CLASSIC IMAGE: IN THE MIDST OF BATTLE!

With resilient shell armour proving too strong against their laser firepower, formidable Commander Luke Skywalker and his Rogue Group of environment- adapted Rebel Alliance snowspeeders must resort to other primitive (but no less effective) means to take down the continuing onslaught of Imperial AT-AT Walkers, in this great scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

Top Star Wars fan and filmmaker Luke Asa Guidici kindly sent Star Wars Aficionado this terrific video celebrating the epic Battle of Hoth sequence, ingeniously compiling 'side-by-sides' storyboard animatics alongside the as-seen filmed sequences. It's a great piece of work - cheers, Luke!

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...

ILM BEHIND THE SCENES: PAINTING THE COLD CLIMES OF HOTH!

An ILM technician feels the cold in this humorous image.

Bringing to life at ILM the many establishing scenes set during the opening stages of battle and drama on the ice planet of Hoth would take all kinds of skillsets and techniques from a variety of in-house talents, most notably by the superb use of background paintings and matte work achieved by the likes of veteran artist Ralph McQuarrie and newcomers like Michael Pangrazio, whose impressive work was notably showcased in enhancing the model filming/ stop motion work then underway for The Empire Strikes Back.

Here's a showcase look at the behind the scenes work involved...

Harrison Ellenshaw pulls out a matte painting used at the start of the snow battle.

As seen in the film from the Walker cockpit. Image: Star Wars Screen Caps.

Another backdrop piece for the snow battle.

Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett with the Tauntaun snowscape, with Mike Pangrazio's painted backdrop.

Two shots of Michael Pangrazio at work.

Backdrop used for the Snowspeeder search for the missing Luke and Han on Hoth.

Ralph McQuarrie at work on a Rebel base ice cave exterior.

Work continues on the painting.

It looks like a revised or alternate/similar matte painting design was used in the final film for the Rebel base entrance, placed over establishing footage at the Norway-filmed glacier trench. Image: Star Wars Screen Caps.

And on an overall Hoth location backdrop.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: A LITTLE HOTH HUMOUR!

The Battle of Hoth was no laughing matter during the opening events of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. But that didn't stop US humour magazine Cracked getting a chance to spoof it in this great cover art adorning issue 173, from John Severin.

AFICIONADO's primary anniversary coverage of The Empire Strikes Back takes a pause, and will resume in 2021.

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 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.

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.

Unknown doubles watch the blue screen as Hobbie's speeder heads towards them and the set detonates with pyrotechnics.

Animatic of Hobbie's speeder ramming and exploding into the Walker cockpit.

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.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: REBELS IN RETREAT!

The evacuation code retreat is sounded and the surviving Rebel soldiers emerge from their wrecked emplacements to rush to the last escape transport vessel, though still in the sights of the advancing Imperial Walkers, in this epic moment from the film.

Storyboard for the memorable scene.

The scene as filmed on location circa April 1979, with Walkers added in ILM post production. 

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: SCOUTING AHEAD!

Presumably carrying Darth Vader to the Rebel base (at a point in the battle where Imperial Snowtroopers are disembarking for ground combat - a scene mentioned but ultimately not filmed), a solitary AT-ST 'Scout Walker' presses ahead of the remaining Walkers and over the front lines in this memorable moment. 

Luke is oblivious to the background Scout Walker soon after destroying an AT-AT.

The AT-ST 'Chicken' Walker was apparently a last minute addition to the film, at the request of George Lucas, during stop-motion filming, and would be visually altered by the time of its full showcasing with Return of the Jedi three years later.

Evolving concept art for the Scout Walker, later used for the Star Wars Rebels animated series. 

Dennis Muren, one of the key ILM team handling the Scout Walker's late addition to the sequence.

Nilo Rodis-Jamero storyboard for the Luke/Walker scene.

Filming the moment on location with the film's second unit.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: A CRUSHING ESCAPE!

Freeing himself from the cockpit of his crashed Snowspeeder, Luke Skywalker retrieves some necessary equipment and leaps to the snowy floor just in time, as the massive Imperial Walker brings its crushing foot down, in an exciting scene filmed against blue screen at Elstree Studios, London during near Fall 1979, so as to better match with the eventual integrated ILM effects footage.

Mark Hamill in a break between action.

Several shots showing the UK built damaged Snowspeeder vehicle sent to Norway for filming.

Rear shot of a Snowspeeder used in Elstree filming.