The Energon Pub

[Optimus Rex]

when im watching Transformers G1 on Joost (so far my only tf watching source until i order some DVD collection from china or whatever) i notice that a lot sounds like lazers and flying noises come from Star Wars like lightsabers noises and TIE fighter flight sound. It there some kind of deal between Lucas and Optimus?

[Thyunda]

Most of the Star Wars sound effects ended up as stock sound effects for other shows. There is one instance of Laserbeak flying, using the TIE fighter engine noise, complete with Darth Vader's breathing.
Transformers had a tendency to use a lot of stock images and sounds.

[starfish]

There are also some sound effects from the UK sci-fi show 'Doctor Who' used in the G1 cartoon.

For example, the sound effect of Soundwave plugging himself in to the Decepticon computer in the second scene of the Movie is the sound of the TARDIS doors opening, and in 'The God Gambit', that heartbeat-like sound used on the Astrotrain interior sequences is actually a sound made by alien race the Daleks. These sound effects were created back in the early sixties, by the way.

The problem is that both these Doctor Who effects are copyrighted by the British Broadcasting Corporation, and have been released numerous times on CD. These aren't just standard stock or library effects, these are famous sounds that have been used countless times in the world's longest-running TV sci-fi show.

Now, I don't want to accuse anyone of wrongdoing, but why would the producers of a cheaply-made 80s cartoon go through the time and effort of paying top dollar for copyrighted sounds from Doctor Who and Star Wars when there are countless free-issue stock space sounds available?

Lucky that no-one has really noticed this yet, because it could have caused huge problems with regard to DVD clearance and rights issues.

[Ipsofacto]

Now, I don't want to accuse anyone of wrongdoing, but why would the producers of a cheaply-made 80s cartoon go through the time and effort of paying top dollar for copyrighted sounds from Doctor Who and Star Wars when there are countless free-issue stock space sounds available?

Because i'm guessing the studio had ALOT of stock sound effects, I mean you're hardly paying top dollar for the sound of the Tradis door opening are you? With the ammount of money TF made back in the 80s im sure they could afford it anyways...

[starfish]

Because i'm guessing the studio had ALOT of stock sound effects

That's my point entirely. Animation studios have VAST libraries of generic space spounds and effects at their disposal. That being the case, why pay royalties for a background 'swoosh' sound that is copyrighted by the BBC?

I mean you're hardly paying top dollar for the sound of the Tardis door opening are you?

The BBC have a copyright system in place on their sound effects that effectively treats them as incidental music. It'd be like paying to have a Beatles song on the soundtrack - imagine how much that would cost. And then there's repeat fees, DVD rights etc etc. It's a HELL of an expense, certainly a lot more so than using stock effects.

With the amount of money TF made back in the 80s im sure they could afford it anyways...

The 80s cartoon was quite a low budget production. Sure, it made a load of money but was produced for very little. Look how many times they re-used certain stock shots, such as Optimus' transformation. The incidental music was always the same, and the production turnaround was very quick, thereby resulting in MANY animation errors.

Other than the excellent voice cast and direction, the programme was made by jobbing hacks for a saturday morning kids' market. It was essentially a 22-minute-long toy commercial. That it turned out so well is nothing short of miraculous.

I reckon they just bought a load of old effects records, then used whatever they wanted, hoping nobody would notice.