BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: DAGOBAH DAYS!

Yoda operator Dave Barclay holds onto the Yoda puppet whilst Mark Hamill lifts himself up for some more Jedi training filming as Luke Skywalker, on the misty and murky Dagobah set towards the end of the main studio principal photography for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at ELSTREE, circa August/September 1979.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: DYING WITH A SMILE!

Dying has never been so much fun than when its in the make-believe world of the movie business, as two icons of their respective arts- actor Samuel L. Jackson and Stunt Coordinator Nick Gillard- film the death of Jedi Master Mace Windu for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

Nick Gillard will be at the UK's EMPIRE BIG SCREEN event at the 02 this weekend, and will be giving a talk about his life and career in cinema in the CINEWORLD screen 7 stage at 12.45 pm on the 13th August. Check out more on the event here: A Celebration of Film, A Feast for Fans Everywhere - The Live Movie Event | Empire Big Screen

And read our exclusive interview with Nick here: NICK GILLARD INTERVIEW

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: JABBA'S SAIL BARGE

The superb Sail Barge set was one of the many visual highlights of RETURN OF THE JEDI. As seen here in this reference image, its front side fully constructed in Buttercup Valley in Yuma, Arizona in April 1982 (alongside one of the smaller prisoner skiffs), it was the last major-league prop built for the Classic STAR WARS Trilogy, though it remains forever immortalised on the big screen with its incredible design and dedicated realisation.

For more on the Classic Trilogy's Production Design, look out for J.W. Rinzler's epic book on the subject, packed with blueprints and interviews with the films production designers and set decorators. see the trailer here: Star Wars: The Blueprints Trailer | Video | MTV

BEHIND THE SCENES: IMPERIAL HEAD WEAR!

Here's a couple of helmet scale/costume reference images of a distinctive and menacing Imperial TIE fighter pilot, though I'm not sure from which Classic Trilogy film (probably JEDI, as a lot more costume reference photo material exists for that one compared to the original STAR WARS).

BEHIND THE SCENES: IN THE SHADE!

The towering figure of Liam Neeson stands near STAR WARS film visionary George Lucas: the pair taking a break from the sun whilst on location in Tunisia for the exterior Tatooine filming of EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE.

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: REBEL CAPTURE!

Feisty heroine Princess Leia finds herself in a tough spot with some Imperial Stormtroopers in this specially posed publicity image for Carrie Fisher from 1979 (probably April, during the first batch of filming of Bespin scenes) for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

For more info on the making of the classic film, check out our comprehensive Behind the Scenes issues from 2006 and 2010, containing much behind the scenes information not available within the pages of the recent Rinzler book.

2010 ESB Behind the Scenes companion.

Exhaustive Making of ESB Special Issue from 2006.

Available here: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: WAMPA IN THE WILDS!

Inside the huge Stuart Freeborn costume for the fearsome snow beast, the Wampa, Des Webb gets ready for filming opposite the dead Tauntaun carcass. Sadly, the majority of the creatures location scenes, filmed in totally inhospitable climes at Finse, Norway, were deemed unusable and re-filmed, replaced with a new ILM insert of the creature's face and also with new material shot towards the end of the film's Principal Photography, on a partial snow filled backlot at ELSTREE.

Life's hard when you're a Wampa!

To find out more about the making of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, check out our immensely detailed behind the scenes specials here: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: AN "EMPIRE" IN DEVELOPMENT!

On one of the deserted sound stages at ELSTREE Studios in London circa late 1978/early 1979, construction work continues for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK on the Millennium Falcon's cockpit and interiors, whilst a Rebel laser cannon is readied for ultimate shipping to the cold climes of Finse, Norway for its battle against Imperial Walkers.

To check out more on the behind the scenes construction blueprints of the STAR WARS saga's legendary ships, droids, and planets interiors and exteriors, J.W. Rinzler, acclaimed author of THE MAKING OF STAR WARS and EMPIRE books has a lavish, if pricey, new tome out at the end of the year, full of never before revealed info and interviews with some of the top behind the scenes names to have worked on the amazing and influential production design side of the film. Check out the links to STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS here: Star Wars: The Blueprints  and how to get it in Europe here: Star Wars: The Blueprints (Limited Edition Hardcover) @ Forbidden Planet

BEHIND THE SCENES: TUNISIAN BUDDIES!

Mark Hamill and Sir Alec Guinness have some behind the scenes fun with Anthony Daniels as See-Threepio and Artoo Detoo in this great shot from the near completion of Tunisian filming on the original STAR WARS in April 1976.

BEHIND THE SCENES: IT'S FUN TO BE A JEDI!

Confident that is he isn't "going out like some punk" death-wise in EPISODE III, Sam "The Man" Jackson has some laughs in the Supreme Chancellor's main audience chamber during an on-set filming break for EPISODE II at the FOX STUDIOS in Sydney in 2000.

BEHIND THE SCENES: AN EVOLVING JEDI...

Here's an early in-the-works piece of costume design art by Nilo-Rodis Jamero for Luke Skywalker from RETURN OF THE JEDI. The dark cloak he wears would remain and become iconic, but the majority of the front layer of the costume, which is very Obi-Wan like, would be replaced with a much darker, deliberately more Darth Vader'ish ensemble, on the instructions of George Lucas, by the time of the movies filming in London in January 1982.

Check out our comprehensive AFICIONADO Behind the Scenes making of RETURN OF THE JEDI special issue here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO ISSUE 14 - THE MAKING OF "RETURN OF THE JEDI" and here: PDF SAMPLES OF "STAR WARS AFICIONADO" FEATURE PAGES

BEHIND THE SCENES: A PERFECT MATCH

On location in Tunisia circa March/April 1976, George Lucas confers with Sir Alec Guinness as he arrives at one of the areas being used to represent the desert planet of Tatooine. Guinness considered Tunisia an inspired choice as a locale for the film, which he thought gave the project some believability, and was equally impressed with the young director, once telling an interviewer his view that Lucas was so immersed in the medium he probably went to sleep covered in film!

BEHIND THE SCENES: GREEDO'S THREAT!

In January 1977, Lucas and a small Los Angeles Second Unit would film additional scenes for insertion into the evolving cut of STAR WARS, including many cutaway shots featuring Rick Baker's new menagerie of monsters. Stuart Freeborn's originally used Greedo mask would receive some practical design improvements by Baker for additional sequences also shot at the same time, where the trigger happy Rodian would be played by Maria De Aragon.

"WOOKIEE HUNT" - BEHIND THE SCENES

In anticipation of next weeks exciting Season Finale of THE CLONE WARS: "Wookiee Hunt", featuring the return of Chewbacca, SKY MOVIES HD, showing the episode in a world exclusive this weekend, have kindly sent me a couple of great behind the scenes pics relating to it- one of the Chewbacca CGI animation maquette reference, and the other of original Wookiee costume encumbent Peter Mayhew with Series Supervising Director Dave Filoni, joining forces in bringing Chewie to life in the animated medium.

CLASSIC CHEWBACCA: WOOKIEE WORLD!

I found this scan online a while back of a pre-production drawing of the Wookiee civilisation on Kashyyyk (love the mountain climbing Wookiee in the bottom right corner!), but I'm not sure who did the art or whether it was done in post production in 1978 for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (when there were early plans to have the Wookiees involved), THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL, or, much later, in 2002-4, for EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

If anyone out there can help with any info, please get in touch.

CLASSIC CHEWBACCA: ONE MAN AND HIS WOOKIEE!

In his workshop at ELSTREE, legendary British make-up artist Stuart Freeborn brings the Classic Trilogy Chewbacca mask to reality.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.

Fans of Stuart's work on the three STAR WARS films, and the rest of his spectacular career, including such notables as 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and the SUPERMAN films, check out AFICIONADO's exclusive interview with him and his wife Kay in our exhaustive MAKING OF "RETURN OF THE JEDI" special issue from 2008, which is available here: http://www.starwarsaficionado.com/catalog/item/6975337/8512430.htm

CLASSIC IMAGE: JAR JAR'S BIG ADVENTURE!

In one of the first live action scenes shot for THE PHANTOM MENACE at the UK's LEAVESDEN STUDIOS, Ahmed Best settles into his role as Gungan representative Jar Jar Binks in a corridor waiting area within Senator Palpatine's office on Coruscant. A brief sequence where Anakin (Jake Lloyd) and Jar Jar try to eavesdrop on Queen Amidala's first conversation with Palpatine about the invasion of Naboo was filmed but cut for time reasons from the finished film.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: MARIONETTE MASTER!

At ILM, Phil Tippett makes some Go-Motion filming adjustments whilst he and his crew film the brilliantly detailed miniature Luke on his Speeder Bike for the exhilarating Endor chase sequence for RETURN OF THE JEDI.

CLASSIC IMAGE: DIRECTING VADER!

Technicians (presumably from ILM or LUCASARTS) film an unknown actor as Darth Vader for what I assume is one of the many video games or advertising promotions linked to STAR WARS ultizing the sagas most popular villain.

If anyone out there can help with any more caption info for this image, please get in touch...

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: FETT EVOLUTION

2000 image from the ever talented Doug Chiang showing the costume evolutionary design process for EPISODE II's upcoming appearance of Bounty Hunter/ Clone Trooper template Jango Fett.

With thanks to Ian Trussler for the image.