At which point in its production was Star Wars' visual identity fleshed out?
Did George Lucas have a relatively clear vision of what things like Star Destroyers, Death Star corridors, Tatooine, Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader, etc. would look like before he pitched the movie? Did he have sketches or something?
If not, who came up with the film's visual identity and when? Were various ideas (eg. concept art) shown to George Lucas and selected?
Best Answer
By 1975, the films 'visual identity' had already been somewhat cemented prior to the film getting the green-light, mainly due to the amazing illustrations and designs created by the legendary Ralph McQuarrie. for which he had been commissioned by George Lucas. According to his Wikipedia page...
McQuarrie's concept paintings were instrumental in helping Lucas to win approval from 20th Century Fox; armed with vivid illustrations of his planned movie, Lucas was able to convince Fox executives to take a gamble and fund his Star Wars project. Despite their scepticism, it became a huge success upon release in 1977. Among McQuarrie's Star Wars portfolio were concept paintings depicting scenes on the planet Tatooine, inside the Mos Eisley cantina, inside the Death Star and on the moon of Yavin. During filming, Lucas ensured that many shots reproduced McQuarrie's paintings exactly, such was his esteem for McQuarrie's work.[7] McQuarrie has said of his work on Star Wars, "I thought I had the best job that an artist ever had on a film, and I had never worked on a feature film before. ... I still get fan mail — people wondering if I worked on Episode I or just wanting to have my autograph."
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Was CGI used in the original Star Wars?
In these first films, much of the visual effects work involved actual physical creation of models, puppets, and sets. Computer generated imagery (CGI) barely existed in 1977, and Lucas and his team went on to transform the visual effects industry and set the new standard for the years to come.Why was Star Wars so influential in film?
Star Wars fundamentally changed the aesthetics and narratives of Hollywood films, switching the focus of Hollywood-made films from deep, meaningful stories based on dramatic conflict, themes and irony to sprawling special-effects-laden blockbusters, as well as changing the Hollywood film industry in fundamental ways.Why did they add CGI to Star Wars?
Dissatisfied with the original theatrical cuts of the original Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, creator George Lucas altered the films in ways that were ostensibly not initially possible, primarily due to limitations of time, budget, and technology.How did Star Wars impact the film industry?
The release of \u201cStar Wars: Episode IV \u2014 A New Hope\u201d on May 4, 1977 changed the movie industry forever, and revolutionized the role a piece of popular culture can play in Hollywood. In the 1970s, dramatic, actor-driven movies such as \u201cThe Godfather\u201d and \u201cTaxi Driver\u201d dominated Hollywood.What makes Star Wars SO immersive? | Inside Cinema - BBC
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