AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE NEW 'ILM' ASSEMBLES!

Richard Edlund operates the new Empireflex motion control camera system, for what eventually be The Empire Strikes Back's opening shot, featuring a probe droid-launching Star Destroyer. 

Deciding to rebuild the ILM facility from scratch, now located away from Hollywood to the more personally accessible and friendlier realms of his home base in San Francisco, George Lucas is determined to see his special effects company expand on, improve and innovate even more the art of breathtaking special effects with the filming of The Empire Strikes Back. George Lucas's prior relationship with his former Star Wars effects whizz John Dykstra was now over, the latter having set up his own effects company in Apogee and staying in Los Angeles. A good half of the original and youthful ILM team, seeing the better working conditions and the chance to do more ambitious things with more money to play with, will also make the move to SF for the new ILM, with effects veteran and Star Wars talent Richard Edlund in overall charge, joined with a new UK talent in Brian Johnson, fresh from his acclaimed work on the hit Gerry Anderson series Space:1999 and Ridley Scott's then upcoming sci-fi chiller, Alien. Johnson would be also involved in the practical effects work with his team at Elstree Studios, working alongside fellow Brit, Nick Allder.

Joe Johnston, Richard Edlund and Dennis Muren with Irvin Kershner go through effects storyboards

Brian Johnson, preparing to blast out an Artoo Detoo prop.

Model making veteran Lorne Peterson at work on the teeth of the space slug.

Ken Ralston prepares to film one of Dagobah's flying creatures.

George Lucas shares a laugh with Joe Johnston and Richard Edlund.

Phil Tippet and Ken Ralston at work in stop motion for Han on his Tauntaun.

Joe Johsnton in the ILM model shop, helping on an Imperial Walker.

Phil Tippett at work 'animating' the Walkers' movements.

Veteran pyrotechnics technician Joe Viskocil plants an explosive charge in a Snowspeeder model.

Ralph McQuarrie at work on an ultimately unused matte painting for the Rebel base exterior. 

Harrison Ellenshaw at work on the impressive Slave One vehicle matte painting.

Muren and Tippett with all-new matte painting talent Michael Pangrazio, who'd contribute incredible and realistic snow realm vistas for the Hoth exterior sequences.

Lucas goes through some storyboard questions with Ellenshaw and Johnson at ILM.

One of Ken Ralston's fun art pieces for the new ILM building and filming of Empire.

With incredible action sequences to be realized, including the ground battle between the Imperial and Rebel forces, an immense asteroid field chase, and the environs/creatures of new planets Hoth, Dagobah and Bespin, the all-new ILM team would work long hours, fight the elements, and fatigue, to deliver incredible results for George Lucas's supreme saga, and its important first sequel...