STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: SIX REASONS TO PURCHASE 'INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC PRESENTS: MAKING 'SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY'

Wednesday 8 May 2019

SIX REASONS TO PURCHASE 'INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC PRESENTS: MAKING 'SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY'

An iconic partnership begins, with cinema history charted alongside them, in Rob Bredow's best-selling Industrial Light & Magic Presents: Making Solo: A Star Wars Story, out now in the UK from ABRAMS.

Industrial Light & Magic Presents: Making Solo: A Star Wars Story (ABRAMS; April 16, 2019; £35; Hardcover) is an eyewitness account of the film's production, from Industrial Light & Magic's visual effects supervisor and coproducer Rob Bredow, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for the film. The book, featuring a special foreword by director Ron Howard, gives readers an intimate glimpse into the journey that Solo took from pre-production, production, and post-production, fully documenting how the film came to the big screen, from an insider who was at the centre of it all.

Bredow talks about the book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJPxofDaI5A&list=PL148kCvXk8pDbF6fs3PUYRcVaqx7Z2Z3r&index=22

Fulfilling a dream - author, photographer and top visual effects talent, Rob Bredow. Image: STARWARS.COM.

Here's six particular reasons why the book is both an indispensable treat and essential purchase, especially with the film's first anniversary this month:

1. Accessing all areas! The making of any Star Wars film post 1979's first sequel in The Empire Strikes Back has always expectantly been shrouded in an atmospheric fog of Top Secret, ultra-closed sets and need-to-know shooting conditions, so as to not have their efforts in crafting classic scenes copied by rivals (the long shadow and after-effects of 1978's Battlestar Galactica still remembered) or leaked out before their time. With Making:Solo a new precedent is set, as the curtains are temporarily lifted to show us many illuminating secrets of the tight-knit realm run by Disney/Lucasfilm. Previous 'making of' books published so far on the saga have, with the exception of J.W. Rinzler's EPISODE III book of 2005, successfully covered the film's post release, with others published so many years after the fact. Rob Bredow's work here is unique and exciting in that, as one of the key players bringing Solo to life throughout its building block assembly, he gives us the kind of unparalleled access, coverage and perspectives we've always wanted to see on bringing the essential Star Wars blend of storytelling and thrills to life, and on a film project that has generated a mysterious mix of turbulent yet also innovative fascination.

2. Gorgeous photography. The Disney held, post 2015 SW film series has seen a massive step back (yet forwards) into building real world environments and vehicles at the franchise's new home shooting base at Pinewood Studios. This book's superb colour and atmospheric B/W imagery across many gorgeous spread layouts shows us the detailed magnificence of new realms not previously seen on screen - the snow-caped Vandor (and its frontier township), the harsh environments of slave colony Kessel, and the lavish interior of Dryden Vos's dagger-styled vessel. Striking sets of which the film's young cast and crew would clearly be in awe of the finished work translated from concept to reality (the talent and humour of the film's key star in Alden Ehrenreich most noticeable and well captured is some great candid imagery). Plus, a detailed look at Solo's striking natural locations used in Spain (for the refuelling station of the far-off Savareen) and Northern Italy for an epic high-speed Imperial train heist- places capturing screen magic that brought their own unique on and off screen challenges and life-experiences to bear fruit.

Bringing the infamous Sabaac game to life. Image: Rob Bredow © & TM LUCASFILM LTD. Used under authorization.

3. More on the 'alternate' version of the movie. As we all know, acclaimed and versatile director Ron Howard came onto the project after the departure of its original helmers in Chris Miller and Phil Lord (the award-winning duo now officially referred to as producers on the project). Though the aspects and reasons for the duo's departure are played down, nay almost non-existently, in the book, their presence and enthusiasm of being on the film two years back is clear to see through certain photography, notably early on where we see more of their original vision towards the characters and story, which looked like it had even more of an American West meets Star Wars flavour to it, especially in the originally shot version of the Vandor train heist sequence- Han and Chewie riding distinctive buffalo-like creatures alongside the rapid-moving Imperial track vehicle.

Director Ron Howard and cinematographer Bradford Young re-visit a classic! Image: Rob Bredow © & TM LUCASFILM LTD. Used under authorization.

4. The Millennium Falcon. These last few years only specialist chosen ones have gotten the chance to see and explore Corellia's fastest hunk of junk at its confines at Pinewood Studios. Bredow gives us a special window of exploration to the stunning interior of super-smoothy Lando Calrissian's souped-up freighter turned pleasure vessel, from the cockpit to the main hold, as well as its glorious fine-detailed exterior. A mouth-watering visual treat for fans, and fan builders in particular, to discover. Towards the end of the book there's also a cute linkage with the return of Phil Tippett's beloved holo-chess game in its prequel stages, plus a fun behind the scenes anecdote to the original 1977 crafted Star Wars stop-motion sequence that not many people might know.

5. The definition of ILM teamwork. Alongside Bredow's lovely photography and key oral history to the film, there are further contribution quotes from the core ILM team members that worked under considerable time restraints to deliver such an enjoyable end product, all giving us the lowdown on techniques old and new being used to keep the George Lucas universe as exciting and innovative as ever.

Howard and cast prepare for a memorable finale to the film. Image: Rob Bredow © & TM LUCASFILM LTD. Used under authorization.

6. That 'We're making a Star Wars movie!' vibe. The saga's staying power as a pop culture phenomenon, linked to the incredible camaraderie experiences of the cast and crew working on a special film like Solo. is another showcase element through the book's lovely pictorial spreads. Clearly, the people involved in the project don't take their work on it for granted, or want to disappoint the expectant fans. There's an endearing awe and sense of dedication-to-heritage shown by everyone too - honouring the past yet delivering new moments to enhance the legacy. Oh, how lucky these people all were to be immersed in such a fantasy world, and within a very privileged behind the scenes club, where they all got to smile and play every day!

With thanks to ABRAMS UK for their help in the preparation of this review.