Willie D. Burton

Willie D. Burton is an American production sound mixer. His career has spanned five decades, including films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Burton has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound or Best Achievement in Sound Mixing a total of seven times, winning twice; he has been nominated for two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Sound, winning once; and he was nominated for one Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing for his work on Roots.

Willie D. Burton was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Burton grew up in Alabama and became fascinated with broadcasting because he lived near a radio station. While attending high school, Burton entered a work-study program in a store that sold and repaired radios and TVs. He became experienced in repairing radios and began experimenting with improving and learning more about electronics. His attention then moved to sound and sound mixing. His work at the electronic shop fed Burton's fascination with electronics and sound. However, he was obstructed by the limited opportunities for African Americans to work in the field, especially in the Deep South. Amid the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama was slow toward equality in job opportunities. Burton moved to Long Beach, California after high school graduation as his motivation and interest grew. Burton attended a trade school and then Compton City College, where he studied electronics technology.

After graduating from Compton City College, Burton worked on sonar technology for the Department of the Navy. However, his ultimate goal was to work in broadcasting. He was prevented from accomplishing this goal because he needed to be a union member to work in Hollywood. Finally, in 1969, he entered the International Sound Technicians Union. Burton was the first black man to be officially accepted into the union. This led to an entry-level job on the Land of the Giants TV series. Between TV jobs, including work as a boom operator at Medical Center and Gunsmoke, Burton worked as a custodian at a bank.

A friend from one of his TV jobs helped train Burton on sound-mixing equipment. Burton gained immense interest in sound mixing as he developed and polished his talents. Those who worked with him in Hollywood soon recognized his potential. Burton's big break into the sound-mixing world came in 1975, when he heard that Sidney Poitier was directing the film Let's Do It Again, with Bill Cosby. Poitier agreed to hire Burton. This decision launched him into a career that has spanned five decades. He also became part of the Cinema Audio Society. With seven nominations each, Burton and television producer Quincy Jones are currently the Academy's most-honored African-Americans in the film industry.

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Captain America: Brave New World

2025

Sound Mixer

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

2024

Sound Mixer

Origin

2023

Sound Mixer

Oppenheimer

2023

Sound Mixer

Until the Wedding

2023

Sound Mixer

Air

2023

Sound Mixer

Me Time

2022

Sound Mixer

Hollywood Stargirl

2022

Sound Mixer

Spider-Man: No Way Home

2021

Sound Mixer

F9

2021

Sound Mixer

Tenet

2020

Sound Mixer

I Love You

2019

Supervising Sound Editor

Dolemite Is My Name

2019

Sound Mixer

Bird Box

2018

Sound Mixer

White Boy Rick

2018

Sound Mixer

A Wrinkle in Time

2018

Sound Mixer

Fences

2016

Sound Mixer

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

2016

Production Sound Mixer

All the Way

2016

Sound Mixer

Straight Outta Compton

2015

Production Sound Mixer

The Boy Next Door

2015

Production Sound Mixer

Selma

2014

Sound Mixer

Beyond the Lights

2014

Production Sound Mixer

Black Jesus

2014

Sound Mixer

The Purge: Anarchy

2014

Production Sound Mixer

Transcendence

2014

Sound Mixer

2 Guns

2013

Sound Mixer

Alex Cross

2012

Production Sound Mixer

A Thousand Words

2012

Sound Mixer

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star

2011

Sound Mixer

The Help

2011

Production Sound Mixer

Little Fockers

2010

Production Sound Mixer

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

2009

Sound Mixer

Post Grad

2009

Sound Mixer

Imagine That

2009

Sound Mixer

Hawthorne

2009

Production Sound Mixer

Powder Blue

2009

Sound Mixer

Prom Night

2008

Production Sound Mixer

The Great Debaters

2007

Sound Mixer

This Christmas

2007

Production Sound Mixer

The Kingdom

2007

Sound Mixer

Dreamgirls

2006

Production Sound Mixer

The Pursuit of Happyness

2006

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Jarhead

2005

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Venom

2005

Production Sound Mixer

xXx: State of the Union

2005

Production Sound Mixer

Constantine

2005

Sound Mixer

Christmas with the Kranks

2004

Production Sound Mixer

Surviving Christmas

2004

Sound Mixer

Man on Fire

2004

Production Sound Mixer

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

2003

Production Sound Mixer

Tears of the Sun

2003

Production Sound Mixer

Antwone Fisher

2002

Sound Mixer

Panic Room

2002

Production Sound Mixer

Ghosts of Mars

2001

Sound Mixer

The Brothers

2001

Sound Mixer

Bounce

2000

Sound Recordist

Charlie's Angels

2000

Production Sound Mixer

The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle

2000

Production Sound Mixer

Love & Basketball

2000

Sound Mixer

The Green Mile

1999

Sound Mixer

8MM

1999

Sound

Beloved

1998

Sound Mixer

Dead Man on Campus

1998

Sound Mixer

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

1997

Sound Mixer

The Game

1997

Sound Mixer

Metro

1997

Sound Mixer

Courage Under Fire

1996

Production Sound Mixer

Black Sheep

1996

Sound Mixer

Nick of Time

1995

Sound Mixer

Se7en

1995

Production Sound Mixer

The Bridges of Madison County

1995

Sound Mixer

Stuart Saves His Family

1995

Sound Mixer

A Low Down Dirty Shame

1994

Sound Mixer

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Production Sound Mixer

Angels in the Outfield

1994

Sound Mixer

Clean Slate

1994

Sound Mixer

Another Stakeout

1993

Sound Mixer

In the Line of Fire

1993

Production Sound Mixer

Point of No Return

1993

Sound Mixer

The Cemetery Club

1993

Sound Mixer

Sneakers

1992

Production Sound Mixer

Bugsy

1991

Sound Mixer

Shout

1991

Sound Mixer

Life Stinks

1991

Sound Mixer

Avalon

1990

Sound Mixer

Another 48 Hrs.

1990

Sound Mixer

Always

1989

Sound Mixer

Lethal Weapon 2

1989

Production Sound Mixer

Pink Cadillac

1989

Sound Mixer

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

1989

Sound Mixer

Scrooged

1988

Production Sound Mixer

Bird

1988

Sound Mixer

Satisfaction

1988

Production Sound Mixer

Critical Condition

1987

Production Sound Mixer

Short Circuit

1986

Sound Mixer

American Flyers

1985

Production Sound Mixer

The Man with One Red Shoe

1985

Sound Mixer

The Goonies

1985

Production Sound Mixer

Mike's Murder

1984

Sound Mixer

WarGames

1983

Sound Mixer

Six Weeks

1982

Sound Mixer

The Entity

1982

Sound Mixer

Altered States

1980

Sound Mixer

Inside Moves

1980

Production Sound Mixer

Portrait of an Escort

1980

Sound

Urban Cowboy

1980

Sound Mixer

Anatomy of a Seduction

1979

Sound

The China Syndrome

1979

Sound Mixer

Elvis

1979

Sound Mixer

Corvette Summer

1978

Sound

Blue Collar

1978

Sound

Greased Lightning

1977

Sound Mixer

The Amazing Howard Hughes

1977

Sound

Car Wash

1976

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The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings

1976

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RIP

Sound Mixer

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Willie D. Burton

Crewed in

Captain America: Brave New World

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Origin

Oppenheimer

Until the Wedding

Air

Me Time

Hollywood Stargirl

Spider-Man: No Way Home

F9

Tenet

I Love You

Dolemite Is My Name

Bird Box

White Boy Rick

A Wrinkle in Time

Fences

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

All the Way

Straight Outta Compton

The Boy Next Door

Selma

Beyond the Lights

Black Jesus

The Purge: Anarchy

Transcendence

2 Guns

Alex Cross

A Thousand Words

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star

The Help

Little Fockers

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Post Grad

Imagine That

Hawthorne

Powder Blue

Prom Night

The Great Debaters

This Christmas

The Kingdom

Dreamgirls

The Pursuit of Happyness

Jarhead

Venom

xXx: State of the Union

Constantine

Christmas with the Kranks

Surviving Christmas

Man on Fire

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

Tears of the Sun

Antwone Fisher

Panic Room

Ghosts of Mars

The Brothers

Bounce

Charlie's Angels

The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle

Love & Basketball

The Green Mile

8MM

Beloved

Dead Man on Campus

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

The Game

Metro

Courage Under Fire

Black Sheep

Nick of Time

Se7en

The Bridges of Madison County

Stuart Saves His Family

A Low Down Dirty Shame

The Shawshank Redemption

Angels in the Outfield

Clean Slate

Another Stakeout