AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: MARCH OF THE AT-AT'S!

Taking the stop motion legacies nurtured and developed by the iconic Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen to the next level, the ILM team's work creating/filming the Walker sequence for The Empire Strikes Back, headed by Phil Tippett and Jon Berg, shot one painstakingly slow and dedicated movement of the time, would inspire a new generation of fans and wow cinemagoers within the epic Battle of Hoth.

Enjoy this selection of behind the scenes images... 

Construction begins on the first AT-AT Walker, so as to determine how it will move in stop motion.

Joe Johnston takes reference footage of the developing Walker model.

Joe Johnston checks the Walker cockpit at ILM.

Phil Tippett with one of the all-time stop motion greats in the Walker.

Stop motion animation begins for a Walker at ILM. This may have been a test sequence or something later reshot. Note the Hoth background painting does not appear in the film.

Emergent from his underset position, work begins again for the next motion captures.

Filming the Snowspeeder dive attack angle against the Walker.

A far placement Walker stands alone!

Preparing an explosive charge inside a Walker, with pyrotechnics expert Joe Viskocil kneeling.

Steve Gawley makes some model adjustments.

A fallen Walker on the ILM stage.

Tippett checks the monitor for the ongoing single frame stop motion movements.

Jon Erland works on a Walker model, whilst Tippett makes adjustments to a background Walker cutout.

Various sized Walkers from foreground to background.

Miniature Walkers, presumably for far background shots.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE RETURN OF LUKE SKYWALKER!

Two years on from being that once farm boy who dreamt of adventure and excitement amongst the stars, Luke Skywalker has finally become a person of significance and heroism for the Rebel Alliance, of which his skills as a pilot, seeing-in the destruction of the Death Star space station, has naturally made him a fine leader as well as respected commander of his own unique Rogue Squadron of fighters. Now, with his Jedi powers slowly building, and relocated with his comrades to the Hoth system, Luke's courage and initiative have proved inspiring, along with great tenacity, in helping to set-up the secret base away from the grip of the evil Empire...

Great 1980 merchandising art for The Empire Strikes Back, by Gerry Daly.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 45: THE POWER OF POSTER ART!

Amidst the terrifying visage of the returned Darth Vader, technological action is another standout part of this classic early movie poster conceptual piece by the famous illustrator Tom Jung, of which the might of the Imperial AT-AT's against our Rebel heroes proves formidable, and truly showcasing how an Empire will strikes back! 

ROGUE ONE: TECHNOLOGICAL TERROR!

The once peaceful shores of Scarif are soon disrupted by the heavy technological machine onslaught that are a squadron of Imperial AT-AT Walkers, intent on finding and destroying any potential Rebel incursions directed towards their secret installations, in this great concept painting for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Thom Tenery.

CLASSIC ART: WALKER WARS!

It's the David vs Goliath confrontation of the Star Wars saga, and one of the series greatest battle sequences -a blaze of action and superb stop-motion animation/model filming: The Empire Strikes Back's Battle of Hoth between the fast-moving Rebel Snowspeeder vehicles and the slow-marching, death-bringing Imperial AT-AT Walkers. A conflict nicely captured in this fine art created for the leaflet accompanying the 1980 release of the Kenner-produced Walker large toy action-figures model.

If anyone knows the artist of this original piece, please get in touch...

EPISODE VII: A SCAVENGER'S LIFE...

Outside her unusual place called 'home', deep within the deserts of Jakku, Rey, the young and lonely, yet capably self-sufficient new heroine of the sequel saga, enjoys her just-about-sustaining supper whilst also hoping for a brighter future, in a memorable character-setting scene from The Force Awakens...  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE LUCAS!

Celebrating his seventy-seventh year, STAR WARS AFICIONADO wishes the saga's creator the happiest of days with family and friends! And thanks again, George, for creating such a rich and enduring legacy for fans of all ages worldwide to enjoy!

'HAPPY CHRISTMAS!' (2020)

Even Imperial war machines can get into the festive spirit, as seen in this great ILM Christmas image (artist unknown) created for Yuletide greetings during the 1979 filming of the epic Battle of Hoth stop-motion sequences for The Empire Strikes Back.

Star Wars Aficionado wishes all its worldwide readers a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! and a safe, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TAKING OUT THE POWER GENERATOR!

The enemy's objective in destroying the Rebel power generators has been spectacularly achieved, but General Veers has no time to savour the victory, as he and his pilots are killed in a kamikaze run by the last Rebel Snowspeeder, piloted by the injured Hobbie (played by Richard Oldfiend, in scenes shot at Elstree). A pyrotechnics scene filmed without Julian Glover and using doubles in the UK (from an ILM storyboard listed/planned as 20th July 1979), was mixed with animatics in early editing but ultimately cut from Empire for pacing reasons during the post production phase (the filmed exploding cockpit Walker model footage ultimately transfer used to Luke's earlier belly bomb destruction of one of the metal beasts). The idea of a suicidal Rebel fighter craft crashing into an Imperial ship was resurrected to great success for the death of another important Imperial officer, Admiral Piett, during Return of the Jedi's epic space battle, three years later.

2026: Updated filming info provided by Frazer Diamond.

Veers watches the explosion. Film images: Star Wars Screen Caps.com

Storyboard as Hobbie crashes into Veers cockpit.

Hobbie's (Richard Oldfield) damaged speeder heads towards Veers' Walker.

Filmed by the UK Second Unit under the eye of Harley CokEliss on August 15th, 1979, doubles (including stuntmen Peter Diamond and Colin Skeaping) watch the blue screen as Hobbie's speeder heads towards them and the foreground of the set detonates with pyrotechnics.

Call sheet filming info.

Script page from Frazer Diamond/Facebook.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: SKYWALKER TAKES DOWN A WALKER!

 

Luke Skywalker's explosive charge thrown into the belly of the Walker causes fiery damage, as seen in this behind the scenes filming at ILM, with pyrotechnics handled by industry legend Joe Viskocil.

Top effects explosive expert Joe Viskocil (right) and colleague prepare for pyrotechnic work inside the model.

Jon Berg and Steve Gawley maneuver the about to collapse Walker with wire and pole.

Putting out the pyrotechnics on the model.

The also filmed Walker death involving General Veers was cut but the model footage of the exploded head (achieved on film via optical effect overlay) and collapse was instead added to Luke's unique 'kill' during later post production editing.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BOMB SURPRISE!

Now under the belly of the Imperial Walker, Luke uses his lightsaber to open a panel and deposit an explosive charge, then leaps down to the ground as the lumbering vehicle explodes from the inside. The scene was achieved with three individuals playing Luke: Mark Hamill swinging from an upper set rig at Elstree, producer Jim Bloom doubling for insert shots filmed by George Lucas in ILM post production, and stuntman Colin Skeaping achieving the drop from both a helicopter and a large scaffold erected during second unit filming in Finse, shot earlier in 1979.

"I wish someone was there to take pictures of me hanging on wires in mid-air totally helpless like a limp Howdy Doody puppet."

Mark Hamill - Questor magazine 1980

Mark Hamill hangs around, helped by UK film veteran Les Dilley.

Jim Bloom is Luke for insert photography handled by George Lucas.

Colin Skeaping stunt performs as Luke.

Hamill, Skeaping and the film team witness the helicopter on location.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: UP TO THE BELLY OF THE BEAST!

Luke Skywalker fights back in this great storyboard art by Joe Johnston.

Trying to further delay the Imperial Walkers advance, Luke Skywalker rushes to the underbelly of the nearest Walker and shoots himself up to it with his cable gun, in a scene achieved with Mark Hamill in live-action footage filmed in Norway, and a puppet created and filmed ascending by ILM, alongside further animation handled by Peter Kuran and his his rotoscope animation team for a wide shot during the continuing battle.

Though footage had been shot of Luke running in the snow after the Walker on location, additional footage was shot of him running on a treadmill at Elstree. The footage wasn't used. Mark Hamill recalled to Questor magazine in 1980:

"There you are, running on a treadmill against a blue screen. They don't call me Mark Hamster for nothing. I'm running in full snow gear; goggles, helmet and a gun. Running on a treadmill is very hard. Usually, you have a guard rail that you can grasp as they increase the speed. Mind you, this shot is now out of the picture, it didn't look right. But I spent the better part of a day running on this bloody treadmill. They say 'we're going to take it up to speed two, up to three, up to four. But you can't look down. You're running and you're supposed to look up to see the giant walking machines. I took one misstep, and my foot came down on a stationary side of the treadmill; I went flying off, through three layers of polystyrene and landed with my feet, head and arms face up in a box."

A look at the model Luke Skywalker pilot created at ILM.

ILM veteran Ken Ralston with the Luke puppet (note the McQuarrie logo patch on Ralston's jumper shoulder).

The brilliantly detailed Luke Skyalker model created for the Battle of Hoth sequence.

Dennis Muren has fun with the model Luke, which itself is holding a Kenner action figure of... itself!

Storyboard by Joe Johnston.