Welcome to "Making Episode I," a special Web video feature shot during the production of the new Star Wars movie. I've been filming the making of Episode I since the fall of 1994. During that time I've gathered over 600 hours of footage, including visits with George Lucas as he creates the Episode I story, shots of art department meetings where George's vision for creatures, vehicles and environments are brought to life in concept drawings, filming on the set at Leavesden, the creation of sounds and voices at Skywalker Sound, and the development of new technology at ILM. I've attempted to document the genesis of the ideas and follow their evolution to a final form on the screen.

As George describes it, creating this film starts with him doodling in his loose-leaf binder, but culminates in over a thousand people working together in a very intense and creative way. The producer, the design staff, the production crew, the artists at ILM and Skywalker Sound, and the actors all play important roles in bringing George's imagination to life. I want to capture what they do and how they do it and to show each stage of the process from George writing the story to ILM adding the last details before the movie is released next May.

This Web documentary is my first use of this footage. Each segment will present a different glimpse behind the scenes of Episode I. Some weeks you'll be privy to design department meetings and other times you'll be a "fly on the wall" during production or get an interesting insight into the people working on the film through an interview. I'll post new chapters for you to enjoy periodically, so check back for updates.