Very cool stuff Sergio. Thanks for sharing your animation insights and perspective on the movie. Guess I better get out there and see this one for myself. Best wishes, Lillian

I have to admit that, as stunning as the CGI work was, overall it seemed to distract from just moving the story along. Too often, there would be an establishing shot of a gorgeous landscape that says "Isnt this fab looking?" before we got to the actual scene itself. A few establishing shots would have sufficed, but it felt like every scene in the film had one.

Wow great job on this nemirc really brings into play how these scene's were done. Thank you Sandy

Great job nemirc! While watching the movie I had one eye on the visual fx while the other was following the story.

Nice review - thanks!;)

Nice piece of work, thanks for sharing your insight indeed. And now I'm off to watch the movie. Andy

Awesome - These articles inspire me very much! Thanks Sergio!

Great Nemirc !!! I'm a fan of Starwars and you seems to be too. Very good job

My only gripe is that the overlaid Jango Fett heads on the stormtroopers looked extremely unnatural. The lighting was off and there wasn't enough movement. Should have left the hats on.

Agreed breid. That was the only shot that bothered me. The rest of the movie was so seamless that the one poorly executed scene in the hangar really stands out.

I really enjoyed the movie and this article gives a slight insight into behind the scenes. Funny but I'd never thought of Yoda as a CGI character and that is a testemant to how successful he has been. As someone hoping to get more into the 3D graphics world I'm not sure I even want to consider the amount of time spent on some of the graphics involved in Star Wars.

I went and saw the original Star Wars when it came out in 1977. I was 16 years old. By the standard of today the effect are a bit second hand, but I am certain that kids today will get no greater thrill from "Sith" than I did 28 years ago on my first trip to a galaxy far far away.

" You know there are digital doubles here, but you dont realize when the CGI version enters and exits the frame." For the most part this is true but there are scenes with the unnessecary CGI is really jarring. Most notably, some of the Stormtrooper scenes. "Episode IV, which can only be defined as a visual drag" Dude, have you seen that movie? Despite the lack of hi-tech CGI wizardy the movie is visual CLASSIC. In now way, whatsoever, could it possibly be described as a "drag!"

Im follow the saga in this last 20 years, although the story like the effects, and this is the real and touching of all.

Episode IV a "visual drag"? Perhaps for you. Since you appear to be too younfg to have seen it when it first came out. At the time its was the best darn effects out there. Incredibly innovative too. with 3D effects, for the most part its very easy to know you are looking at CG. A few movies have had sequences that require a second look to be sure. Episode IV also had its share of "oh, thats a model" But over all it is very stunning.

Very well done. I end up watching just about every movie that has CG in it. This is certainly no exception. Heck, I remember when Empire Strikes Back came out. I went to the premier showing with a wonderful gal. It cost $20 per ticket and that was in 1980 as I recall. Sergio, thanks for showing us how it was done.

Oh come on! The digital doubles are pretty easy to spot. It's ludicrous that some of those shots could've been made with regular stunts and they would've looked way better than those stupid digital doubles. The opening battle was pretty bad. Compare it to Return of the Jedis last battle and you get my meaning. In twenty years they couldn't even top that.

Great review. I was surpised to see how few polys the senate building had. Was that screenshot accurate? They sure can go along way with lighting and texturing. I have to disagree with IVs visuals being drag. Although it would be nice if they could re-release it without any of the new CG scenes. It would be nice to see just how good the origial was.

Hi Mudflap, As to the supporting images, they came straight from the Lucasfilm/ILM studios files. So I can assure you they are accurate :] Dee-Marie

I really enjoyed reading this article. I saw the movie a week ago and it is fun to see how much of it is just digital magic.

Hello :) Thanks for the comments and I see there's even a good discussion about this now. Just to clear things up, for me it looks weird that the first episodes are VFX packed while the last three are not. It's also to my disliking that the visual "quality" (AKA VFX) is so different. I don't think that affects the story at all but I'd preffer to either have all 6 movies with top of the line VFX or 1980-style VFX just to mantain the "visual style". For example, when you watch Lord of the Rings the visual style subconsciously tells you that you are watching the same movie but for SW, the visual aspect doesn't help. So when I say "drag" I am not telling it's not a classic (basically SW gave birth to bluescreen). I am just telling that, from the "visuals point of view" it's a shame that the first 3 eps looked so great while the last 3 only look great. For this specific aspect I don't pay heed to the "release date" because starwars movies have to be seen as a whole, not as two different "slices".

Very cool review nemirc and the film shots and pre production shots are stunning.......... (I'm surprised lucasfilm even give this kinda stuff out while the movie is still on general release) i seen the movie the day after release and was slightly disapointed..... in the words of yoda "CGI does not a good movie make" it wasn't the story (which half of the western world knew already) or the effects but for me the choice of hayden christiensen a terrible cardboard actor to put it mildly as Anakin wasted the whole film.... perhaps it was lucas's direction of the actors that was at fault because even a great Stage actor like Ian McDairmid seemed HAM.(Mcgregor wasn't much better)... I also got the feeling while watching it that lucas was going down a checklist of things that should tie together for a new hope.......I still have to say i enjoyed the movie for all its shortcomings and yoda kisked A** (that was my fave sequence in the film.... either that or grevious) i suppose it succeded in a way because being into 3d graphics you're more aware of effects in films but i didn't think about the effects while i watched what was a very action packed movie..... empire strikes back still kicks all the other films A**es tho :o) (i think probably because lucas didn't direct it) possibly i'm getting too old for what is essentially a kids film......... I was 7 years old when i seen star wars in 1977 back then NOTHING like that had ever been seen....... good effects are ten a penny nowadays.....

It'd be nice to hear actual technical details about the software. Even the Shrek2 DVD talks about Maya, subsurface scattering, stuff like that.

Thank you, nemirc! Fascinating stuff! May the force be with you! :)

chemicalbrother and duanemoody, You'd be surprised of the kind of info and pics you can get on a Cinefex magazine :) I can't promise anything but we'll try to get more in depth articles in the future ;)