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A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

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SPECIAL EDITION 2020
TITAN EDITORIAL


Editor / Jonathan Wilkins
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a story. I can’t think of any
CONTRIBUTORS
examples of stories that Ken Rowand, Jon D. Wtitmer, Jonathan Wilkins,
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extended period that have
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I was there pretty much Taraborrelli, Andrea Towers and Jim Nausedas
from the start when, as a 7 year at Marvel Comics, Lizzy Draeger, Tracy
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old, I became obsessed with at Lucasfi lm
collecting. I had the Palitoy (as TITAN MAGAZINES
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Contents










006 054 106

In Conversation with Interrogation Droid: Interrogation Droid:

Carrie Fisher, 1982 Billy Dee Williams Catherine Taber
The saga’s rebel Lando himself answers some Star Wars: The Clone Wars’
princess speaks out in tough questions! Padmé talks to our droid!
a vintage interview.
056 108
008 Lawrence Kasdan Tales from the Red Carpet
The Soundtrack of The writer talks about his The filmmakers behind The

Her Life work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi discuss the making
An exploration of John Force Awakens. of the movie.
Williams’ themes for

Princess Leia. 062 116
Interrogation Droid: Luke Skywalker: The
016 Tom Kane Wizard’s Journey

Teaser Triumphs Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ From farm boy to Jedi
A look back at the Yoda interviewed. and beyond...
greatest Star Wars trailers.
064 122
024 Journey to Lost Stars Building the Death Star

Painting the Galaxy Claudia Gray on her popular What we know about the
The story behind the young adult novel. Empire’s battlestation.
Star Wars matte paintings.
070 128
033 The Power of the Dark Practical Magic: The

McQuarrie’s Star Wars Side: Kylo Ren Surprising Effects of the
The authors of an epic Unravelling the complexities Prequels
book of Ralph McQuarrie’s of sequel trilogy bad guy How old-fashioned models
Star Wars art explain Kylo Ren. were used to give life to the
his genius. galaxy in the prequel trilogy.
078
040 Use the Farce! 134

Jedi Toy Box The true stories between Sith Star
The classic Kenner Luke MAD Magazine’s funniest The making of Marvel’s

Skywalker figure. Star Wars parodies revealed! Darth Vader comic book.

042 084 144

50 Things to Notice in Star Wars: Prequels Red Five: Star Wars
Star Wars: The Force Unseen Five Favorite Demises

Awakens Rare images from Episodes I The most iconic death scenes
Episode VII trivia revealed! to III. in the saga revealed!

IN CONVERSATION WITH...


Carrie Fisher, 1982






Step back in time with Star Wars Insider as we present an archive interview
with Carrie Fisher, originally published in the Bantha Tracks fan newsletter,
May 1982. Speaking on the set of Return of the Jedi (here referred to by its working
title, Revenge of the Jedi), the then 25-year-old actor offers a fascinating insight into
her thoughts on completing the trilogy, and Leia’s growth as a character.


Interview by Ken Rowand









6 / STAR WARS INSIDER

ARCHIVE INTERVIEW





“Leia’s character
Can you tell us something the heat. The work can be a bit
about your experience trying, but it’s a lot of fun to do. It’s
making the Star Wars movies? undergoes quite a a great crew, we’re family.
change. They found a
I grew up in the Star Wars saga.
While everyone else was 25 to 30, How is it playing love scenes with
I was only 19 when the filming way for her to be nice Harrison Ford?

while remaining strong
started. You can see me growing The most trouble we have is when
in each new episode. I used to kid the scene is written by, for instance,
everyone on the set by saying that and commited.” Harrison and the director, without
I had an excuse—I was a teenager, my being there. In Empire, the
but why were all these grown-ups scene where Harrison said, “I
shooting guns, and playing with all see how it looked, then make any know” was rewrittten between
the big toys? I almost think I look needed changes, rehearse those Harrison and Kershner. The rewrite
totally different now. changes, and reshoot. was great, but I just feel I need to be
I came into Star Wars straight The Empire Strikes Back was present when a scene that concerns
from an English drama school. much more of a film about people. me is redone. I sort of felt like I was

Quite a jump. I played Leia Organa, Irvin Kershner [director] required “the girl” again, just a she or her.
who is a royal. Leia is angry, which that everything in a scene “work” We didn’t have any trouble
is part of her strength but not all beforehand, so reshooting a doing that scene because Harrison
of it. She was very clear about her particular scene wouldn’t just be and I know each other so well. After
responsibilities toward her cause, a matter of redoing the same scene all the publicity tours, and talking
the Rebellion, and that was it for faster. We rehearsed a lot more about ourselves, and the movies
her. That commitment didn’t leave on Empire, but the rewriting and endlessly, we have developed ways
her any time for relationships. reshooting of scenes did put us of getting through scenes like that.
While it was OK for “the boys” to over schedule. Kershner was always
be strong, that same strength made willing to talk over any little bit of What do you think about all the
Leia seem, somehow, almost mean a scene to make it more comfortable fan mail you get?

or sarcastic with her “my way or no for the actors. When it first started, I would get
way” attitude. Empire really developed love letters from nine-year-old boys
Basically, Leia is the only female the relationships of the main who would compare me to
in Star Wars. Oh, there’s Aunt characters. You got to know them “a summer’s day.” It was very sweet
Beru, and some new characters a little better. Hopefully, you’ll get of them. They sent such lovely
in Revenge of the Jedi, but Leia to know them as well as you can in letters. Much of my mail was from
remains the main female role. Revenge of the Jedi, because it is the children, and some grown-ups,
Originally I was known as “the end of the trilogy. who had seen the movie 50 times

girl.” During my first day on the I like the script for Jedi. Leia’s each. I like the fans. If any of them
set, someone described the next character undergoes quite a change. write me after they see Revenge of
scene I was in as, “the girl crosses They found a way for her to be the Jedi, and the changes in Leia’s
the room and exits stage left. The nice while remaining strong and character, I hope they will still
camera operator will have to pan to committed. Leia is quite feminine. speak of that summer’s day. I’ll look

keep her in frame.” I asked whether Her character is as clearly defined forward to those letters.
I was to be “the girl” or “the camera as “the boys,” and she even
operator.” They got the idea. I’m dresses “like a woman.” It’s been
now an honorary camera operator. nice having the chance to work
on a character that developed
Now you’ve worked across all throughout the movies.
three movies, how has each Jedi will be a very complex
one differed? movie with a lot of scenes that
Each one is unique! Each episode must be done in front of a blue
has had its own director with his screen, where the actors will only
own different way of working, and have Richard Marquand’s [director]
it was lovely having a chance to verbal description to establish what
work with all of them, yet there is is supposed to be going on. There
still that thread of continuity. are so many things to consider,
Leia and
Star Wars was an introduction. and it takes a lot to get every detail
Han share a
The relationships between the main right. You have to get the acting just romantic
characters were being established. right, the droids moving right. You moment, as the
rebels celebrate
It was made, I think, as a film to even have to take off the creature’s on Endor’s

be cut—we would shoot a scene, heads so the actors don’t faint from forest moon.





STAR WARS INSIDER / 7

8 / STAR WARS INSIDER

The Soundtrack







of Her Life










John Williams has scored every step of Princess Leia’s journey.

Jon D. Witmer listens back to her iconic, emotional themes to
see how they help tell the Skywalker saga.

















































STAR WARS INSIDER / 9

JOHN WILLIAMS






s Imperial as Erich Wolfgang Korngold and films and growing into new

stormtroopers Alfred Newman, Williams would themes that, taken as a whole,
A overwhelm steep his score for Star Wars in the provide an appropriately nuanced
operatic traditions of the 19th-
the rebel
musical portrait of this complex
forces on the century Romantics. character and her journey
Tantive IV in Identifying specific melodies through the galaxy far, far away.

the opening minutes of A New with individual characters in the
Hope, Princess Leia delivers a story, Williams would take those A New Hope: “Princess
small data tape to astromech motifs through various iterations, Leia’s Theme”
droid R2-D2. repeating them to accompany the After its initial, brief statement
Leia turns to leave, and the character and re-orchestrating aboard the Tantive IV, Leia’s

image is accompanied by them to reflect that character’s theme is next heard, more fully
a short, muted burst of seven emotional and physical state as developed this time, when Luke

notes, the first two of which the saga progressed. stumbles across the princess’s

are separated by six steps on a In the liner notes to the first desperate holographic message for
musical scale—what’s known as Star Wars soundtrack LP, he Obi-Wan Kenobi. “I wrote a very
a major-sixth interval. Through wrote: “What I wanted to hear romantic theme for Princess Leia,”

the film, this cue will recur in a was something to do with a Williams explained in the
variety of forms, developing on character here and something to soundtrack liner notes. “I thought
each occasion and ultimately do with the same character more of it in terms of when Luke sees

becoming the theme that we developed there. I believed we her for the first time and he says
inextricably link with Leia. needed melodic themes of our how beautiful she is. It is a
This idea of having musical own which I could bend around fairytale-type princess melody.”
themes or “motifs” associated and put through all the David W. Collins is a voice
with key characters was central permutations that I would need actor, stage host at Star Wars
to writer-director George Lucas in the dramatic situations.” Celebration, and co-host of
and composer John Williams’ The motif that Williams would the Star Wars Oxygen podcast,
shared vision for the music of develop for Leia resounded well which offers a deep analysis of
Star Wars. In the vein of classic beyond A New Hope, gathering Williams’ work throughout the

Hollywood composers such additional facets in successive Skywalker saga films.


01























































10 / STAR WARS INSIDER

JOHN WILLIAMS





02



























































03



“Princess Leia’s theme, like sees as the major themes of any observes, “The final crescendo

Leia herself, really stands out Star Wars film—from [both] a and solo violin finale perfectly


from everything else in the musical perspective and a story express Leia’s inner strength and
movie, stylistically and perspective—by which ones he yearning for the innocence of
01 Leia places melodically,” he says. “Leia gives the concert treatment to.” a time long past.”
her hologram represents the broader universe. In the concert arrangement, Collins hears connections to
in R2-D2—

unkowingly She represents what we know a flute introduction leads to the the wider story. “Another piece

setting in about the Republic, the Senate, main melody, which is first that famously starts with a solo
motion the and even the Rebellion for most presented by a solo French horn French horn is Obi-Wan Kenobi’s
events of the
entire original of the movie. So her theme (see sidebar, page 38). After a theme, [aka] the Force theme,”
trilogy (left). represents the beauty in the wind interlude, a flute returns he says. As heard when Luke

universe and everything that’s to present the primary theme. looks out toward Tatooine’s
02 Leia’s



hologram worth fighting for.” Following another bridge, violins binary sunset, the theme, like
sets Luke and While Leia’s melody appears play the melody, accompanied Leia’s, starts with a horn, and
Obi-Wan on some nine times over the course by horn and flute in pronounced then the strings take over.

course to their
destinies, and of A New Hope, the version that’s supporting roles. Finally, the “The French horn has
“Princess Leia’s most widely known is Williams’ full orchestra—with strings a softness to it,” says Collins.
Theme” swells.
concert arrangement, titled still leading the way—builds “It has a sweet timbre and a

03 Of course, “Princess Leia’s Theme.” This has the melody to its climax, after lower register. Of the whole brass

things take been included in every album which a violin provides the section, French horns have the
a more sinister
turn in both release of the soundtrack to date, denouement. In his liner notes to ability to play delicate melodies
the music and but isn’t heard in the film itself. the A New Hope Special Edition and really give you something

action when “You can always tell,” says soundtrack release, film music lyrical. If you’re going to make a

Darth Vader
arrives. Collins, “what John Williams historian Michael Matessino piece that’s going to build, it’s a



STAR WARS INSIDER / 11

JOHN WILLIAMS






wonderful starting point, they board the Falcon. Why did
because you get this round, Williams turn to Leia’s theme
SOLO FOR LEIA warm, beautiful sound. When here? “I felt it had the most
you start with a horn, it gives sweeping melody of all the
John Williams recorded the music for you somewhere to go.” themes in the score,” he writes.
the original Star Wars with the London Two particularly noteworthy “This wildly romantic music in
Symphony Orchestra (LSO) over the course
of 14 three-hour scoring sessions from renditions of Leia’s theme are this tragic setting represents
March 5 to March 16, 1977. presented as the princess and her Luke’s and the princess’s reaction
David Cripps was the LSO’s principal new allies make their way to leaving Ben behind.”
horn at the time, and at this year’s San through the Death Star toward
Diego Comic-Con, he took part in a The Empire Strikes
retrospective panel dedicated to A New the Millennium Falcon. The

Hope’s music and sound. During that first is a brief but pronounced Back: “Love Theme”
session, he recalled playing the French horn appearance immediately before When scoring The Empire Strikes
solo for Leia’s theme. Leia and Luke swing across the Back, Williams sought to build
“The Princess Leia theme is surely one of Death Star chasm—giving way on A New Hope’s foundation.
the most beautiful tunes that anybody ever
wrote,” he said. “It shows the genius of John to a trumpet fanfare as the two Quoted in Matessino’s liner notes
Williams to great effect—not just because heroes soar to safety on the other for The Empire Strikes Back
it’s a wonderful tune, but because he wrote side. Despite its brevity, Williams Special Edition soundtrack, he
it for the best instrument in the orchestra! highlighted this moment in the says: “I wanted to try to develop
“I remember it so well, even 40 years
later. We were doing sessions every day for liner notes, writing: “This music material that would wed with
a week, and it was not uncommon for us is a kind of swashbuckling the original and sound like part
to be doing three sessions in a day. So we version of the princess’s theme. of an organic whole. So, in the
would start at nine o’clock in the morning, It is a little bit tongue-in-cheek in creation of new themes and the
have lunch, do an afternoon session, have tone, with a very strong ‘Errol handling of the original material,
dinner, and do an evening session. It was

exhausting work. And for brass players, we Flynn’ flavor, like the music from the task, both in concept and

all said, ‘Why does my mouth hurt at the end a late 1930s adventure film.” instrumentation, was one of
of the day?’ The second—and perhaps the extending something that I had
“There was one particular day when we most intriguing—instance comes written three years before. I had
were approaching the end of the evening
session, and at the end of the session break when Obi-Wan is struck down by to look back, and at the same
John got onto the podium and said, ‘Ladies Darth Vader, and the rebels trade time begin again and extend.”
and gentlemen, everything’s going really blaster fire with stormtroopers as Leia’s original motif does

well, but I need to get one more title in this
evening. Would you do me the favor of a
half hour’s overtime?’ Well, all of us brass “I felt it [“Princess Leia’s Theme”]
players, we were kind of groaning at the
prospect of going on for another half hour, had the most sweeping melody of all
but this was John Williams, and so we
said yes. the themes in the score.” John Williams
“That title was “Princess Leia’s Theme”.
The [sheet music] parts arrived, they were
put on the stands, and I saw this thing with 04
‘solo’ written above my part. John looked
at the corner where the heavy brass were
sitting—trumpets, trombones, tubas—and
he said, ‘Don’t worry boys. This is going to
be a gentle, easy number for you.’ And then
he looked across at me and he said, ‘David,
I’ve written a little horn solo for you. I hope
you enjoy it.’
“So he rolled the picture and we started.
I was sight-reading this thing, and I started
playing—la-da-dee-dee, da-dum-ba-da-
dum—and I thought, ‘When is this thing
going to end?’
“We did that fi rst rehearsal, and then
John said, ‘OK everybody, I need to go and
listen to that. David, come with me.’ So
we went into the booth and we listened to
it, and John said, ‘Very nice indeed. That’s
lovely. Just play it like that every single time
and I’ll be happy.’ So that’s the story of the
fi rst time anybody ever played the Princess
Leia theme.”









12 / STAR WARS INSIDER

JOHN WILLIAMS






05











































06



Nevertheless, Williams makes the
relationship between the two
motifs clear: both melodies begin
with a major-sixth interval.
Like Leia’s theme in A New
Hope, the love theme makes its

first appearance in Empire’s
opening minutes, as Han tells
Luke via comlink that he’s
returning to Echo Base. The
melody continues to accompany
Leia and Han throughout their
subsequent journey, surging
04 “Han Solo and appear in The Empire Strikes assessment. “‘Han Solo and the to great heights in celebration
the Princess”


perfectly Back, but its place in the film is Princess’ is filled with much of Han’s derring-do at the
captures the largely replaced by a new theme, more caution than Leia’s theme,” conclusion of the chase through
loving-but- referred to alternately as “Han he says. “It has a push-pull, the asteroid field, and swelling

acerbic tone of
the relationship Solo and the Princess” and, which you hear through the in tragedy as Han is pulled away
between Leia more simply, “Love Theme.” entire movie. It’s what [Empire from Leia and onto the carbon-
and her favorite The cue accompanies both director] Irvin Kershner called freezing platform.
scoundrel (left).
Leia and Han as their shared a ‘game,’ because the subtext of In his analysis for the Star
05 The theme adventure draws out their true their harsh words is that they’re Wars Trilogy Original Soundtrack

takes on a
melancholy tone feelings for one another. falling for each other. That’s Anthology box set from 1993,

for The Empire As Matessino observes on the reflected in the theme.” Film Score Monthly founder
Strike’s Back’s piece, “This melody perfectly That “push-pull” structure is Lukas Kendall writes that “Han
bittersweet final
moments. complements the earlier theme, there as the main melody is Solo and the Princess” is heard
but trades in its pure innocence presented and then immediately “in its entirety in the movie,
06 Han and Leia for a more mature love theme repeated in a lower register. Leia’s beginning with the scene when

share a tender
moment before infused with an appropriate theme, on the other hand, builds Han and Leia are working inside
they are torn hesitancy and a sweeping upward on itself, pushing the the Falcon, their relationship
apart by the 19th-century Romanticism.” melody into higher registers in growing closer despite Leia’s
forces of the
Empire. Collins agrees with this a way that sounds aspirational. uncertainty. The moment is





STAR WARS INSIDER / 13

JOHN WILLIAMS






interrupted by C-3PO, however, the backdrop of the Ewok village, stays true to the character of Leia
and then musically destroyed reveals their true bond. we have already come to know,
altogether as we cut to the As with Leia’s original theme, saying: “Williams takes the main

Imperial fleet.” In this sequence, Williams chose to highlight title and turns it into a more
Williams again opts to build the this new music with a concert lyrical theme. Then he takes it on
melody by starting with a solo arrangement for the album a rollercoaster ride through
French horn. release. Titled “Luke and Leia,” all kinds of dark emotions by
In the wake of Han’s capture, this arrangement once again putting his dramatic emphasis
the love theme follows Leia and introduces the melody with on the softest part of the main
her friends as they try to stop a solo French horn. In the cue title’s melody.
Boba Fett’s escape on Cloud City’s from the film, the melody is “In the main title, the big

east platform and then, having instead given to the strings on notes that are accented are
failed, as they make their way to its first instance, then the oboe perfect intervals—neither major

the Millennium Falcon. Finally, when it is repeated. nor minor—and the passing
the theme crescendos at the film’s However, Collins notes, unlike tones that tell us the theme is in

conclusion, as Leia, Luke, and the Leia’s earlier themes, “‘Luke and major happen very quickly. With

droids watch the Falcon depart, Leia’ is in a flatted key, which ‘Luke and Leia’, Williams pulls
with Lando and Chewbacca now gives it a mellow, muted, even 07 The mellow those tones out, transforming it
tone of “Luke
at the ship’s controls. With Han sorrowful sound. There’s no and Leia” into something that mixes
Solo imprisoned, the theme takes opening major-sixth interval, hints at the tragedy and hope together,
complex

on a new meaning, representing which had been so identifiable without ever quite giving you
nature of
Leia’s longing for her lost love. “It with Leia. Instead, it’s a totally siblings’ resolution. We hear it in the part
is a bittersweet ending,” Kendall different melodic shape. relationship. of the movie where they’re
writes, “hopeful but unresolved.” “It’s actually an offshoot of facing their biggest obstacles and
08 A shaken Han

Luke’s theme. The first five notes and Chewie, everything seems desperate.”


Return of the Jedi: are the same.” Given that this following In his analysis for Jedi’s Special
Solo’s brutal
“Luke and Leia” theme is introduced as Leia interrogation. Edition soundtrack, Matessino
Return of the Jedi introduces learns that she is a Skywalker, writes, “Unlike the innocent
09 Reunited for

a third motif for Leia, this time he adds, “It’s important that the ‘Princess Leia’s Theme’ from
the final
underscoring her shared lineage theme be a Skywalker theme, and time. Leia A New Hope and the wildly
with Luke. This “Brother and that a Skywalker theme becomes and Han’s fanciful ‘Han Solo and the
embrace

Sister” cue makes its first Leia’s, as well.” Princess’ from Empire, ‘Luke and
later takes on
appearance when Luke, against Collins argues that this change a tragic air. Leia’ is infused with a maturity
07

















































14 / STAR WARS INSIDER

JOHN WILLIAMS






that embodies the enlightenment 08
of the two characters and the full
comprehension of their destinies.”


The Force Awakens:
“Han and Leia”
As Return of the Jedi nears its
conclusion, Leia tells Han that
Luke is her brother, and Williams
guides the score through the
“Luke and Leia” melody and into
the love theme from Empire.
At the time, this marked the
culmination of Leia’s onscreen
romance with Han. But as the
Skywalker saga continued with
The Force Awakens, the trilogy’s
themes found new meaning
through fresh juxtapositions.
In fact, even the prequel trilogy 09
afforded an opportunity for
Williams to incorporate Leia’s to their hidden base on D’Qar.
theme, albeit not until the final When Han and Leia share another

moments of Revenge of the Sith, moment soon thereafter, their
as Bail Organa volunteers to adopt love theme returns on a somewhat
Leia, and again when he hands surer footing, courtesy of a French
the baby to his wife. When horn. Its position is quickly
watching the saga in episode usurped by Kylo Ren’s theme,

order, this becomes the first time however, as conversation turns to
the theme is heard, and its the couple’s wayward son.
“return” in A New Hope quickly Both Leia’s theme and the love
alerts the audience to Leia’s theme are again called into service
identity and secret history. when Leia and Han speak outside
When Leia—now a general in the Falcon, just before Han,
the Resistance—makes her first Chewie, and Finn depart for

appearance in The Force Awakens, Starkiller Base. As Han readies his
disembarking from a Resistance ship, Leia appears, supported by
transport, she is accompanied by her original motif. The two
a woodwind rendition of her embrace, and a horn plays the
theme. “Han had been in the love theme. Lastly, when Rey
movie already for 40 minutes at arrives on D’Qar following the
that point, so that is definitely destruction of Starkiller Base—and

Leia’s moment,” notes Collins. the death of Han—Williams
The theme quickly transitions restates the “Han Solo and the

into “Han Solo and the Princess,” Princess” melody for the final
which is here delivered by a flute. time, as Leia embraces the young

Where a horn might have brought scavenger. Not unlike its use at the
an air of confidence, the wind end of The Empire Strikes Back, away, there’s good cause for

instrument feels appropriately the love theme here lends further hope. After his arrival in the

tentative for this reunion between poignancy to Han’s now final moment of The Force
the estranged husband and wife. permanent absence. Awakens, Luke playa a larger
As Collins says, “After seeing The “It was great to revisit those role in the new film, and Leia’s

Force Awakens, we know ‘Han themes in The Force Awakens,” leadership of the Resistance is
Solo and the Princess’ is a love Collins enthuses. “John Williams sure to be further explored.
theme filled with caution and, brought them back and made Williams has scored Leia’s life

ultimately, tragedy.” them important all over again. from princess, through war hero
The love theme then gives way Here’s hoping we get to hear ‘Luke and sister to wife, mother, and
to “The March of the Resistance” and Leia’ sometime in the future.” leader. Whatever happens next,
as General Organa’s forces return With The Last Jedi just weeks we’ll be listening with love.






STAR WARS INSIDER / 15

Teaser






Triumphs!









The first glimpse of a new Star

Wars movie is always a thrilling

moment. From the early “Wow—
what is this?!” elicited from

cinema-goers in 1976, to the

“What on Earth does Luke mean?!”

inspired by The Last Jedi.


As we wait impatiently for the

new movie to either confirm our
theories or blow them out of the

water, now seems like the perfect

time to look back on the saga’s
teaser trailers and see how much

they really told us.



W O R D S : J O N AT H A N W I L K I N S

TEASER TRAILERS




episode FOUR

STAR WARS






T E ASER T R AILER, 1976





































he first footage of Star Wars

that audiences saw came in
this portentous trailer, which
T promised the story of “a boy,
a girl, and a universe,” and “aliens from
a thousand worlds!” The narrator signed
off with the boast that the movie was
“a billion years in the making,” but we
can forgive a bit of hype, especially as
Jurassic Park (1993) would use a similar
line in its ad campaign 16 years later.
A highly unusual trailer for the time,
the film uses fast editing as opposed to

the slow takes that were more common
in the late 1970s. These swift, dramatic
shots are built around a slow, somewhat
menacing reveal of an early Star Wars
logo, which gradually moves toward
the audience before exploding.
What’s most notable about the trailer,
however, is what it doesn’t feature. John
Williams’ famous score and Ben Burtt’s
sound effects were some of the last things
to be added to the movie in 1977, so
neither are present. Instead, this teaser is
“TWENTIETH Century Fox and George soundtracked by a variation on Vivaldi’s
“Winter” from The Four Seasons.
With many other post-production
Lucas, the man who brought you American processes still to be completed, the

Graffiti now bring you an adventure unlike trailer also includes a different cry of “No

blasters! No blasters!” from the finished

anything on your planet—Star Wars film, a cruder lightsaber effect, and no
!”
hint of what Darth Vader sounds like.




STAR WARS INSIDER / 17

TEASER TRAILERS





episode five udiences’ first look at creatures.” But what would

Star Wars’ sequel is a bit have been most tantalizing for
the empire Afeaturing movie footage, fans in 1979 was the promise of
unusual: rather than
“an awesome confrontation between
s trikes back it was created using concept art and Luke Skywalker and the master of the
still photography. Shots across close
dark side of the Force, Darth Vader!”
ups of Ralph McQuarrie’s paintings Given the lack of live-action
T E ASER T R AIL ER, 1979 give the sense of movement, as does footage, viewers might have been

the “Venetian blind” effect applied to forgiven for thinking that the new
imagery of the familiar heroes movie would be animated, were it
and newcomer Lando Calrissian not for the closing character stills.
(played by Billy Dee Williams). The intriguing photo of Lando—
As in 1976, the Star Wars logo smiling, but not described as either
move slowly towards the viewer. hero or villain—is the closing shot
Another reminder of the 1977 of the trailer before the logo shoots
blockbuster is John Williams’ back into infinity and explodes.

unmistakable main theme music. As the blast echoes in the
As the music plays and emptiness of space, the title appears
visualizations of Hoth and Cloud at the bottom of the screen and the
City slide by, a laconic voiceover voiceover assures us that The Empire
teases “exotic worlds” and “new alien Strikes Back is “coming next year!”























episode SIX

RE TURN OF



THE JEDI



T E ASER T R AILER, 1982



y the time the first trailer for Return of the Jedi

(here titled Revenge of the Jedi) debuted, Star Wars
was so well established, moviegoers would have
Bhad no doubt what they were about to see as soon
as they heard the words “A long time ago…”
The trailer dispels any doubts about Han Solo’s wellbeing
after he was frozen in carbonite, showing him at the heart of
the action early on. Feeling more like a modern trailer than

the preceding teasers, the emphasis here is firmly on action.
With the exception of grunts, cries, and R2-D2’s signature
sounds, the only character to say anything is Admiral
Ackbar, with the debut of his catchphrase, “It’s a trap!”
The voiceover is eager to add hype to the wonders still to
come. “An epic of heroes and villains,” intones the narrator.
“An adventure as vast as the universe!” Has there ever been
a better line to sum up Star Wars?






18 / STAR WARS INSIDER

TEASER TRAILERS
















episode ONE

THE





PHANTOM





MENACE





T E ASER T R AILER, 1998







ack in late 1998, Star Wars
fans developed an unexpected

interest in the films Meet Joe
BBlack, The Waterboy, and
The Siege. Why? Because attached to

the front of these films was a trailer for

the most hotly anticipated film of its
day: The Phantom Menace. Fans were
buying tickets to other movies simply
so that they could watch the Star Wars
teaser before skipping the main feature
to go and discuss what they had seen!
The trailer sells the movie as the

first chapter in a new Star Wars trilogy:
recognizable in some ways, different
in others. The legends “Every journey

has a first step…” and “Every saga
has a beginning…” are intercut with
establishing shots of settings that would
have been impossible to create in the
1970s and ’80s. John Williams’ famous
music plays—and kicks into the main
theme as the visuals give way to a frenzy
of fast cuts. We see tantalizing glimpses
of podracing, Darth Maul, Jar Jar Binks,
and other CGI creatures, intercut with
the return of old friends like C-3PO,
Yoda and a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With new characters largely
unknown, there is an emphasis on
famous faces, as Liam Neeson, Natalie
“Every generation Portman, Ewan McGregor, and Samuel
L Jackson are all in attendance. Thrilling
has a legend…” to existing fans and intriguing to a
whole new generation, it saw the saga
reinvented in the space of two minutes.






STAR WARS INSIDER / 19

TEASER TRAILERS






n the same way the trailer
for Return of the Jedi
needed no introduction,
Ithis bold departure
takes advantage of Star Wars’
long-standing hold on the
public imagination. Instead
of dialogue or even sound
from the new movie, this
teaser presents silent footage
from Attack of the Clones,
accompanied by the steady,
sinister breathing of Darth
Vader from the original trilogy.
episode TWO As the trailer builds to
its climax, staccato drums
AT TACK OF add to the tension, which
culminates in the brief sound
THE CLONES of lightsabers clashing. The
movie’s title appears with a
musical sting, and then recedes
T E ASER T R AILER #1, 2001 to black. The whole thing is
just one minute long, but stays
with you much longer.






episode THREE
REVENGE OF







THE SITH







T E A S E R T R A IL E R #1, 2 0 0 4




kilfully weaving together Alec
Guinness’ “For a thousand
generations…” speech from A New
SHope with footage from The Phantom
Menace, Attack of the Clones, and the movie
it is previewing, this epic teaser reminds
casual viewers how everything ties together
while deftly pushing their nostalgia buttons.
For full-on fans, it is both a love letter to
the movie that spawned the prequels, and
a tantalizing glimpse of everything they
had long been waiting to see: Anakin’s fall,
Vader’s rise—and Wookiees, lots of Wookiees!
As teasers go, it’s perfect: sending goose
bumps down the spine, bringing the two
trilogies together, and priming audiences for,

what was at that point, the final chapter in
the Star Wars saga.





20 / STAR WARS INSIDER

TEASER TRAILERS





EPISODE SEVEN
THE FORCE






AWAKENS







T E A S E R T R A IL E R #1, 2 014






































“THERE HAS BEEN


AN AWAKENING...”





he anticipation in 2014 for the first


look at the new Star Wars film was
intense to say the least. How would
Tthe galaxy look all these years later?
Would we catch a glimpse of Han, Luke, and
Leia? The teaser immediately put us at ease
by opening on something simple: a scared-
looking man—a stormtrooper, no less!—in
a classic Star Wars setting, the desert. The
teaser neatly introduces our new generation
of heroes: Finn, Rey, Poe Dameron, plus an
instantly-appealing BB-8, before revealing
Kylo Ren (and oh boy, did his raggedy
lightsaber get fans talking!). Smartly, none
of the original characters appear here, both
setting The Force Awakens up as a modern
continuation of the saga, while building
anticipation for their future reveal. And that
closing sequence of the Millennium Falcon
pirouetting through the air as John Williams’
theme triumphantly plays makes one thing
abundantly clear: Star Wars is back!






STAR WARS INSIDER / 21

TEASER TRAILERS




a star wars story

rogue one






TEASER TRAILER #1, 2016






o one knew quite what it’s thrilling to see the original

to expect from the first stormtroopers and the moment the

Star Wars Story film, Death Star’s superlaser is attached.
Nbut the teaser aptly It’s interesting to note how
hints at a tougher, darker tone. much of this teaser didn’t make it
The lighting and color palette is into the final cut, though. There

gloomier, the music and sound are a wealth of alternate takes
design far more ominous, from the and deleted scenes here, from Jyn
first familiar notes, here plaintively Erso’s “This is a Rebellion, isn’t it?

picked out on piano, to the I rebel!” to shots of Orson Krennic
terrifying scream of a siren as the striding through the watery ruins
rebels prepare for battle. of Scarif to the thrilling sequence
At the same time, it also of Cassian and Jyn fleeing on foot

recreates the used-future aesthetic while AT-ACT walkers rain down

of A New Hope. This is our most fire on them. For those with a
in-depth look at the galaxy keen eye it provides a fascinating
under Imperial rule to date and glimpse at the road not taken.






episode eight
the



l as t




jedi



TEASER TRAILER


#1, 2017






ringing us right up-to-date is our first look at The Last Jedi! We
open with Rey’s hand slapping down hard on a rocky surface as she

gasps in... what? Fear? Pain? Confirming that this is a part of her
Btraining on Ahch-To with Luke, we hear a voiceover from the Jedi
Master instructing her to, “Breathe. Just... breathe. Now, reach out. What
do you see?” It’s intercut with footage of Leia studying a map, Kylo Ren’s
smashed mask, and a book inscribed with the symbol of the Jedi Order.
Switching to epic mode, we see a squadron of battered fighters racing across

the sands of an alien world; Poe Dameron running to his X-wing, only for
it to explode; brief glimpses of a scarred Kylo Ren and a frantic space battle.
But the most exciting moment is saved for the end. “I only know one truth,”
says Luke, framed in darkness. “It’s time for the Jedi to end.” That bombshell
adds weight to the film’s ominous title, and makes us wonder exactly what

has happened to Luke in the years since he went into seclusion.





22 / STAR WARS INSIDER

ALL NEW MUSIC


BY


LUDWIG GÖRANSSON



STREAM NEW MUSIC FROM THE SERIES EVERY WEEK BEGINNING

NOVEMBER 12

DISNEYMUSIC.CO/MANDALORIANPLAYLIST















© 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD.

MATTE PAINTINGS


























































































































24 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS















Painting the Galaxy







From Tatooine to Scarif, matte paintings have played a crucial

role in creating the far-Æung locales of Star Wars caught

. Insider
up with visual-effects veteran Paul Huston for a look at how the
techniques have evolved over the course of the saga.




W O R D S : J O N D . W I T M E R



















































































STAR WARS INSIDER / 25

MATTE PAINTINGS






he Death Star’s scenery in order to create the 01 (Opening models and assisting with the

page) The
chasms. Bespin’s illusion of a larger setting—had digital matte Dykstraflex camera that filmed


T Cloud City. been developed and refined. The painting for those models on ILM’s stage.

Padmé’s
processes by which visual effects
The Ewoks’
funeral in “The work would go through
village in the artists bring matte paintings to the facility like a pig through a
Revenge of
trees of Endor. cinematic life would continue the Sith. python,” Huston recalls. “It would

The Gungans’ home beneath the to be finessed over the course of be crazy-busy in the model shop

02 Paul Huston
waters of Naboo. The starship the original trilogy and beyond, works on one until the models were finished

graveyard of Jakku. The rain- taking the paintings into the his models and could be photographed on
for The
soaked crags of Eadu. What could digital realm. the stage, and then the stage
Phantom
unite such disparate vistas? Menace. would be really busy. I followed
From the beginning of the New Hope, Old Process the pig just to keep working!”
03 Huston
Star Wars saga through to its most Paul Huston has been behind On the original Star
photographs
recent big-screen installments, the scenes for every live-action the landscape Wars, “there wasn’t a matte
matte paintings have helped Star Wars movie, from the 1977 models for department per se,” Huston
The Phantom

realize far-flung settings that original to Rogue One: A Star Wars Menace. explains. “[Concept artist] Ralph
dazzle the eyes and fuel the Story. He joined ILM in 1975, McQuarrie did some paintings,
04 Huston at
imagination. By the time George fresh out of architecture school at Harrison Ellenshaw did some,
work on
Lucas formed Industrial Light the University of Colorado, where the TIE and [visual effects art director] Joe
& Magic (ILM) to create the he also studied media and art. fighter Johnston did a couple. Because
models for
visual effects for the original Star Based on his illustration of my eclectic interests, I helped
the original
Wars, multiple variations of the portfolio, he was hired as a visual- trilogy. photograph some of those.”
technique—which combines a effects storyboard artist at ILM. Harrison Ellenshaw was
live-action element with painted Before long, he was also building the head of Disney’s matte
02 03



























department when he received
special dispensation to work on
Star Wars’ matte paintings for two
months. By the time he joined
the production in early 1977,
McQuarrie had already been
working on matte paintings of the

film’s planets as seen from space.
The matte painters’ myriad
responsibilities included
matching the perspective of the
live-action element, mimicking
the characteristics of whatever
lens had been used for the live-
action plate, and compressing or
embellishing the sense of depth
as required. For instance, with
04 the high-angle view of the curved





26 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS






wall and chasm adjacent to the some 70 composites in total—
elevators that Luke, Han, and that required the formation of
ORIGINAL TRILOGY MATTE ARTISTS
Chewie take to the Death Star’s a dedicated matte department
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
detention level, McQuarrie had within ILM. Ellenshaw returned
Matte Artist P.S. [Harrison] Ellenshaw
to work out the right view for the to head the department, and was
Planet and Satellite Artist Ralph McQuarrie
painting. This was combined with again joined by McQuarrie, who

the live-action photography using painted roughly half of the film’s Star Wars: Episode V The Empire
Strikes Back
the “bi-pack method.” mattes. The department also
Matte Painting Supervisor Harrison Ellenshaw
In the bi-pack process, added painter Michael Pangrazio, Matte Artists: Ralph McQuarrie, Michael Pangrazio

two strips of film were made photographer Neil Krepela, and Matte Photography Neil Krepela
Additional Matte Photography Michael Lawler
to run through the camera photography assistant Craig
Matte Photography Assistants Craig Barron,
simultaneously. The previously Barron to its team. Robert Elswit
exposed and processed film with “There’s an area of overlap Matte Photography Consultant Stanley Sayer, BSC

the live-action plate was placed in between the matte department
Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
front of an unexposed negative. and the model department that Matte Painting Supervisor Michael Pangrazio
When the two strips of film ran I tended to gravitate towards,” Matte Painting Artists Chris Evans, Frank Ordaz


through the camera, which was reflects Huston, who again worked Matte Photography Neil Krepela, Craig Barron
Matte Photography Consultant Stanley Sayer, BSC
aimed at the matte painting, the as a model maker and an assistant
live-action footage and the matte on the stage camera for Empire.
PREQUEL TRILOGY MATTE ARTISTS
painting would be combined onto “Don Dow was the cameraman

the raw negative. The benefit I was assisting, and he would turn Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
of this method was that the the matte painting work that Digital Matte Artists Ronn Brown, Brian Flora,
Caroleen Green, Jonathan Harb, Paul Huston, Bill
matte element on the resulting came to him over to me. I had an
Mather, Rick Rische, Mark Sullivan, Yusei Uesugi,
composite was first-generation, understanding of 2D, so it was Wei Zheng

Additional Matte Paintings Bill George
“For other scenes live-action elements Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
Digital Matte Sequence Supervisors Yusei
were combined with matte paintings Uesugi, Paul Huston, Jonathan Harb
Digital Matte Artists Jett Green, Kent Matheson,
through front or rear projection...” Mathieu Raynault, Masahiko Tani, Susumu
Yukuhiro, Toshiyuki Maeda, Brett Northcutt, Mark
Sullivan, Simon Wicker, Wei Zheng

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
rather than being a secondhand pretty easy for me to do matte Digital Matte Supervisor Jonathan Harb
duplicate, which would have camera tricks, like moving multi- Lead Digital Matte Artists Yanick Dusseault, Brett
increased contrast and grain. plane shots in the Cloud City Northcutt
Digital Matte Artists Richard Bluff, Vanessa Cheung,
For other scenes, live-action sequence. I also helped Craig and
Jeremy Cook, Max Dennison, Bryant Griffin, Christian

elements were combined with Mike with building miniatures Haley, Giles Hancock, Benjamin Huber, Paul Huston,
matte paintings through front they could use for reference. Toshiyuki Maeda, Steve Matson, Yvonne Muinde,
Martin Murphy, Joshua Ong, Kevin Page, Benoit
or rear projection, and in I could get them something that
Pelchat, David Shirk, Chris Stoski, Masahiko Tani,
some instances, matte shots would work pretty quickly, and Johan Thorngren, Yusei Uesugi, Simon Wicker, Barry
required an optical printer to I think they appreciated that.” Williams, Susumu Yukuhiro, Wei Zheng
be completed. For the Massassi The Empire matte department
Temple exterior—seen after the frequently employed front
Millennium Falcon lands on projection, in which a matte
Yavin 4—the live-action plate was painting was made on glass, with latter, the live-action plate
shot at Cardington Studios in a blank space where the live- was projected onto a piece
England, the foreground foliage action element would be added. of rear-screen material from
was photographed separately Reflective Scotchlite material was behind the glass painting.

in front of bluescreen, and the placed behind this blank area to And once again, certain shots
matte painting was created by create a mirror. The live-action were completed in the optical
Ellenshaw at ILM. The elements plate would then be projected department, which is also
were then assembled in the through a beam splitter—a half- where most of the complex

optical department. silvered mirror at a 45-degree shots were finalized.

angle that would reflect the In deciding which technique
Through A Glass, Brightly projected image toward the to use, Ellenshaw and his team
While making The Empire Strikes Scotchlite area of the painting. would weigh the needs of the
Back, the art team made more During the process the crew particular shot against the
extensive use of matte paintings also made use of bi-packing as strengths and weaknesses of
than they did in A New Hope— well as rear-projection. For the each method. While bi-packing






STAR WARS INSIDER / 27

MATTE PAINTINGS





05






































could produce better-quality 05 The picnic explains. “It had standard 35mm hold-out matte, to create a plate

results, projecting the live-action scene from and VistaVision movements, and featuring just the required area for
Attack of the
plate gave the team more control, Clones a whole set of lenses, including an live action, surrounded by black.
as they could adjust the plate’s incorporates a anamorphic [widescreen effect] They then rear-projected the plate
digital matte
size using the projector. When lens so we could photograph the for exposure with the hold-out
painting.
choosing between front and Huston: “I matte paintings for compositing matte, and then composited that
rear projection, the former was shot the with anamorphic elements.” pass with the Masonite painting,
waterfalls as
usually preferable because the The Auto Matte featured in which the area where the live-
separate

highly reflective Scotchlite screen elements at two “carriages” on which matte action element would play had in
provided a brighter source, which locations in paintings could be mounted, turn been painted black.
California and
in turn enabled faster exposures. comped them with each carriage capable of For the shot of C-3PO and
And as the postproduction together with movement in three dimensions. R2-D2 in the foreground walking
photos of
schedule ticked away, every Developed over a period of toward Jabba the Hutt’s palace in
the set.”
second counted. two years, the system had first the background, Pangrazio and his

06 (Right page) been put through its paces on team turned to one of the earliest

Auto Matte And More Huston at Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra- matte painting techniques: the
work on the
For Return of the Jedi, Pangrazio miniature Terrestrial (1982), and it proved “original negative,” also known as
took the reins of the matte elements he indispensible in realizing Jedi’s the “latent image” or “held take”
built for the
painting department, overseeing numerous moving-camera matte- method. In this process,
picnic scene.
the creation of approximately 45 painting shots. a glass sheet is positioned in
illustrations, for which he was While smaller mattes were front of the camera on set (in this
joined by matte painter Chris typically painted on two-and- case, on location in California’s
Evans. “Craig Barron was the a-half-feet by six-feet panes of Death Valley) as the live-action
camera supervisor, and he prepped glass, the larger mattes that were element is shot. The glass is
me to take over a lot of things,” required to accommodate camera left clear except for a small area
Huston reflects. “By that time, moves were realized on pieces of painted black, where the matte

I was pretty well embedded with Masonite hardboard measuring painting will eventually go. Both
the group, even though I wasn’t in either four feet by six feet, or four the camera and the glass are
that department. I had kind of a feet by eight feet. Rather than cut tented off to avoid unwanted
dual existence: I also had things I through the quarter-inch-thick light from hitting the glass pane.
needed to do for [ILM supervising Masonite in order to project the After filming the live action, the

modelmaker] Lorne Peterson to live-action plate, the painters unprocessed negative is sent to
keep the model shop happy.” created a “hold out” matte on the matte department, and the
This time around, the matte glass, which was entirely black detailed painting is exposed on

department was working with the except for the blank area where the same piece of film.
new Auto Matte system: “a track- the live-action plate would By placing both exposures
mounted camera that was custom- appear. They then rear-projected on the same negative, thereby
built there at ILM,” as Huston the live-action footage with the eliminating any duping, this






28 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS





06










































































process can yield the best results.
However, as Huston points out:
“It’s risky, because if something
happens to the original negative,
you’re out of luck. Supervisors
didn’t like to have undeveloped
film sitting for months in the

closet in the matte department.”
Despite these risks, the original
negative method found further
use after Return of the Jedi in the
two made-for-television Ewok
movies, Caravan of Courage
(1984), also known as The Ewok
Adventure, and The Battle
for Endor (1985). “The Ewok
movies were less under the gun,”
recalls Huston, who was a matte
photographer on the films, and






STAR WARS INSIDER / 29

MATTE PAINTINGS






even painted a matte, working
under the guidance of supervisors
Chris Evans and Craig Barron.
“There was a little bit more
room for experimentation. And
Chris and Craig really liked to keep
their hands on the whole process,
so they loved the original negative
method. They loved being able to
shoot the plate, do the painting,
do the exposure of the painting,

and then deliver a final shot.”
Digital Inroads

Huston would go on to hone his
skills as a matte painter on features
such as The Goonies (1985), and
Ghostbusters II (1989), and by
the early 1990s he was very well
established in ILM’s matte painting
department. He recalls that, as the 07
decade progressed, “Photoshop
came along, and I immediately “As Photoshop’s tools got miniatures and model making. “I
‘glommed’ onto it.” more sophisticated, it got easier would go buy a toy car or a toy

The first digital matte work he and easier to use,” he continues. truck, or I could quickly build

undertook with Photoshop was “When we first started using it, something in foam core and paint
for commercials, but it wasn’t there were no layers. You could it,” he explains. He would then
long before he was applying the cut and paste, and there was take photos of the miniatures that
technique on narrative work— this crawly ant line around the he could scan and work with in
specifically The Young Indiana selection you made. If you clicked the computer. “Or you’d head

Jones Chronicles (1992-93). on it, it would just immediately to the bookstore to see if you
“Bruce Walters was the head of composite. You’d end up doing could get a book that had a good
the matte department, and he set things over and over again until photograph that you could scan
[matte painter] Yusei Uesugi and you got it at just the right angle. and then manipulate digitally.”
myself up in a small back room Yusei would use photo reference Taking what they’d learned
in D Building [at ILM’s San Rafael and do small acrylic paintings. on Young Indy, Huston and
facility] to see what we could do Then he would photograph Uesugi then applied their digital
with some Young Indy shots. his painting and take that into matte techniques to the Star Wars
Photoshop at the end to avoid the Special Editions (1997). Uesugi
cut-and-paste level entirely. I was built the Mos Eisley spaceport
08
more comfortable just hammering as a 3D computer-generated
everything in Photoshop.” (CG) environment, enabling
Complementing the tools camera movement with realistic
in Photoshop, Huston, Uesugi parallax as Luke’s landspeeder
and their colleagues also began makes its way through the streets
working with After Effects for 2D before stopping at the Imperial
animated elements, as well as checkpoint. Huston, meanwhile,
the 3D programs Electric Image composed digital mattes of Mos
and Form-Z. Huston notes: “We Eisley, basing his work off photos
jumped into 3D right away of miniatures he constructed from
because there are so many things foam core, paint cans, plastic
that you used to have to do balls, and other materials. He
manually as a matte artist that 3D also worked with miniatures for a
just does—like perspective grids, new establishing shot of Obi-Wan
which are tedious but need a high Kenobi’s desert home, with Luke’s
degree of accuracy. A lot of things landspeeder parked outside.
became much easier.” Working with visual effects
Huston also continued to supervisor John Knoll, Huston
draw on his prior experience with also built a six-foot-wide model






30 / STAR WARS INSIDER

MATTE PAINTINGS






of the spaceport’s docking bay
94, which he photographed
outside at the right time of day

to match the light in the film.
He then embellished the photo
as a digital matte painting that
was projected over rough 3D CG
geometry, allowing the painting to
convincingly match the camera’s
pan and tilt as the Millennium
Falcon lifts off from Tatooine.

Into The Modern Era

For the podrace in The Phantom
Menace (1999), Huston and Knoll
took the technique of projecting
a digital matte onto 3D geometry CANYON OF THE CRESCENT MOON
to new heights. “That was a big
moment,” Huston says, explaining “Camerawork was 50 percent of the matte painting, and all the matte painters were interested
in using any trick they could to make things more realistic photographically. Mark Sullivan was
that the environments are
one of the best ever at combining paintings and camera techniques. He had a bag of tricks you
“basically photographs that are wouldn’t believe.
projected on geometry. Luckily, “He really liked using miniatures, so I worked with him a lot. For Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade, there was a shot looking through a pair of binoculars at the Canyon of the Crescent
you’re going at 600 miles an hour,
Moon. Mark did the matte painting on Masonite, and it looked really good, but he didn’t think it
so there’s a lot of motion blur!” looked realistic. So he had me cut the bottom off of the painting, just below the horizon, and then
Using the sequence’s animated we built about a 20-foot-by-2-foot miniature of the canyon out of plywood and foam.
storyboards—animatics—as his “We set the cut-off matte painting about 8 feet in front of the camera, with the horizon
positioned so that it came to the horizon of the miniature, which was about 25 feet away from the
guide, Huston built miniature
camera—so the horizon was closer than the foreground! We put a piece of glass in front of the
arches and other details out of painting with a little bit of Vaseline along the blend line between the miniature and the painting,

foam and plaster, painted them, and we filmed the whole thing in-camera. It was crazy, but it worked really well—and it was fun.
It utilized the strengths of both paintings and miniatures.” — Paul Huston
and then carefully photographed
the models outside, capturing
an array of angles and lighting
directions. He also photographed
dirt to create a texture map for the 07 Another tricks became blurred, and this you can go off in a direction that

ground, and manipulated other angle of the trend has continued through leads to disaster.”
miniature
photos for use throughout the used in the The Force Awakens (2015) and Asked whether he still works
sequence’s backgrounds. picnic scene Rogue One (2016). “In reaction with miniatures, Huston says,
in Attack of
Huston continued to work with to the wide array of challenges “It’s more difficult than it used

the Clones
photographs and miniatures in his (opposite). under the group’s purview, to be. We don’t really have the
digital matte paintings for Attack the digital matte department space, tools, or materials at ILM
08 Huston was
of the Clones (2002). For Anakin has since been renamed the anymore. But if I can go to a store
among the
and Padmé’s picnic on Naboo, the many ILM and ‘generalists department,’ because and buy something, or if I can

background cliffs were fashioned Lucasfilm we do so many different things” find a location, I would rather
alums who
from painted aluminum. He then had worked Huston notes. photograph something. I still
composited this photographed on A New While Photoshop remains enjoy working that way.”
Hope, and
element with digital video he’d an important tool for 2D work, Despite all the changes over the
who recently
shot of real waterfalls. celebrated 40 earlier 3D software has given way years, Huston muses that modern
As the prequel trilogy drew to years of the to visual effects software including digital matte painting feels much
film that
a close with Revenge of the Sith Nuke. “In 2D, Photoshop’s tools the same. “The processes you go
started it all
(2005), the line between digital (opposite). are really the easiest to use and the through—the things you analyze
matte techniques and other CG most direct,” Huston says. “But the and look at—are similar. The rules
way that Nuke displays colors is of composition are the same.
really predictable and precise.” You’re in the same ballpark.
“...Huston and Knoll took And for anything that ends “The thing for me has been

the technique of projecting up on-screen—especially a digital that, for a long time, the paintings
were locked off [stationary],” he
matte painting that needs to
a digital matte onto 3D match other effects as well as concludes. The ability we have
geometry to new heights.” live-action photography—Huston now to move the camera through
stresses, “If the color isn’t right,
a painting? That’s huge.”





STAR WARS INSIDER / 31



McQUARRIE’S







STAR WARS








RALPH McQUARRIE’S ART HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

TO THE TEAMS OF NUMEROUS STAR WARS PRODUCTIONS, FROM A NEW

HOPE TO STAR WARS REBELS AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN. AN AMAZING

BOOK COLLECTION COVERING HIS STAR WARS OUTPUT IN ITS ENTIRETY WAS

RECENTLY RELEASED BY ABRAMS. JONATHAN WILKINS SAT DOWN WITH THE

AUTHORS, BRANDON ALINGER, DAVID MANDEL, AND WADE LAGEOSE, TO
DISCUSS THEIR DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF McQUARRIE’S WORK.

tar Wars Insider: These books are McQUARRIE
absolutely exhaustive! Where
do you even start in putting MASTERPIECES
S together a project such as this?

Brandon Alinger: The first step was

assembling the team. [Former Lucasfilm Insider asked the team
behind the books which
executive editor] Jonathan Rinzler offered b
me the opportunity to author it after we piece they would most
published Star Wars Costumes: The like to have displayed
Original Trilogy in 2014. I knew it would on their walls…
be a mammoth undertaking and I knew
David Mandel was a McQuarrie collector David Mandel: At the
and enthusiast, and David knows Wade, moment, I cannot stop
who shares the same passions. So the looking at the original
three of us assembled, without realizing “Cantina” painting.
exactly what we were getting into at that I love the colors and all
time. The exciting thing was that everyone the creatures buried

was committed to doing the definitive in it.
book—to showing all the artwork. I think


34 INSIDER

that was the biggest draw for us to work Ranch Archives, but we felt every piece for each movie. There is a vast amount of
on this project. was important, and we were glad to get artwork on The Empire Strikes Back and
those in. a relatively small amount on Return of the
How did the process of collecting the Jedi, for example. So we couldn’t just say

pieces work? How long did the collection take to create, three volumes, one per film. It wouldn’t
BA: Fortunately, George Lucas had the and how did it change from original pitch have been properly balanced. Ultimately,


foresight to begin archiving materials to final product? we feel the final product is what we set out
from his films at a time when many BA: It was just about two years from our to create, and we’re pleased about that.


others didn’t. So the key source was the first trip to the Ranch to having the final

Skywalker Ranch Archives, and that was product in hand. We debated a lot of things Was there anything in Ralph’s career up
where we began—looking through the along the way—should it be one volume, until the point he started on Star Wars
original hand-drawn and hand-painted two volumes, or three volumes? How do suggesting he would be able to create
artwork. From there we moved on to we break up the volumes: portrait or these worlds so vividly? What convinced
Lucasfilm’s digital image asset archive, landscape? All these things had to be George Lucas that he should hire him?

and then to the collecting community to considered. While Abrams (the publisher) BA: There’s no doubt Ralph was an


see what other pieces were “out there” and Lucasfilm had final say, they were amazing artist long before Star Wars.
that we could get scans of. Obviously, always interested in our input, which we You can see his early work with NASA and
what private collectors have is minuscule appreciated. There were some challenges Boeing published in other places, and you
in comparison to what’s available at the in that the quantity of available art varies can see the skill he already possessed at


INSIDER 35



that time. I think the specific experience effort to rescan so much of the art and

as a technical illustrator was directly photograph the bigger pieces, like the
relative to the world George Lucas matte paintings. The people at the Lucas
wanted to create. As you’ll read in library at Skywalker Ranch were also a big
[George Lucas’s foreword], it was a help, providing us with all sorts of older
series of, it was a series of paintings McQuarrie interviews. Beyond that, we
Ralph did for Star Dancing—a film reached out to people who knew and

Lucas’ friends Hal Barwood and Matthew worked with Ralph, and the collecting
Robbins were looking to make—that community who helped add some key
specifically caught George Lucas’ eye pieces that the Archives did not have.

and exposed him to Ralph’s talents.
Are there any lesser-known pieces that
What were the key pieces that Ralph particularly stood out for you?
created in getting the original Star DM: Most people don’t realize that in
Wars movie off the ground, and why the early drafts of Star Wars there was
do you think they proved so convincing a prison planet that was separate from
for the Fox execs that Star Wars was the Death Star, and that planet, called the
worth investing in? Imperial City, Alderaan in the draft, was
David Mandel: As we point out in the basically what later became Bespin. For
text, that’s a bit of a myth—the Ralph budget reasons, the Imperial City was cut
paintings were not used to sell the and Leia was held prisoner on the Death
movie to Fox. However there were done Star; but I love the sketches and painting
very early and were incredibly helpful of the Imperial City. In this early Imperial
in showing people what George was version, Cloud City seems grayer and
talking about. They were useful when more ominous than Bespin. Ralph went

hiring people to work on the film— in later and revised the painting by

people like Ben Burtt talk about seeing adding TIE fighters to it. Of course, when

the paintings and wanting to work on they were figuring out The Empire Strikes

the film. They were an incredible vision Back, Cloud City came back. But
of the film when people needed to see I love this earlier incarnation. Another

what George’s vision was. piece is from the early days came when
George was playing with the idea of a
How helpful was the team at Lucasfilm Wookiee planet. I loved the thickness

in assembling this collection, and of the trees and the way the Wookiee
what other sources did you use? structures were built right into the trees.
DM: Jonathan Rinzler was key in Once again, George didn’t throw anything
getting things started. He brought away, and these designs ended up in the
the three of us in to write and was infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.
there the whole time to act as an
advisor on the book. The team at the What have been the big surprises in
Archives was just incredible in helping putting these books together?
us put the books together. That is DM: Two things jumped out as the book
where the majority of the McQuarrie was being put together. The first was

assets are currently located— from the just how prolific Ralph really was. Most

sketches to the paintings to the matte people only think about the production
paintings. The Archives’ team led the paintings, but his body of work on Star
Wars is staggering. That leads to the
second point: Ralph did everything.
Storyboards? Try Ralph. Matte paintings?
Ralph will learn how to do it. Need a
McQUARRIE poster design or a crew T-shirt? Ralph.


We need a Lucasfilm Christmas card?
MASTERPIECES Try Ralph. It’s really incredible how much

he produced and how he influenced every
aspect of production and post-production,
Brandon Alinger: So many of the right into marketing.
paintings are masterpieces. If I’m
picking one it has to be from the While working on the project, were

first film—I’ll say the “Fantastic you surprised that so much of his work

Five” painting. I love the trademark still exists?
gradient in the sky, the signature Wade Lageose: I’m not at all surprised
McQuarrie orange that shows up in that so much of Ralph’s work is still in
a number of the works, and most existence today. Technically, the artworks
importantly, the early versions on the he produced were so masterfully done
characters, which are quite different that I can’t see how anyone would not
to where they wound up. want to keep them. George Lucas
collects art, which might also have
something to do with their survival.


INSIDER 37

McQUARRIE MASTERPIECES
Why do you think that Ralph’s work is so

revered and so influential, both in Star Wars
and beyond? Wade Lageose: There are so many extraordinary pieces to pick from, but my
WL: One only needs to look at Ralph’s favorite at the moment is Ralph’s “Laser Duel” from Star Wars. That illustration
artwork to understand why he is so revered. has great composition and movement, and features an early draft character, Deak
Ralph was an extraordinarily talented Starkiller (often referred to as Luke), facing off against Darth Vader. As in many
visionary and a master craftsman. He had of Ralph’s early Star Wars paintings, there is a great spontaneity and energy to it.
a way of communicating through his artwork Beyond its extraordinary technical merits, it tells an engaging story—as do many
that was spontaneous, approachable, and of his paintings—that keeps me coming back, again and again.
universal. His unusual concepts had a
real-world familiarity to them, making
them believable and easy to understand of piece turning up now that the books his pieces, then organizing them and
at a glance. Yet there is a depth to his are available? deciding which needed rescanning was
illustrations, from the engaging stories they WL: One of our goals from the beginning major task. It involved exhaustive research
tell to the wonderful lighting and artistry was to include everything Ralph ever both in and out of the Archives. We often
they display, that captures one’s imagination. contributed to the Star Wars universe. compared the physical originals maintained
While that idea was simple enough, its at Skywalker Ranch to the massive digital


How definitive can definitive be? Are you implementation was a phenomenal task. archive maintained by the Lucasfilm Digital

living in anticipation of a previously unheard Collecting, documenting, and photographing Archives. Just dealing with two separate,
38 INSIDER

proper archives with different cataloging aware of undocumented McQuarrie rich with materials accumulated from
systems was time consuming and works, please let us know. and by various sources. So we were
often tedious. really well covered. One of the more
All of us authors who worked on the If you could ask Ralph a question, what challenging sections involved the Empire
books are collectors, so when we reached would it be? storyboards Ralph produced while in
out to fellow art collectors in the community, WL: I’ve admired Ralph’s genius since England. Although some artworks were

they were more than helpful in getting us I was a kid, and that childhood enthusiasm easily identified by the R.McQ. signature,
their original McQuarrie pieces to be for his work never diminished. I was others pieces required careful analysis.

scanned for the books. fortunate enough to have met Ralph Suffice to say, it would have been ideal
While we’re confident we found through his agent in 1997. That first to have Ralph at the table to answer



everything that resided in the official meeting led to a fifteen-year friendship. questions regarding specifics on his


archives, I’m sure that over time some During those years I was able to ask Ralph storyboard contributions. a
pieces could surface “in the wild.” I should many questions. I would visit Ralph and he
point out Ralph was a generous man. I heard would share stories of his life, career, the
stories where he would sometimes give phenomenon of Star Wars, and the impact MORE TO SAY
sketches as gifts to various people—such as it had on his life. When preparing these
the UPS driver who was an admirer or a fan books, and to augment my conversations Star Wars Art: Ralph McQuarrie,
who sent him an interesting note in the mail. with Ralph, we conducted interviews with published by Abrams, is available now.
So it’s quite possible there might be some his colleagues, and were allowed access to HAVE YOU?
pieces still out there. If any readers are the Skywalker Ranch Archives—which are


INSIDER 39

I
E
S
I
S
D
Y
R
E
B

N
D
IN A NEW SERIES, STAR WARS INSIDER LOOKS AT THE STORY BEHIND CLASSIC
H
I
S
L
A
C

C
A
E


T
T
H

C
S
L
O

R
O
K
S
T
O
COLLECTIBLES. WHERE BETTER TO START THAN WITH THE CLASSIC KENNER 3¾”
START THAN WITH THE CLASSIC KENNNER 3¾”
HE MUCH-LOVED TELESCOPING LIGHTSABERS?
ACTION FIGURE LINE—FEATURING THE MUCH-LOVED TELESCOPING LIGHTSABERS?
he first four Star Wars figures the toy also broke easily during play,


ever made were Chewbacca, violating the “Long Play Toy” claim
R2-D2, Princess Leia, and Kenner advertised on its packaging
Luke Skywalker. Included in at the time.
Tthe legendary Early Bird Kit, Thus, the double telescoping feature
these four were sent to kids in the mail was revised into the standard one-piece
in the early months of 1978. While three saber most common on the Ben


of the four were standard figures, the and Vader figures. Blueprint change
Luke was special as his lightsaber was drawings have surfaced showing a
an early Kenner design that was soon change date in mid-November of
discarded. Rather than the single-piece 1977, well before the Early Bird kits
saber, the Early Bird Luke had a were shipped. So, Kenner already knew
two-piece saber: a main shaft that slid the feature was not going to survive.
in and out of the arm, and a smaller While the majority of DT Lukes came
filament that slid in and out of the shaft. in the Early Bird kit, some of these also

Collectors have come to call this the ended up on cardbacks at retail. This
Double Telescoping lightsaber (or DT variant is exceedingly rare and, while
for short). there is no solid count, experts
When Kenner was creating product suspect that less than 25 remain
concepts for the action figures, Bernie in existence today. The loose version

Loomis, the president of the company at is fairly common and can be found
the time, wanted the saber to magically regularly in the market for $150-$200,

appear in the figure’s hand. Several but carded examples are pushing the
concepts were prototyped to achieve $10,000 mark.
this goal, including one saber that Even rarer are the DT Ben and Vader
fi
would wind up around a spool inside figures. Kenner produced some Bens
the figure. The problem with this and Vaders with the double telescoping

design was that when extended, the lightsabers early in the production
I
M
T
H
L
E
S
O
,
O
E
lightsaber retained a curved shape— BERNIE LOOMIS, THE process prior to making the change,
not exactly movie accurate! though far less were produced than the
N
N
R
,
E
N
E
O
K
E
T
F

The best idea was a two-piece saber. PRESIDENT OF KENNER, Luke figure. Most of the examples in
Engineering this was difficult, however; collectors’ hands today came through

L
E
R
B
E
S
H
H
at the 3¾” size, the plastic for the saber WANTED THE LIGHTSABER Kenner sources as loose figures, but
T
A
G
I
T

was very thin and fragile. To keep the there are a few examples of carded
L
Y
A
L
I
C
A
A
E
.
R
P
P
small filament from simply falling out TO MAGICALLY APPEAR. DT Bens and Vaders, and at least one

of the larger shaft, Kenner had two example with a store price sticker,

designs. The first was the “mushroom proving these figures did make it to

tip,” where the tip of the filament already was. The final design was just to retail. The scarcity of DT Ben and Vader


was melted into a small dome or mold a slight kink in the tip of the saber, cannot be overstated. Most likely fewer
“mushroom” shape after being installed which kept the filament from falling out, than 30 loose examples exist for each

into the larger shaft. This approach but left Luke with a bent light blade. Not figure, and the number of carded
fi
never worked as the melting made the only was the double telescoping saber examples can be counted on your
fi
small filament even more fragile than it design a problem in manufacturing, but fingers. Loose, the price of a DT Ben

40 INSIDER

or Vader
pushes close to, if
not slightly over, the


five figure mark. While there
are no recent public examples of
a carded DT Vader or Ben selling,
it would not be shocking to see one sell
for $20,000 or more in today’s market.
If you’re looking for one of these
figures for your collection, be very
fi
careful. There are plenty of fake DT
sabers out there. Buy from a trusted
source or have an expert examine
the figure before you purchase it.


After the first wave of Star Wars
figures, Kenner dropped the saber-in-
fi
arm concept entirely. While the three
original figures continued to be sold in

this version (non-DT variation) right up
until the line was canceled in 1985, new
incarnations of Luke—such as the Luke

Bespin and Luke Jedi figures—came
packaged with a loose lightsaber
weapon that could be placed in the
fi
figure’s hand, much like the toy

blasters. No one is quite sure why
Kenner did away with this feature for
those later Luke figures. Maybe the

execution just wasn’t as “magical” as
Bernie Loomis’ original vision. Maybe
the manufacturing was easier with a
saber that didn’t have to be installed
in the arm. Maybe Kenner just wanted
to try something different. We may
never know—but one thing is for
certain: If you were lucky enough to
have a double telescoping figure as a

kid, there was nothing like the magical
igniting of the saber to put Luke into
a duel with Darth Vader. a
Words: Cj Fawcett
Photos: themanwhoshotlukeskywalker
M
MORE TO SAY Y

Got a collecting question?
Email us at [email protected] and we’ll
try to answer your question in a future issue!

O
Y
?
?
U

H H
HAVE YOU?
A
E
V
INSIDER 41

THINGS TO NOTICE IN

50

















































































BRINGING BALANCE

Lor San Tekka, played by legendary
1 1stage and screen actor Max Von

Sydow, speaks the first line of dialogue
in the film. According to the Star Wars:

The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary,
San Tekka is a seasoned traveler and
explorer who spent the dark times as
a follower of the Church of the Force.
Although not Force-sensitive, he, like
many others, strongly believed in the
Jedi ideals.
During his conversation with
Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, played by
actor Oscar Isaac, Lor San Tekka almost
immediately references the balance of FRIENDS REUNITED?
the Force, saying, “Without the Jedi, 2
there can be no balance.” Qui-Gon Jinn During the battle near Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana, FN-2199, or Nines, is the

and Mace Windu first mentioned the 2trooper who shouts, “Traitor!” and attacks Finn with a Z6 baton. Nines and Finn
concept of bringing balance to the Force trained together prior to the events of The Force Awakens. More can be learned about
in The Phantom Menace. their relationship in the novel Star Wars: Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka.


42 INSIDER
w

WHAT WOULD STAR WARS BE
MENTION ALL THE IN-JOKES AND CAMEOS FROM THE REAL WORLD? JOIN US AND TAKE YOUR
UNIVERSE SEEN IN THE SAGA OF FILMS AS WELL AS THE
FIRST STEPS INTO A LARGER WORLD AS WE REVEAL THE SECRETS OF STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.
WITHOUT HINTS TO THE EXPANSIVE
CANON OF BOOKS, COMICS, CARTOONS, AND VIDEOGAMES, NOT TO











WORDS: BRYAN YOUNG













BUILDING BB-8


In an interview with Entertainment
4 4 eekly, director J.J. Abrams
W
chose the name BB-8 because he looked
round and bouncy, saying, “I named
him BB-8 because it was almost
onomatopoeia… It was sort of how he
looked to me, with the 8, obviously,
and then the 2 Bs.”
Bill Hader of Saturday Night Live and
Ben Schwartz of Parks and Recreation
fame helped create digitally altered
sounds for BB-8’s voice, and are
credited as “vocal consultants”.



FATAL SLIP


FN-2003, also

5 5 nown as Slip, is
k
the stormtrooper who
drags his bloody hand
across Finn’s helmet
during the First Order’s
siege on the Jakku village
of Tuanul. Slip made his
first appearance in Before

the Awakening written by
Greg Rucka.



SQUEAK WARS


We get an initial glimpse of
M
6 6 ouse Droids aboard the

Finalizer, which were first seen on
the Death Star in A New Hope.

CAPTAIN

3 3PHANTASM


Captain Phasma’s name and chrome
armor were a tribute by director
J.J. Abrams to the 1979 horror
movie, Phantasm. In fact, Abrams’
company Bad Robot recently oversaw
a 4K restoration of the cult classic,
which was written and directed by
Don Coscarelli.


INSIDER 43

ESCAPE PLAN


It is revealed in Alan Dean
7 7Foster’s novelization
of The Force Awakens that the
vehicle stolen by Poe and Finn
aboard the Finalizer is a Special
Forces TIE fighter.





ARRRGGGH!


The Wilhelm scream, which is
8 sed at least once in every Star
u
Wars film, is heard during Poe and

Finn’s daring escape. This famous sound
effect was first used in the 1951 film


Silent Drums, and was popularized by
the character Private Wilhelm in the

1953 film The Charge at Feather River.
THE EYE’S HAVE IT

According to the The Force PEGG PAL
9 wakens Visual Dictionary, In addition to his role
A
Rey’s goggles 12as the junk boss, Unkar
are cobbled Plutt, actor Simon Pegg also
together using served as a valuable resource to
lenses from a director J.J. Abrams,
stormtrooper’s who said, “His support
helmet left on the and friendship [was]
planet after the massively important
Battle of Jakku. and helpful in
the process.”


RANCID RATIONS

The polystarch ration, or
10instant bread, Rey prepares at
her “home” on Jakku was a real effect,
not computer generated. According
to special effects supervisor Chris
Corbould, it took three months to
develop, and it tasted terrible.



DESERTED DESTROYER


The downed Star Destroyer Rey passes on her way
11to the Niima Outpost is called the Inflictor, which is
mentioned in the novel Lost Stars by Claudia Gray.

A NEW CREATURE


As Rey trades in scavenged junk to
13 Unkar Plutt for rations, the creature
behind her is a Nu-Cosian crittermonger and
storyteller named Bobba-Jo. He was the first

new creature from the film revealed by J.J.

Abrams in his video for the Omaze contest,
“Force for Change,” where a lucky fan named
D.C. Barns won a walk-on part in the movie
and a trip to the premiere of The Force
Awakens! You can read more about this
character in Landry Q. Walker’s short
story, All Creatures Great and Small.



TIE FIGHTER DOWN


Finn and Poe’s stolen TIE fighter
15crashes into the Goazon Badlands,
the same stretch of desert where the Battle of
Jakku occurred. Videogame developer DICE
created a playable map of the area in Star
Wars: Battlefront, published by Electronic
Arts and Lucasfilm.


BEAST OF BURDEN
REY’S After arriving at the Niima Outpost, Finn


14 HEADGEAR 16 uickly races to a watering hole and
q
begins guzzling water next to a happabore. This
The pilot’s helmet Rey wears while hulking creature is found throughout the galaxy
eating her instant bread ration once on various worlds, and is first mentioned as a

belonged to Captain Dosmit Ræh of the mount for Sarco Plank in Weapon of a Jedi written
Tierfon Yellow Aces. by Jason Fry.






WAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK
When Poe Dameron wakes up bound to an interrogation
17 17 ble on the Finalizer the sound of an IT-000 droid, located
a
t
behind Kylo Ren, can be heard. An earlier model of this droid, the IT-O
interrogator droid , was used by Darth Vader in a failed attempt to force
Princess Leia to reveal the location of the rebel base.

GAME ON?


The holochess dejarik set
18seen on the Millennium Falcon THE RETURN OF
was animated by Tippett Studios, which 24 SOME JEDI
is owned and supervised by the same
special-effects mastermind who worked WARWICK During Rey’s Force vision, or Forceback,
on the original sequence in A New Hope, at Maz’s castle, many voices and
21 RETURNS Vader’s breathing and Yoda explaining
Phil Tippett. sounds are heard, including Darth

Star Wars film veteran Warwick Davis the nature of the Force. However, it

continues his streak of cameos in is an altered sample of the late actor
The Force Awakens, this time in Maz Sir Alec Guinness’s voice that is the
Kanata’s castle as interstellar scout sequence’s most impressive ingredient.
and hyperspace trailblazer, Wollivan. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly,
It also continues a tradition of Davis director J.J. Abrams explains longtime
playing characters who have names Bad Robot collaborator Bryan Burk and

beginning with the letter “W”: Wicket one of the film’s producers took the
W. Warrick (Return of the Jedi), and word ”afraid” and altered it to sound like
Weazel and Wald (The Phantom Menace). “Rey.” They then combined that with new
Coincidentally, Warwick played the lead voice-over from actor Ewan McGregor to
CAPTURE THE character Willow Ufgood in Willow, a complete the line, “Rey…these are your

first steps.”

Lucasfilm Ltd. production from 1988.
19FLAG

The flags at Maz Kanata’s castle
are imprinted with familiar images

from Star Wars films and cartoons,
including the Mythosaur skull from
Boba Fett’s left-shoulder blast plate,
Hondo Ohnaka’s Gang symbol and Ziro
the Hutt’s belly tattoo from The Clone
Wars, and Cikatro Vizago’s Broken Horn
Syndicate symbol from Rebels. There
is even a flag displaying the universal

symbol for the 501st organization.






C-3P0—


22SPYMASTER?


In addition to his role as translator, C-3P0
is in charge of the Resistance’s pool of
spy droids distributed across the galaxy,
including GA-97, who reports BB-8’s
presence at Maz Kanata’s castle.
ON SONG


Composer and actor
20Lin-Manuel Miranda, DON’T TRUST HER
most recently of Hamilton: An American
Musical fame, wrote the tracks Jabba See the mysterious girl
Flow and Dobra Doompa, which were 23wearing the distinctive black

performed at Maz Kanata’s castle by and white outfit? That’s Bazine Netal, a human
travelling musicians Taybin Ralorsa, mercenary and spy of the First Order who
Infrablue Zedbeddy Coggins, Ubert spots BB-8 at Maz’s castle on Takodana. She
“Sticks” Quaril, and Sudswater was first introduced in the short story The

Dillifay Glon. Perfect Weapon by Delilah S. Dawson.


46 INSIDER

BLACK LEADER’S RIDE


P
Poe Dameron flies a T-70 X-wing. An upgrade from

Lu
25 ke Skywalker’s T-65, it is not quite as state-
of-the-art as other X-wings in the Resistance’s fleet.
i

s
BB-8 loads into Poe’s X-wing via an arm that
attaches to the droid’s head and sucks him
into the socket. This is the same way
astromechs such as R2-D2
i
were pulled into the Royal

Naboo starfighters in


The Phantom Menace.
o





























A LIGHTSABER’S

28JOURNEY


According to a display at Disneyland’s Star Wars
Launch Bay, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, along with
his severed hand, were salvaged from the depths
of Cloud City following his confrontation with Darth
Vader. How Maz Kanata obtained the famous Jedi’s
REY’S VISION weapon is still unknown.


The beginning of Rey’s Force vision brings her to a hallway
26that bears a resemblance to two different hallways that
were important in the life of Darth Vader. The first was a hallway he

fought Obi-Wan Kenobi in on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith, the other
was the hallway in The Empire Strikes Back that led to the catwalk where
he battled his son, Luke Skywalker.



GALACTIC

27PEACE


With the Empire defeated, Chancellor
Mon Mothma restored the Galactic Senate SNOKE’S SHOW
and decided all member worlds would
have an opportunity to host the delegates, 29OF POWER
bringing a more inclusive spirit to the
government that was absent during In a show of power, General Hux destroys Hosnian

Emperor Palpatine’s reign. The first such Prime with Supreme Leader Snoke’s approval. The
captial was Mon Mothma’s homeworld of casualties are staggering as Chancellor Villecham;
Chandrila, as revealed in Chuck Wendig’s Kor Sella (General Leia’s envoy); senatorial
novel Aftermath. The cosmopolitan world representatives from planets such as Naboo, Taris,
of Hosnian Prime is the site of the capital and Commenor; as well as inhabitants of the planet
in The Force Awakens. are obliterated.


INSIDER 47

HIDDEN


31 FORTRESS

The Resistence’s hidden
base on D’Qar is located in
the Ileenium system. It was
discovered and marked for
potential use as a rebel base
decades earlier by pilots of
POE’S PAST Corona Squadron, Thane Kyrell
and Kendy Idele. More can be
Poe Dameron is a child learned about their exploits
f
30 the Galactic Civil War. in the pages of Lost Stars by
o
Poe’s parents fought for the Rebellion, Claudia Gray.
most notably during the Battle of Endor
where his mother was a pilot and his
father was a member of Han Solo’s LEIA’S DROID
landing team. You can read more about 2
them in the Star Wars: Shattered PZ-4CO, or “Peazy,” is a communications droid assigned
Empire comic book series written by 32 to General Leia on D’Qar, and makes her initial appearance

Greg Rucka. i in the Resistance’s command center. Peazy is first referenced in the pages
n
Poe was raised near o
of Star Wars: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci
the Massassi Temple a
and Jason Fry.
on Yavin IV, the rebel’s
secret base in A New
Hope. Coincidentally,
the temple’s real
world location was in
Guatemala, the country
where the man who
plays Poe Dameron,
Oscar Isaac,
was born.













































33
3 3LOURD!
GOOD



Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie
Lourd, plays Lieutenant Connix,
who appears in the Resistance
base on D’Qar.

4 THANK THE MAKERS!



Lucasfilm president and executive
3 34 producer Kathleen Kennedy
approached members of the R2 Builders Club
Members at Star Wars Celebration in 2013 and
asked them if they wouldn’t mind making the
R2-D2 prop seen in The Force Awakens.
Of course they said yes!

















DOCTOR

35DOOKU?


Actress Harriet Walter plays Doctor
Kalonia, the physician who treated
Chewie’s wounds after the skirmish
at Takodana. In addition to The Force
Awakens, Walter has appeared as Lady
Shackleton on Downtown Abbey. She is
also the niece of Christopher Lee, who
played Count Dooku in Attack of the
Clones and Revenge of the Sith.






3 6 FEELING


36BLUE


Blue Squadron makes its
debut in The Force Awakens.
Luke Skywalker was originally
supposed to fly with Blue

Squadron in A New Hope,
but the star fighters’ blue


markings made it difficult

to film against blue screens,
so they were changed to
red instead. The resulting
moniker was Red Squadron.










SNAP TO ACTION!

Greg Grunberg is an actor and
37 ildhood friend of J.J. Abrams who
h
c
has appeared in many of the famed director’s
productions. In The Force Awakens, Grunberg
plays X-wing pilot Temmin “Snap” Wexley. It was
his character who provided the Resistance with
the information they needed to launch an attack

against the Starkiller Base. Wexley was first
introduced in Aftermath by Chuck Wendig.

SNOWSPEEDER


38UNSEEN!

When Rey and Finn arrive at the oscillator
on Starkiller Base, behind them is the
boosted snowspeeder that brought them
there. It was featured in the novelization
of The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
and is also a toy by Hasbro.






















T H E
AGENT OF THE

39 FIRST ORDER ER


,
As reported in Entertainment Weekly,
actor Daniel Craig of James Bond fame
makes a cameo in The Force Awakens.
He plays a stormtrooper who falls victim
to Rey’s Jedi Mind Trick on Starkiller

Base. When first asked about his

supposed role prior to the film’s release,
Craig vehemently denied it because he

was forbidden to confirm his association
with the project. His involvement was
made easy because the latest Bond film,


Spectre, was filming on a neighboring
soundstage only a thermal detonator’s
throw away.


















KYLO’S


HUX: A TRAGIC 41 41BLADE

40 VILLAIN? Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is based
on an ancient design, dating back
J.J. Abrams wanted Hux to have a thousands of years. The ragged,
sense of tragedy, and the fact that he unstable appearance of the
appears to be too young to be in charge main blade and two cross-guard
of a murderous group added to that. blades, or quillions, are the result
According to Abrams, the character’s of a cracked kyber crystal housed
name was created after he noticed a inside the weapon’s hilt.
grave with the name “Hux” carved into
the stone.


50 INSIDER