'STAR WARS' AT 45: DISCONNECTING THE TRACTOR BEAM!

Filmed at Elstree Studios on Friday June 4th, 1976 (with an additional day of Second Unit work on Tuesday 8th), Obi-Wan Kenobi’s perilous mission to de-activate the chasm-facing Tractor Beam control access terminal is realized on a set (a redress of the previously filmed chasm area from April) that is built literally only three feet off the floor (with a higher up walkway set corridor/bridge behind and above it (with futuristic piping set decorations that were a combination of specially built props and cardboard photo blow ups previously used in the chasm sequence)). The looking down view of the Tractor Beam control set would be enhanced with a matte painting overlay added on in post production by P.S. Ellenshaw. 

The set would be the favourite of Continuity Supervisor Ann Skinner during filming.

Discovering the tractor beam power terminal.

Moving to the controls.

Either a specially posed dramatic image (most likely) by photographer John Jay, or a lost moment of Kenobi witnessing the long drop below.

At work on the controls.

Turning off the power.

Alternate B/W of the classic scene image.

As seen in the film.

Watching an alternate early edit of the film - famously and now incorrectly known back in 1999 as 'The Lost Cut' - Dr. David West Reynolds would recall to Star Wars Insider of the special effects-less sequence put together in rough form back in 1976:

"We see quite a few additional angles of the tractor beam coupling zone - more passageways, catwalks and bridges. Ben scurries around, hides, and sneaks past the guards in this dark lattice-work environment of strange tunnels and platforms, making his way to the tractor beam which here seems very hidden in the bowels of the Death Star, It is an interesting alternate feel for the scene- very similar, and yet the nuances are all different." 

ILM storyboard.

Harrison Ellenshaw working on the matte painting for the scene at ILM.

Matte and studio final combination.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: MATTE DESCENT!

Harrison Ellenshaw at ILM with his Bespin core matte painting.

Luke's suicidal fall soon takes him to a point where he is sucked into another type of air shaft and a further rapid descent towards an unknown destination...

Harrison Ellenshaw talks about his involvement on Empire...

"I finished working on 'The Black Hole' on a Friday, and Monday I was here, ready to begin on 'The Empire Strikes Back'"

Star Wars had a small budget, so George had to be very concerned where every dollar went; that, more than anything else explains the small number of matte shots." 

"Empire' is far more ambitious visually than 'Star Wars,' which means about 50 matte shots this time around. Much of the shooting was done on location to simulate the snow planet. Only a small percentage of the film takes place in space, with most of it in 'familiar' surroundings. 'Empire' is a completely different departure for me; It has it's own unique look to it. I'm scared, because I'm afraid many of the matte shots will look like matte shots because you'll know what we've done can't be done any other way. I fear they will be evident. Fortunately, there is a tone established very early in the film which will cause a suspension of disbelief; hopefully, believing in the fantasy of it all will make the mattes less noticeable, or at least less bothersome."

Luke's eventual suicide fall, as captured in storyboard by Ivor Beddoes.

"Matte painting is a tedious business, often taking up to 50 man-hours to complete a single matte; I will often work on ten, fifteen, as many as 20 paintings at one time, constantly improving, changing... preparing the work for film use. Ralph (McQuarrie) who hasn't previously preparing the work for film use. Ralph (McQuarrie) who hasn't previously worked a lot on mattes, takes a different approach with 'Empire', his are of such detail and complexity that he is forced to work through from beginning to end on each individual matte. Without him, I don't think we could have made the deadlines"

'The Empire Strikes Back' is one of the most fully documented films ever made; records are kept of every step of the operation, and each matte (which would ordinarily be scraped clean for use on the next picture) is preserved. 

"It's a pain in the ass, but you accept it for 2 reasons; one, it's a bit of an ego trip, because someone's taking a picture of something you're doing and it's always nice to know that someone is taking an interest in what you do... two, you know it's good for the film."

"Something different is being done in the case of 'Empire'. Four-by-Five transparencies are being shot of the paintings, and then being composited with the live-action, so the quality is much better than what you'd ordinarily get from a frame blow-up; It's not as grainy, and it really looks slick."

"I like to work with George, and I hope to continue to do so."

Questor magazine - August 1980

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: CLASHING DAMAGE!

Image: Star Wars Screen Caps site.

As the scene builds in dramatic intensity, the surroundings battle damage caused by the Sith/Jedi combatants' clashing lightsaber blades continues unabated...

Overall, the gantry lightsaber duel took a full week to complete at Elstree, but then required additional reshooting after the filmed footage was noticeably damaged when seen in rushes.

Heightening the conflict further, and establishing the setting with a spectacular matte painting.

Harrison Ellenshaw works on the painting at ILM.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: THE DEPARTURE OF SLAVE 1!

The final preparations for Boba Fett's departure in Slave 1, with his special cargo aboard, begins, in this memorable establishing shot moment on Cloud City achieved with a matte painting that incorporated previous live-action filming accomplished at Elstree Studios.

Live action elements added to the plate.

ILM conceptual art.

Matte Panting genius Harrison Ellenshaw at work on the Slave 1 matte painting.

Note the movie poster for Disney's The Black Hole, the labour of love project for father and son Ellenshaw, which was worked on before Harrison joined Empire. 

Slave 1 departs the East Platform, and soon receives blaster fire from a desperate Leia and Chewbacca.

Storyboard of departure scene.

The departure as captured in a frame from an original 1980 70mm print of the movie.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BESPIN TOUCHDOWN!

Escorted by the Twin Pod Cloud Cars, the Falcon makes its way to Cloud City's landing platform 327 and a very smooth touchdown, the vessel's landing jets (animated by ILM) operating whilst its landing struts touchdown.

A selection of ILM behind the scenes images from the model/matte painting filming.

ILM veteran Selwyn Eddy with the Falcon model.

Ken Ralston, Selwyn Eddy and others at ILM clown around during long shooting hours.

Harrison Ellenshaw works on a matte painting for the surrounding platform and sky/city backdrop.

AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: WELCOME TO DAGOBAH!

Splashdown! Image: StarWarsScreenCaps.com

His navigational controls and sensors having gone awry within the atmosphere of Dagobah, Luke has no choice but to crash-land his faithful X-wing fighter in the murky waters of one of the planet's dankest swamps.

Another stunning and atmospheric establishing shot matte painting from the accomplished Harrison Ellenshaw, returning to the Star Wars saga having then just completed work on Disney's own space epic, The Black Hole. The matte painting requirements for The Empire Strikes Back would be more than double that of the original 1977 film, and even more ambitious in creating big screen vistas scope.

Harrison Ellenshaw at work on the Dagobah location.

To enhance the shot further, several animated flying creatures would be model filmed by Ken Ralston against blue screen and optically overlaid.

The completed matte painting.

Ken Ralston with the flying bird creature filmed and inserted into the matte painting.

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...