The creatures, aliens and robots of Star Wars have always fascinated me. When the 10 years at Pinewood was revealed at the Lucasfilm Showcase panel with the array of aliens including Constable Zuvio, I was in awe of the talents behind such impressive models. It was with this in mind that I headed with the family and fellow Fantha Tracker Paul McQue to the Celebration Stage to check out the Creature Cantina panel, thinking it would be a traditional Celebration panel highlighting the Creature Workshop with the people from Pinewood.
It all began in the traditional way with Brian Herring introducing the talented team and explaining what the workshop does – however, it took a twist!
Neal Scanlan had walked the Celebration floor and explained how overwhelmed he was with the positivity and joy he felt among the fans! It was at this point that he invited two cosplayers he had met to come into the stage to take part in the panel. Little did they know what they had got themselves into! Over the next 45 minutes one was transformed into a creature from the workshop while the other was taken away and given a crash course in puppeteering from none other than Mike Quinn.
We watched the transformation from human to alien in less than 30 minutes, fully appreciating that it does take longer on set. The cosplayer was a great sport and never once complained when the costume was fitted. It looked so awkward and hot!
Throughout the panel we learned techniques including how movement is restricted by the build and shape of the outfit, how the electronics control so many features to help to bring the alien to life and how the actors in the costumes are cared for throughout filming.
The cosplayer was all dressed up and we had seen how the puppeteer brought the creature to life! We all thought this would be the end of the panel; however, the curtain was raised to reveal a cantina.
The cosplayer along with host Brian Herring ‘travelled’ to a galaxy far far away and got mixed up in some shady deals! The cosplayers were fantastic and went along with everything that was thrown at them. Along with the help of the workshop team they brought the creature to life through movement and puppeteering. It was a joy to watch, the script was cheesy almost like a pantomime at points but it was hilarious and there were clearly improvised sections which had the audience and those on stage laughing! The sketch ended with a surprise cameo appearance from the Emperor himself. Ian McDiarmid, giving his signature laugh, which is so recognisable.
The panel ended with Neal coming back on stage clearly proud of the achievements of the creature workshop at Pinewood. There is a clear love and joy in what they do in bringing the Star Wars world to life, and for that I thank them.
Let’s hope in Japan the Creature Cantina becomes a regular panel, as I for one will be there.
- Hardcover Book
- Johnston, E.K. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 10/10/2023 (Publication Date) - Random House/Star Wars (Publisher)
