This talk was presented at the
Xerox PARC Forum
2 September 1999
Digital Technology in Star Wars: Episode I
Ari Rapkin
Industrial Light + Magic
Star Wars: Episode I "The Phantom Menace" presented a wide variety of
computer-generated characters and vehicles. Some were major
characters, subject to close camera scrutiny and substantial screen
time. Others composed a highly detailed and varied "cast of
thousands". They walked, flew, interacted with live actors and
physical sets, wore clothing, and sometimes shattered. While some of
these effects had been achieved in the past, the scale, complexity,
and photo-realism of Episode I presented new challenges to be solved
by ILM's software team and digital artists.
In this presentation, we'll look at some of the digital technology
which was developed for Episode I. The techniques and applications
include: dynamics simulations for vehicle explosions; creature
animation using dynamics, motion capture, and procedural keyframed
cycles; and crowd activity using particle systems and behavioral
simulation.