A filmmaker in his own right, Roger Christian has been an active presence in that galaxy far, far away for over 30 years. Given the task of helping to create environments that made sets look real and other-worldly, but at the same time a bit familiar, Christian rose to the challenge, and his creations became a vital part of the Star Wars saga.

When you started work on the first Star Wars, did you think "How am I going to put this together?"

Yes! With my [limited] set-decorating budget I couldn't afford to do what I wanted to do. In those days you could buy scrap airplanes for $60, and so I went around Britain buying up scrap aircraft, jet engines -- all sorts of stuff. Out of that, we did most of the set dressing.

You helped create the landspeeder. Was that tough to realize?

A car manufacturer in the U.K. called Ogle, who made tiny sports cars, made the landspeeder. We needed to be able to drive it, so it had a steering wheel, an engine, and wheels. The first prop had a bar with a counterweight system, so every time you got off, it would bounce. I tied a mirror at an angle under the landspeeder and attached a broom to make dust as it was driving. In some of the wide shots it worked and it looked like it was floating.

How were the iconic lightsabers created?

I couldn't find anything for the handles of the lightsabers, so I went to a photographers shop. Digging around I found nine chrome flash handles. "Hallelujah!" I thought. I bought the lot!

How did you establish the look of the Lars Homestead?

We built the moisturizers and the oil plants in the U.K. and took them to Tunisia. I dressed the set for Luke's uncle and aunt's dining area. The blue milk was a bit tricky, but it turned out really well. All the paintings on the ceiling were already there. That was Moroccan tribal stuff from centuries past. They were thousands of years old, so I combined all that into the set.

What is your favorite item that you worked on?

I liked the lightsabers. R2-D2 was another good one. I got the assignment to make the first, prototype R2-D2 from the Ralph McQuarrie art. I found an old lamp top that was the perfect shape. A carpenter built a cardboard and plywood base. I then had to find a little person who could work it. I was pretty pleased with that, as trying to get that to work was quite tough.

What was the most challenging part of the job?

Probably the interior of the Millennium Falcon. It was the most challenging set I've ever done. John Barry built the set, and then I dressed it. It just didn't look right. It took six weeks of prop men taking stuff in there, but eventually it came together. I think the cockpit is my proudest achievement.

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Read the full interview in issue 98 of Star Wars Insider, on newsstands starting today, or to subscribe and never miss an issue visit www.titanmagazines.com/starwars. Hyperspace members, to go beyond the pages of the magazine and check out the latest online supplement (for issue #97), click here.