Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!
Practical Effects
Miniatures, matte paintings, and stop-motion wizardry
Production
Industrial Light & Magic's garage-born revolution
Director
Robert Guenette
Mark Hamill
Host / Luke Skywalker
Carrie Fisher
Princess Leia (archive footage)
Anthony Daniels
C3-PO (archive footage)
Kenny Baker
R2-D2 (archive footage)
Peter Mayhew
Self
Alec Guinness
Obi Wan Kenobi (archive footage)
Frank Oz
Self
Harrison Ford
Han Solo (archive footage)
George Lucas
Self
Irvin Kershner
Self
Gary Kurtz
Self
Dennis Muren
Self
Phil Tippett
Self
Ben Burtt
Self
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This TV special aired on CBS in September 1980, just months after Empire's theatrical release, making it one of the earliest 'making-of' documentaries for a blockbuster.
The ILM team shown here essentially invented the modern visual effects pipeline; these same techniques influenced everything from Jurassic Park to Marvel's entire slate.
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