ''

Backdraft A backdraft ( North American English) or backdraught (British English) is the abrupt burning of superheated gasses in a fire, caused when oxygen rapidly enters a hot, oxygen-depleted environment; for example, when a window or door to an enclosed ...

'', prepared from scratch, would become the precursor for his sound for '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day''. The original sound effects from ''Backdraft'' are constantly referenced and have been used for numerous other films including ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy and ''

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...

''. He won an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for his work on ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', for which he pioneered techniques still used today for creating realistic sound effects. Rydstrom also worked with ''Terminator 2'' director James Cameron on a new 5.1 surround mix for the original ''Terminator.'' His sound work on '' Jurassic Park'' led to further innovations, as he and his team set out to create dinosaur sounds by mixing together numerous different animal vocalizations to make the audience feel as though giant bellowing prehistoric beasts surrounded them. The Oscar-winning film was the first motion picture to be presented in DTS. The T.rex roar created by Gary was later reused for Dim in ''

A Bug's Life ''A Bug's Life'' is a 1998 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It was the second feature-length film produced by Pixar. Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Andrew Stant ...

'', Thanator in ''

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appeara ...

'' and the Hydra in ''

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (also known as ''Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief'') is a 2010 Action film, action fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus (filmmaker), Chris Columbus from a screenplay by Craig Titley, ...

''. He subsequently went on to work on sound for numerous films including ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

'', ''

Saving Private Ryan ''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depicti ...

'', '' Minority Report'' and '' Finding Nemo''. He won an MPSE lifetime achievement award, and regularly speaks at various sound design forums sharing his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm with aspiring sound design artists. He made his directorial debut with the

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

short ''Lifted'', for which he received his fourteenth Academy Award nomination. It was included in the Animation Show of Shows in 2006. His debut feature film for the studio, ''Newt'', which was supposed to be about the adventure of two blue-footed newts, and their struggles to work together, was announced in 2008. It supposedly reached the early stages of production, until it was cancelled by Pixar in early 2011 due to story issues. He has also directed the Pixar short ''

Hawaiian Vacation ''Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation'' is a 2011 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Gary Rydstrom. The first entry in the ''Toy Story Toons'' series, the short features characters from th ...

'' and the Lucasfilm animated feature '' Strange Magic''. Rydstrom has also served as English language director on ''

Tales From Earthsea ''Tales from Earthsea'' is a collection of fantasy stories and essays by American author Ursula K. Le Guin, published by Harcourt in 2001. It accompanies five novels (1968 to 2001) set in the fictional archipelago Earthsea. . Retrieved 2012-02 ...

'', ''

Arrietty ''Arrietty'', titled in Japan and ''The Secret World of Arrietty'' in North America, is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi as his feature film debut as a director, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon ...

'', '' From Up on Poppy Hill'', and ''

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI. It was rele ...

'', all of which were produced by the Japanese animation company

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and h ...

Awards and nominations

Gary Rydstrom has been nominated for 20

(7 wins), 12 Golden Reel Awards (5 wins), 5 C.A.S Awards (2 wins), and 5 BAFTA Awards (2 wins).

Filmography

* '' Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (1984) audio technician * '' Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985) audio technician * '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins'' (1985) foley * '' Luxo Jr.'' (1986) sound designer * ''

Red's Dream ''Red's Dream'' is a 1987 American computer-animated short film written and directed by John Lasseter and produced by Pixar. The short film, which runs four minutes, stars Red, a unicycle. Propped up in the corner of a bicycle store on a rainy ni ...

'' (1987) sound designer * '' Spaceballs'' (1987) sound designer * ''

Colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

'' (1987) sound designer * ''

Captain EO ''Captain EO'' is a 1986 American 3D science fiction short film shown at Disney theme parks from 1986 through 1998. The movie stars Michael Jackson, was written by George Lucas, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (who came up with the name "C ...

'' (1987) sound designer * '' Technological Threat'' (1988) sound designer * ''

Tin Toy ''Tin Toy'' is a 1988 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. The short film, which runs five minutes, stars Tinny, a tin one-man band toy, attempting to escape from Billy, an infant. The third ...

'' (1988) sound designer * ''

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

'' (1988) foley * '' Always'' (1989) re-recording mixer * ''

Knick Knack ''Knick Knack'' is a 1989 American computer-animated short film produced by Pixar that was written and directed by John Lasseter. The short is about a snow globe snowman who wants to join the other travel souvenirs in a summer-themed party. Howev ...

'' (1989) sound designer * '' The Neon Empire'' (1989) re-recording mixer * '' F/X2 The Deadly Art Of Illusion'' (1991) sound design/re-recording mixer * ''

'' (1991) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Single White Female ''Single White Female'' is a 1992 American psychological erotic thriller film based on John Lutz's 1990 novel '' SWF Seeks Same''. It stars Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh and was directed by Barbet Schroeder. Plot New York City softwa ...

'' (1992) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Mrs. Doubtfire ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...

'' (1993) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Jurassic Park'' (1993) sound designer/re-recording mixer (with Gary Summers and Shawn Murphy) * ''

Baby's Day Out ''Baby's Day Out'' is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Patrick Read Johnson and written by John Hughes, who also produced the film. Starring Joe Mantegna, Lara Flynn Boyle, Joe Pantoliano, and Brian Haley. The plot centers on ...

'' (1994) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Casper Casper may refer to: People * Casper (given name) * Casper (surname) * Casper (Maya ruler) (422–487?), ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque * Tok Casper, first known king of Maya city-state Quiriguá in Guatemala, ruling beginning in 426 * David ...

'' (1995) sound designer * '' Strange Days'' (1995) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Toy Story ''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...

'' (1995) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

James and the Giant Peach ''James and the Giant Peach'' is a popular children's novel written in 1961 by British author Roald Dahl. The first edition, published by Alfred Knopf, featured illustrations by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. There have been re-illustrated versions of ...

'' (1996) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1996) re-recording mixer * '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997) sound designer/re-recording mixer (with Gary Summers and Shawn Murphy) * ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'' (1997) re-recording mixer/sound designer * ''

'' (1997) sound designer (uncredited)/re-recording mixer * ''

'' (1998) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

'' (1998) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999) sound designer (uncredited)/re-recording mixer * ''

Toy Story 2 ''Toy Story 2'' is a 1999 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The second installment in the ''Toy Story'' franchise and the sequel to '' Toy Story'' (1995), it was directed by John ...

'' (1999) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' The Terminator'' (1984, 2000s DVD release) sound designer consultant: sound restoration and re-mixing * '' 102 Dalmatians'' (2000) sound designer consultant/re-recording mixer * '' Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport'' (2000) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' (2001) sound designer/re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor * '' Monsters, Inc.'' (2001) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'' sound designer (uncredited)/re-recording mixer * '' Minority Report'' (2002) sound design consultant/re-recording mixer * ''

Punch-Drunk Love ''Punch-Drunk Love'' is a 2002 American absurdist romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and starring Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzmán, and Mary Lynn Rajskub. It follows an entr ...

'' (2002) sound designer consultant/re-recording mixer * '' Finding Nemo'' (2003) sound designer/re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor * '' Hulk'' (2003) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' (2003) sound designer/re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor * '' Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation'' (2004) special thanks * '' Lifted'' (2006) director/writer/sound * ''

Tales from Earthsea ''Tales from Earthsea'' is a collection of fantasy stories and essays by American author Ursula K. Le Guin, published by Harcourt in 2001. It accompanies five novels (1968 to 2001) set in the fictional archipelago Earthsea. . Retrieved 2012-02 ...

'' (2010) director/ADR director (English-language version) * ''

'' (2011) director, screenplay * '' Bully'' (2011) sound designer * '' Super 8'' (2011) additional sound designer * ''

The Adventures of Tintin ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one of the most popular European comi ...

'' (2011) sound designer consultant * '' Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' (2011) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

War Horse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

'' (2011) sound designer/re-recording mixer/supervising sound editor * '' From Up on Poppy Hill'' (2011) voice director * ''

The Secret World of Arrietty ''Arrietty'', titled in Japan and ''The Secret World of Arrietty'' in North America, is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi as his feature film debut as a director, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Te ...

'' (2012) director (American English-language version) * '' Brave'' (2012) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Wreck-it Ralph ''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 52nd Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Rich Moore (in his feature director ...

'' (2012) sound designer * '' From Up on Poppy Hill'' (2013) director (English-language version) * ''

'' (2014) director (English-language version) * '' The Face of Love'' (2013) sound designer consultant * '' Strange Magic'' (2015) director, screenplay * ''

Tomorrowland Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...

'' (2015) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Jurassic World'' (2015) sound designer/re-recording mixer (uncredited) * '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015) sound designer (uncredited)/re-recording mixer * '' The BFG'' (2016) re-recording mixer * '' The Post'' (2017) sound designer/re-recording mixer * ''

Ready Player One ''Ready Player One'' is a 2011 science fiction novel, and the debut novel of American author Ernest Cline. The story, set in a dystopia in 2045, follows protagonist Wade Watts on his search for an Easter egg in a worldwide virtual reality gam ...

'' (2018) sound designer/re-recording mixer * '' Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018) sound designer * '' Ad Astra'' (2019) re-recording mixer * ''

Come Away ''Come Away'' is a 2020 fantasy drama film directed by Brenda Chapman (in her live-action directional debut) and starring David Oyelowo, Anna Chancellor, Angelina Jolie, Clarke Peters, David Gyasi, with Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Caine and Derek ...

'' (2020) re-recording mixer * ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'' (2021) sound designer/re-recording mixer

References

External links

Gary Rydstorm - Skywalker Sound
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rydstrom, Gary 1959 births Living people American animated film directors American people of Swedish descent Best Sound Mixing Academy Award winners Best Sound BAFTA Award winners American audio engineers American sound designers USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Best Sound Editing Academy Award winners American sound editors American voice directors CAS Career Achievement Award honorees Artists from Chicago Artists from Los Angeles Film directors from California Film directors from Illinois Film directors from Los Angeles Disney people Pixar people Walt Disney Animation Studios people Lucasfilm people