ILMxLAB continue their Inside the Studio with a Special Edition for Star Wars Day 2023, asking the team what Star Wars means to them, and highlighting some of the great answers given.
Favorite Star Wars Memories
For many at the studio, a favorite memory that people have was the first time they saw a Star Wars movie in the theater. Kristin (She/Her; Senior Lighting Technical Director) remembers “the absolute chaotic joy that erupted in the theater when Rey and Kylo Ren teamed up in The Last Jedi while in Snoke’s throne room.” Brian “Panda”(He/Him; Senior 3D Character Artist) also mentioned that same movie, saying how he was “watching in the Chinese Theater and was just amazed at the effective bravery felt throughout the film.”
Joe with his family at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
At the midnight premiere of Revenge of the Sith, Emily (She/Her; Senior DevOps Engineer) was working at a movie theater when it came out, saying “I still remember the excitement and energy of everyone lining up around the theater to get a seat.” Thinking back on that same film, Lianne(She/Her; Software Engineer III) recalls “the shock I had when I learned that Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader.”
Watching Return of the Jedi on opening night, Edmund (He/Him; Senior QA Analyst) said his favorite memory of “seeing some of the audience boo and throw popcorn at the first appearance of Darth Vader.” Also sharing the first time he saw the original trilogy, Andrei (He/Him; Senior Gameplay Engineer) recounts “when I was around 10 years old, my uncle popped in the whole original Star Warstrilogy on his LaserDisc, and the whole family binge-watched it. That was a phenomenal experience for me.”
Thinking back on the first time he heard of Star Wars, Joe (He/Him; Senior Experience Designer) said that “at a friend’s house in 1977, I remember hearing about A New Hope after they’d just come back from the theaters. I was thinking to myself ‘robots? Laser battles? Space aliens?’ I had no clue what they were talking about, but the film influenced my life so profoundly both personally and professionally.”
John‘s wedding cake.
A few members of the studio even had to travel a great distance in order to check out the movies in a theater. Daniele (He/They; R&D Engineer) needed to travel “hundreds of kilometers from my hometown to watch Attack of the Clones in the only digital cinema that we had in Italy at the time. We went with lots of other fans!”
Some more recent memories that we received are from visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Parks. In preparation for development on Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Michelle (She/Her; Marketing Specialist) remembers “being one of the first people to visit Galaxy’s Edge with all my coworkers.” Kay (They/Them; Senior Gameplay Engineer) also recounts how “almost a decade after I made a group of friends online playing Star Wars: The Old Republic in college, we all finally got to meet up in person at Galaxy’s Edge and it was amazing.”
Star Wars in One Word
Finding just one word to describe Star Wars is no easy feat, we received a wide range of words from people at the studio. However, the most frequently used words were “epic,” “hope,” and “adventure,” which all tap into the essence of the franchise that we’ve all grown to know and love. We also received words including “Innovative,” “Inspirational,” “Sweeping,” and “Immersive,” among many others. Kevin (He/Him; Audio Director and Supervising Sound Engineer) said that, to him, Star Wars could best be described as “a science-fiction space opera in which the unlikeliest of heroes can overcome adversity and oppression.”
Favorite Star Wars Characters
It’s no surprise that R2-D2, a favorite from the very beginning of the Star Wars franchise, is still a cherished character for many at the studio today. Sean (He/Him; Environment Artist) shared that Artoo is his top pick because “you never know what he was saying, but you know it is something sassy. He is always there to save the day and is the unsung hero of the original trilogy.” Kevin echoed that same feeling, adding that Artoo is a “plucky astromech who is constantly saving their friends from peril despite the risks.”
Art of Lor San Tekka by Davide.
Ahsoka Tano is also popular for a reason that was consistent by everyone who chose her: she represents empowerment. Mark Q. (He/Him; Creature Technical Director) elaborated by saying “Ashoka is one of those characters that inspires you to give it your all. After everything that has happened to her, she is still a person with great moral character and pursues what is right for all of the galaxy. Ahsoka is a great role model for anyone who watches Star Wars.” Maggie (She/Her; Technology Project Manager) also added that “she’s such a complex character and has so much heart and integrity. Plus, she’s a badass and really represents the current era of rich storytelling within Star Wars.”
Another classic character who was chosen is Luke Skywalker. “I really identified with his desire to have more purpose to his current life and his journey to find enlightenment,” said John (He/Him; Experience Design Supervisor). Adding to that, Brian (He/Him; Staff Software Engineer, R&D) said “Luke is a kid with big dreams, and that was me when I first saw Star Wars.”
David as a kid with Darth Vader.
Drawn to the dark side, Kay chose Grand Admiral Thrawn because he is a “strategic villain that gives the heroes a different kind of challenge than they’re used to, which makes for some great stories.” Davide (He/Him; Senior Character Artist) had similar sentiments towards Kylo Ren, noting that he is a “fresh, new kind of villain who is very grounded.”
With a galaxy full of personalities, motives, species, and friendships, these characters were certainly not the only ones chosen across the studio. Grogu was named by Lianne, Cassian Andor by Rachel, Obi-Wan Kenobi by Edmund, Din Djarin by Andrei, Boba Fett by Mark W. (He/Him; Senior Project Manager), Jedi Master Yoda by Jamey(Senior VFX Artist), Princess/General Leia by Emily, and many others you know and love.
However, despite all these answers, there was a very important question posed by David (He/Him; Senior Animator), who asked in return: “Do I really have to choose only one?!”
Read more at ILMxLAB.com — MTFBWY!
