He’s a legitimate Star Wars legend and the mind behind last years absolutely essential Light & Magic documentary on Disney Plus, and chatting with ILM Lawrence Kasdan delved into the series and the minds behind it in this exclusive interview.
What was your vision for the documentary?
From my very first film until today, I’ve always considered myself a humanist filmmaker. I’m interested in what happens between people, and why people make certain decisions in their lives. What chance is involved? What fate? What luck? So from the very beginning of this I was interested in learning what brought these people to this work. What were the relationships that they made when they arrived? Why did they continue to work there much longer than they expected, some for nearly half a century? What has all that meant to these amazing advancements in technology? It’s about people, and their gifts, and out of those gifts came technological advancements that boggle the mind.Why did you think this story should be told?
Because it’s great to see artists at work. The commitment of great craftsmen. I love to see people that have mastered a skill, and try to make it better, and don’t settle. I think it’s great to see expertise and this pure devotion to discipline, and that is always a good story to see. Dennis Muren, left, and Phil Tippett, right, review images with Joe Johnston.
How did you approach the research, and what resources did you use?
We had a fabulous team that Imagine Documentaries put together, some internal to the company, and some that were freelancers. They really knew their stuff, so it was a great luxury for me as a director. There were so many things that I wanted to ask during interviews, but the input from this incredible group of producers and writers and editors stimulated me all of the time to go in different directions during interviews.
- Continue Cal’s Journey - No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight.
- Go Beyond Your Training – The cinematic combat system returns with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles.
- Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique challenges, and enemies.
- The Dark Times are closing in – with enemies surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
- English (Subtitle)
