Page 133 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)
P. 133
Opposite page, from
top: “Here’s a shot of
the Mos Espa podrace
arena miniature. This
large set was filmed
outside using motion
control photography.
The set was on a
large revolving table.
This allowed the ILM FX
camera crew to rotate the
set during the day to
maintain the lighting
conditions. Note the ladder
in the upper right
background of the photo.
That gives you an indication
of just how large the
miniature set was. Digital
elements were added
later.” (From the personal
collection of Steve Gawley);
Sebulba crashes in a
stunning practical effect!
This page, clockwise
from top left: “This
is the See-Threepio Anakin
Skywalker built in the film.
This full size puppet was
George’s idea for an
inexpensive alternative to
a computer graphics build.
We built this from drawings
made by the art director,
Doug Chiang; This shows
how the See-Threepio
full-size puppet operated
on stage. Note: His
puppeteer, standing directly
behind him in
a green screen suit,
was later extracted from
the shot.”; “Here’s a shot of
the queen’s ship with the
crew that built it. It was
shot outside on a miniature
set of the Tatooine
landscape. We built a small
mock up of the model. That
was then scanned and
refined by the digital
model shop. We then took
those files, and sent them
to a vendor. The vendor
sent us back the pieces we
needed to make a fuselage
casting. The wing tips and
engine intakes were
machined aluminium. The
chrome surface is
actually ‘buffed aluminium
“In those days, I felt that given knew about fur… It was such we were still on the stage, but we
tape’. The result is that the
enough money and enough time, an incredible talent pool in the always delivered. And we always practical model and the
we had a group of people who were shop in those days. It was also delivered as a team. Every one of digital model are exact
so talented that we could make a tremendous feeling that we were those people was outstanding in copies of each other.”
anything. In the model shop, we always a team and that we would what they did, and that’s not a (From the personal
brought together so many skill sets; always deliver. They used to have a feeling you can say that you have collection of Steve Gawley)
there were carpenters, machinists, saying that we’d never not delivered. all the time. It was certainly true
mechanics, engineers, painters, The paint might still be drying as we then— when you got to the level
sculptors, mold makers, hard wheeled it onto the shooting stage, of the ILM model shop, the reason
surface model makers, creature and I might still be twisting wires you were there is because you
makers, costumers, people who together and soldering things while were the best.”a
INSIDER 133
