The magic of the Star Wars is created by a tremendous cast of talent, not all of whom can be seen on the screen. Fans attending Star Wars Celebration III April 21 -- 24 at the Indiana Convention Center can look forward to hearing from some of the leading individuals who have helped create the rich visual palette of the saga. Look for these gifted stars on different stages over the course of the weekend. They'll be sharing insights into their roles in making Episode III Revenge of the Sith, as well as answering questions from the audience. Come prepared! It's rare to have so many masters of their craft in one place over one weekend.

Don Bies, the Droid Unit Supervisor for Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, has a long and close association with the Star Wars galaxy. Bies started operating R2-D2 for Industrial Light & Magic for a series of Japanese television commercials in 1987. Since then, he has worked on countless films and commercials for the special effects company, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Congo, Starship Troopers, and the famous "Darth Vader vs. the Energizer Bunny" commercial. He was involved both on screen and off in the Special Editions, including a stint as the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett in one of the new Jabba's palace scenes. Bies, also a senior model maker at ILM, has worked on each of the Star Wars prequels. His involvement with the fan community, and his willingness to share time with groups like the R2-D2 Builders' group, has made him a fan favorite.

Dan Gregoire helped lead the animatics team for Attack of the Clones, and was the Previsualization Effects Supervisor for Revenge of the Sith. Gregoire and his team worked throughout the process of making the films, first creating the scenes of the movie in a computer-animated form before filming began. Their "rough cut" helped George Lucas and his crew visualize how the film would play out on screen, thus helping with pre-edits that saved both time and money on the set. Gregoire's animatics were also used throughout the filming process to help determine how scenes were filmed, and the editing process as well, helping integrate footage from the set with coming special effects shots. In addition to the Star Wars prequels Gregoire has worked on Behind Enemy Lines, Moulin Rouge, and Titan AE.

Erik Tiemens was the Concept Design Supervisor for both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, a title he shared with artist Ryan Church. After producing the work that led to the look and feel of the droid factory and the start of the Clone Wars in Episode II, Tiemens went on to help create the varied and rich environments for the multiple worlds of Episode III, as well as the associated technical designs. The artist, who maintains his roots in traditional landscape painting, has created concept work for theme park rides, television, and numerous films including Forrest Gump, Contact, Jurassic Park, and the Star Wars Special Editions. Tiemens continues to work as a concept artist for Industrial Light & Magic.