Once all the basic elements were found, Knoll and his team still didn't have it easy. There was more to it than simply inputting the data in a computer. Back-lit text shot with a conventional camera produces a very natural effect, whereas virtual objects that only exist within a computer's electronic brain behave differently. "We had to create three-dimensional models of the letters," says Knoll, "so that they look as sharp up-close as they do from a distance, and they also disappear on the horizon with the correct 3D perspective."
With this done, only one finishing touch remained. "The star field was actually pretty straightforward," Knoll says. "We use a synthetic star field generator. I picked one shot from Empire, in which I thought the stars looked particularly good, and we used this as our master guide." This ensured that everything would look its best: the distance between two tiny points of light, the relative brightness of the stars, and so on. "Truly random star fields don't always look right," says Knoll. From that point onward, every time a shot needed a star field - and not only for the opening roll-up - a starry background was generated, based on Knoll's template.
It is common for effects shots that appear on screen for only a few seconds to require a massive amount of work. But for an effect whose transition to the digital age seems so immediate, the number of steps involved can be surprising. "No matter how technologically advanced moviemaking instruments have become, they remain tools," comments Producer Rick McCallum. "And as tools, they will always need artists to wield them, and their creative visions to lead the way. To us, there is no greater example of such an artist than John Knoll. Whatever the problem we throw at him, he'll never fail to come up with a solution that not only meets the technical requirements or limitations of the project, but also makes sense within the overall storytelling. Hand the impossible to John, and he'll crack it."
