Three more members of the JAK Films Art Department will be joining Concept Design Supervisor Erik Tiemens at Star Wars Celebration III April 21 -- 24. These creative forces have had a tremendous influence on the worlds and characters of the Star Wars prequels.

Concept Design Supervisor
Ryan Church

Ryan Church, along with others in the JAK Films Art Department, spent three years designing and visualizing Revenge of the Sith, including the environments, architecture, vehicles and droids. With his Co-Concept Design Supervisor Erik Tiemens, Church led the team in illustrating these environments in paintings that help tell the story of the film.

Church's path to Episode III began at the Art Center College of Design where he studied Transportation Design. A shift in interest from functional design to the entertainment industry landed Church at Universal Studios, Walt Disney Imagineering and later in the in the Digital Features department of Industrial Light & Magic. While at ILM, Church was contacted by Iain McCaig of the Episode II Art Department. Soon after, Church joined the Star Wars team. Church credits artist Syd Mead, the original artists of Star Wars, Joe Johnson and Ralph McQuarrie, and his father -- an industrial designer -- as his primary inspirations.

Concept Artist
Iain McCaig

Known as a feature film artistic director, concept designer, and filmmaker, Iain McCaig has made significant contributions to the Star Wars universe through design work on The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith. Although involved in much of the look and feel of the films through design, McCaig has specialized in character and costume design, working closely with Costume Designer Trisha Biggar, who turns the art into real fabric and form.

As a concept designer and storyboard artist at Industrial Light & Magic, McCaig's credits include Hook, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Trek VI, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Iain is a widely published illustrator specializing in narrative and figurative art. His work includes book and record covers, limited edition prints, posters, advertising, and children's books.

Concept Artist
Robert E. Barnes

Robert E. Barnes has been a concept sculptor on the design teams for each of the three Star Wars prequels, fleshing out creature and character designs that are later brought to life by ILM. For Episode III, Barnes sculpted final designs for General Grievous and the giant lizard Boga, and created a bit of everything from Jedi to arena beasts for Episodes I and II. He has also contributed illustrations and creatures for the Star Wars: Cross-Section and Visual Dictionary books, and designed the Clone Wars mercenary Durge.

Barnes studied fine art and industrial design at Sonoma State University and Art Center College of Design before earning a B.S. in Industrial Design from California State University, Long Beach. His love for creatures and monsters is stronger than ever, and he continues to sculpt and illustrate for projects both within and outside the Star Wars universe.

Don't miss these creative -- and entertaining -- presentations by the JAK Films and Industrial Light & Magic artists at Celebration III!

Dan Gregoire: The Vision Before the Film
Animatics are the animated "storyboards" that allow a filmmaker to not only see how the action will play out on screen, but also to judge timing, angles, pacing, and to make a world of decisions that would be very difficult to make based only on 2-dimensional drawings. Gregoire, Supervisor for Previsualization/Effects will share what goes into the magic his team helps create, and the tremendous support they provide for the creative process. Look for a very special, and very rare trailer as part of Gregoire's presentation!

Don Bies...Droidmaster or Droidmeister?
There's an old adage in show business: Never work with children or animals. Listen as Don Bies, Droid Unit Supervisor for Episodes II and III, explains why that saying could apply to robots as well. Bies will discuss his long involvement with the world's most famous droid duo, and will be prepared to answer questions from the audience too.

Concept and Sculpture -- Creating a Star Wars Creature
Iain McCaig and Robert E. Barnes will give fans a chance to get involved in creating a new Star Wars-styled creature. Both Concept Artists for Revenge of the Sith, McCaig and Barnes will work in tandem and with members of the audience to draw in 2D, and sculpt in 3D, a new denizen of the galaxy far, far away. Roll up your sleeves and don't miss this chance to watch two masters at work -- or maybe help them create.

From Concept to Filming: Building the Magic
Previsualization/Effects Supervisor Dan Gregoire, Model makers Lorne Peterson, Don Bies, and Danny Wagner, and Concept Design Supervisors Erik Tiemens and Ryan Church will follow the creation of three key environments in Revenge of the Sith from concept to filming. Watch as the conceptual team and the model makers explain the evolution of Utapau, Kashyyyk and Mustafar. Come prepared with questions. Seldom will you find a more knowledgeable group of film artisans on stage together.

ILM Model Shop: Thirty Years of Practical Magic
Founded in 1975, the Industrial Light & Magic Model Shop has created practical special effects for many of the top films. Special effects may have entered the digital realm, but the ILM Model Shop continues groundbreaking work. JoinLorne Peterson on a trip down memory lane as he and fellow model makers Don Bies and Danny Wagner discusses the highlights of the model shop's stellar history. As a special treat for Celebration III fans, the model makers will show an awarded-winning short film they created.

Knoll Vision -- Inside Revenge
John Knoll has been a Visual Effects Supervisor for each of the prequels and for the Star Wars: Special Editions. Few have worked with director George Lucas through film production as closely as Knoll has, and few are involved with as many stages of the filmmaking process. Knoll will bring his own intriguing photos that he snapped on the set of Revenge of the Sith, tell stories, and share insights that few others can. Interesting Knoll Fact: John Knoll created the opening crawls for all three of the Star Wars prequels on his home computer.

Lorne Peterson, Building the Star Wars Saga
Lorne Peterson has been building for the Star Wars saga since he first created models for Star Wars, long before the film was referred to as A New Hope. Don't miss this interview and a chance to ask questions of a creative force who has experienced each of the six Star Wars films from the inside.

Meet the Episode III Art Department
The Star Wars films spring from the imagination of one man, but then an entire team of imaginative and talented artists, craftsmen, and technicians work together to bring those ideas to the screen. The Episode III Art Department, including Ryan Church, Erik Tiemens, Iain McCaig, and Robert E. Barnes will present ideas and images that were landmarks, and possibly a few that were dead ends, on their road to the finished film.

Mood Lighting for Revenge of the Sith - From Early Concept to Final Frame
Concept Design Supervisor Erik Tiemens has worked on both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, helping create the extensive worlds, creatures, and environments for the films. Tiemens' talk will focus on how creative mood and lighting are essential to constructing not only an environment but also a believable emotion on screen.

Roger Guyett -- Visual Effects and How They Apply to Film
Academy Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Roger Guyett worked on two Revenge of the Sith sequences in particular that are of great interest to Star Wars fans: the battle between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar, and the great battle on the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk. Guyett's presentation will show how his team creates the worlds and the effects that we see on screen.

Technologies and Environments of Revenge of the Sith
Ryan Church, Concept Design Supervisor for Revenge of the Sith and Attack of the Clones will present an in-depth exploration of creating the technologies, dwellings, weapons, and vehicles for a new Star Wars world. As Church will point out, all the threads of an environment must be interwoven, with real origins and real purpose, to successfully tell the story of the whole.

The Art of Revenge of the Sith
Author J.W. Rinzler and Lucas Licensing Art Director Iain Morris will join Erik Tiemens and Ryan Church to discuss the art behind the film, and the process of producing the beautiful new book, The Art of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

The Effects Authorities
John Knoll and Roger Guyett, Visual Effects Supervisors for Revenge of the Sith will appear on stage together to cover the effects process from filming to animated and computer-generated effects, to combining elements to create the final movie as it appears on the screen.