The lightsaber sound was created for Star Wars in 1977 by sound designer Ben Burtt, who combined a film projector motor hum with television interference buzz and recorded movements to create the swings. It became one of the most recognisable effects in cinema and returned in every major Star Wars film, series and game that followed. Online, creators reuse it far beyond fan films, pairing the ignition and hum with everyday objects for instant sci-fi parody, which keeps the sound familiar even to viewers who have never seen the original films.