CLASSIC DESIGN WEEK. PIC FIVE - THE THEED HANGAR BAY

Out in the UK this week is the long-awaited, new nice price edition of the lavish and informative STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS hardcover book by J.W. Rinzler. In celebration of the must-have title, we're having a week-long tribute to some of the six film's classic production designs.

Now a firm part of movie and box office history, the Classic Trilogy passes the STAR WARS adventure and excitement torch to George Lucas's next generation of equally iconic heroes and villains-making drama and conflict from the events leading up to A NEW HOPE- the Prequel Trilogy, whose first film, The Phantom Menace, would begin top-secret filming at London's Leavesden Studios in 1997 (Leavesden ultimately replacing the sadly smaller in scale Elstree Studios-now more a TV making facility, its STAR WARS STAGE long since demolished). Norman Reynolds is departed as Production Designer, but his legacies for innovation, imagination and dedication continues through Gavin Bocquet, already having an association with Lucasfilm through the YOUNG INDIANA JONES TV series, proving he has "the right stuff" as the sagas new UK visual successor, seeing in his era with digital film-making techniques to a degree then unparallelled in their combined use of partially built sets with CGI, matte work and models. A bold, if controversial, new age in making blockbusters had begun.

The other side of the Leavesden Hangar- an unseen angle in the movie showing Naboo soldiers fighting Battle Droids (here played by men in white suits, before CGI overlay). 

The largest practical set built for EPISODE I, the Theed Hangar of the under-siege peaceful planet of Naboo, plays host to several big action sequences, primarily the finale, as our Jedi heroes fight emergent Sith Warrior Darth Maul in an incredible three-way lightsaber duel, whilst Queen Amidala, alongside her handmaidens and brave warriors, liberate the building in order to send their glistening fighters up against the in-orbit Trade Federation droid control vessel, whose robot soldiers are overwhelming the planet.

With thanks to BlueHarvest.Net and StarWarsUniverse websites for the images.

Get hold of STAR WARS: BLUEPRINTS here: Star Wars - The Blueprints: Amazon.co.uk: J.W Rinzler: Books