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{:title=>"Events", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/events"} {:title=>"Films", :url=>"https://www.starwars.com/news/category/films"}

We Meet Again At Last: ILM Veterans Reunite to Celebrate 40 Years of Star Wars

June 14, 2017
June 14, 2017
Lucas Seastrom

The original crew behind Star Wars came together last month for a landmark anniversary.

Imagine your high school reunion, except you all made Star Wars together.

On May 27, 2017, a unique gathering took place at a small production studio just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Known today as 32Ten Studios, it had been the home of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for nearly three decades, from the creation of The Empire Strikes Back to Revenge of the Sith.

  • IMG_9014-Crop
    Chief model maker Lorne Peterson, visual effects supervisor John Dykstra, and visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund share some “secrets” behind the making of Star Wars. of
    IMG_9014-Crop
    Chief model maker Lorne Peterson, visual effects supervisor John Dykstra, and visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund share some “secrets” behind the making of Star Wars. of
  • IMG_8718
    Stop-motion animator and creature designer Phil Tippett signs a Revenge of the Jedi T-shirt belonging to Amy Young, a veteran of the ILM Stage Department. of
    IMG_8718
    Stop-motion animator and creature designer Phil Tippett signs a Revenge of the Jedi T-shirt belonging to Amy Young, a veteran of the ILM Stage Department. of
  • IMG_8895
    Model builder Jonathan Erland and visual effects supervisor John Dykstra wave to the camera. of
    IMG_8895
    Model builder Jonathan Erland and visual effects supervisor John Dykstra wave to the camera. of
  • Veterans of the original trilogy of Star Wars films, including model makers, cameramen, optical technicians, grips, and production coordinators, even a few actors and puppeteers -- the magicians and dreamers that championed a revolution in moviemaking -- came together for a reunion celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut effort, Star Wars: A New Hope, or as it was simply known at the time, Star Wars.

    The gathering was chiefly organized by Rose Duignan, a veteran producer and early trailblazer at ILM. Rose began as a production staffer on the original Star Wars, working at George Lucas’ side during his visits to ILM’s studio, then located in Van Nuys, California. “Who knew that we would show up here 40 years later to share this amazing event?” Duignan would proclaim to the adoring crowd of attendees. “I am just so grateful.”

    Former Industrial Light and Magic employees reunite for the 40th anniversary of Star Wars.

    With hugs and smiles abound, reminiscence filled the main stage at the 32Ten facility. This night was for reflection and enjoyment, to pick up where their last meetings had left off. Filmmaking is often so arduous that the chance of a reunion hardly enters the mind once a project has eked its way to completion. But the laughter that swirled through the crowd was testament to the unique bond shared by this group.

    A commemorative board, featuring the classic ILM insignia, signed by the original Star Wars artists and crew at their 40th Anniversary Reunion.
    A commemorative board featuring the classic ILM insignia signed by the attendees.

    Former Industrial Light and Magic employees pose for a group photo with stormtrooper and droid cosplayers.

    “It’s almost like a piece of magic just happened,” Michael Quinn told StarWars.com. A puppeteer and actor who played Nien Nunb among other characters in Return of the Jedi, Quinn later worked at ILM himself. “Everybody in here did something that hadn’t been done before. In theory it’s not possible. How could you do that? But they did it, and they’re all here.”

    Towards the evening’s conclusion -- after the attendees had posed for an awe-inspiring group photo -- a handful of veterans came forward to share their reflections with the crowd of friends and loved ones.

    “All of us changed the direction of filmmaking,” declared Robert Blalack, who first established the Optical Department at ILM and had traveled from Paris in order to attend the reunion. “Because of you, visions that were once completely impossible are now within reach. And you know it wasn’t always like that.” Remembering those early days on Star Wars, Blalack would jokingly add, “We discovered that building ILM from scratch during production was like jumping out of a plane and stitching up the parachute during free fall.”

    A group of ILM veterans pose for a photo.
    Veterans of the original Star Wars, including (L-R): Miki Herman, Joe Johnston, Alvan Miller, John Dykstra, David Scott, Rose Duignan, and others.

    Former ILM workers pose with C-3PO.

    John Dykstra, the pioneering visual effects supervisor who spearheaded the ILM efforts on the original film, was making his first visit to the facility that evening, and he brought his Academy Award for Star Wars along with him. “If there was one component of the group we had on the first Star Wars, it was that we worked together,” he said. “The people in each department knew what was going on in other departments and made an effort to improve their work in order to improve what everyone was doing. There was great enthusiasm and joy.

    “It was a truly life-changing experience and in my entire career that is what I most treasure,” Dykstra would conclude, perhaps defining for all in the room the meaning of their accomplishments. Together they had created something the world had never seen, and together they celebrated 40 years later. In both inspiration and practice, their legacy has made its way into nearly every imaginable kind of film and media production happening today.

    The special effects crew of the first Star Wars movie.
    Photo by Don Bies.

    Photos by 32Ten Studios, Rose Duignan, Don Bies, and Hector Cruz.

    Lucas O. Seastrom is a writer, historian, and filmmaker living in Marin County, CA. He grew up on a farm in California’s Central Valley, is a lifelong Star Wars fan, and volunteers at Rancho Obi-Wan. Follow him on Twitter @losnorcal.

    ILM Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

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