In the end, it came down to a method that blended real photography and digital graphics - a technique that would later be used by Cameron to bring to life the world of Pandora in 'Avatar.' At the time, standard operating procedures would have been to make giant models, or matte paintings. The team had a rough time recreating the surface of the planet Tatooine. In 1999, 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,' also written and directed by Lucas, made new headway in technological achievement. Later on, 'Jurassic Park,' 'Titanic,' 'Independence Day' and 'Avatar' from directors such as Steven Spielberg and James Cameron pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved. the Extra-Terrestrial' and 'Back to the Future.' The adventures of Skywalker and Han Solo opened the door to a golden age in science-fiction filmmaking, a decade that included 'Alien,' 'Blade Runner,' 'The Terminator,' 'E.T. Named for its lead developer, John Dykstra, it allowed for seven axes of motion and the creation of flawlessly synchronized composite images - fantastic for those memorable space battle scenes.ĭykstra and his team landed an Oscar for best visual effects.įor Fink, the first 'Star Wars' film 'really revolutionized things by (having) machines operate other machines and using that to control cameras that make pictures.' They experimented and came up with new animation, photography and graphics techniques that resulted in cutting-edge effects.Īmong the most revolutionary breakthroughs was the computer-controlled robotic 'Dykstraflex' camera system. The company is now the standard-bearer in the sector.Ī group of young engineers and students worked day and night in a warehouse north of Los Angeles, letting their imaginations run wild.Įngineers worked with mock-ups and miniatures to bring to life the space epic that Lucas had envisioned. The creative impasse led him in 1975 to found Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), devoted to modernizing the special effects industry's techniques. I want it to be very cinematic, and at that point in time, that was impossible,' he added. 'There's a lot of movement on the screen. There's a lot of rhythm, a lot of pace,' Lucas recalled in a documentary several years ago. I want to do something where I can pan the space ship. 'With 'Star Wars', I want to do an action picture. The script for the first film set 'in a galaxy far, far away' confronted creator George Lucas with seemingly insurmountable technical challenges. It took a film like 'Star Wars'' to show that, Fink told AFP. 'One of the things that's always been true in films is that the story drives the technology. 'It woke up the visual effects industry,' Mike Fink, a Hollywood effects heavyweight who won an Oscar in 2008 for his work on 'The Golden Compass,' said of the first film. The original 1977 movie - which introduced the world to Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and a mysterious power known as The Force - changed the way science-fiction films were made, paving the way for innovations in the field. Los Angeles: When 'Star Wars' audiences were blown away four decades ago by its thrilling battles in space, they were also witnessing a big bang in special effects that is still felt today, as fans await the next installment in the blockbuster saga.

Action movie effects star wars