Page 67 - Star Wars Insider #181

INTERVIEW: DOUG CHIANG

Doug

Chiang

Inventing Worlds

In the first of an extensive two-part interview,
Insider speaks to renowned concept artist, production designer,

and Lucasfilm vice president Doug Chiang about his early
career and landing a dream job at Industrial Light & Magic.

W ORDS: TAR A BENNETT

n the 41-years of the Star Wars
universe’s existence, Doug Chiang
I has spent 20 of them guiding the
visual aesthetics of the modern
era of the franchise. As the head of

the Lucasfilm art department for

seven years, and now as Lucasfilm Vice President
and Executive Creative Director, Chiang’s eye for
the world George Lucas created is helping to forge
the future of the galaxy. Whether it’s designing
the films—from the prequels to Rogue One: A Star

Wars Story (2016)—executing theme park concepts
such as Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, or spearheading
exciting new games and media endeavors, Chiang
is overseeing it all.
And yes, he’s still pinching himself that he gets
paid to play in the Star Wars sandbox every day.
It’s certainly been a long and interesting journey.
Born in Taiwan, and raised in the suburbs of Detroit,
Michigan, Chiang admits he was a very shy child as
he navigated his new country with his siblings and
his parents.
“Being in a new culture, it was very hard for us

to fit in, so I turned inward, and I ended up just
drawing all the time,” he says. “Both my brother and
I drew a lot. My earliest memory, from elementary

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