A half-century ago when George Lucas decided to make “Star Wars,” a core visual effects team was handed a sizable challenge: Figure out a believable way to transport audiences to a galaxy far, far away. Essential to that goal was the development of a new type of motion control camera system: built in a Van Nuys warehouse where the production filmed space-set scenes such as the climatic trench run.
Now fans in Southern California can see the historic Dykstraflex camera system, newly restored and in working order, on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures starting Saturday in recognition of May the 4th, aka Star Wars day. The system weighs 1,500 lbs. and will be demonstrated by VFX vets with a 14-foot track and studio scale replicas of the Millennium Falcon, which is five-feet long, and a 20-inch X-Wing fighter.
Looking back, Richard Edlund, a member of the core VFX...
Now fans in Southern California can see the historic Dykstraflex camera system, newly restored and in working order, on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures starting Saturday in recognition of May the 4th, aka Star Wars day. The system weighs 1,500 lbs. and will be demonstrated by VFX vets with a 14-foot track and studio scale replicas of the Millennium Falcon, which is five-feet long, and a 20-inch X-Wing fighter.
Looking back, Richard Edlund, a member of the core VFX...
- 5/4/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety Film + TV
May the force – and insanely large checkbook – be with you. An X-wing fighter from 1977’s Star Wars that was long considered lost just sold at auction for $3.135 million, or more than a third of the movie’s actual budget. This is now the highest-priced Star Wars item ever sold on the market, topping even the R2-D2 droid used in numerous installments which sold in 2017 for $2.76 million.
The 1:24-scale model of the Star Wars X-wing fighter measures 20 inches and is considered a “Red Leader” (Red One), so named because of the red stripes on the top wings. It is also in “attack position”, making it an even more impressive display piece for the buyer. Add to that that this model stood in for Wedge’s Red Two and Luke Skywaler’s Red Five and this is definitely a prized piece for Star Wars fanatics. The official listing notes a...
The 1:24-scale model of the Star Wars X-wing fighter measures 20 inches and is considered a “Red Leader” (Red One), so named because of the red stripes on the top wings. It is also in “attack position”, making it an even more impressive display piece for the buyer. Add to that that this model stood in for Wedge’s Red Two and Luke Skywaler’s Red Five and this is definitely a prized piece for Star Wars fanatics. The official listing notes a...
- 10/17/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
An original 20-inch model of an X-wing starfighter used in the climatic space battle in 1977’s Star Wars sold for a record-setting $3.135 million at a Heritage Auction in Dallas.
The X-wing — part of the collection of late Oscar-nominated modelmaker Greg Jein, which was auctioned this weekend — had been thought to have been lost for decades and was recently found in a box in Jein’s garage.
“Heritage just set the record for the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction,” said Joe Maddalena, exec vp Hollywood/entertainment memorabilia at Heritage Auctions, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The worldwide response to the Greg Jein collections has been outstanding, a true testament to Greg and all he accomplished as visual effects artist and collector.”
Built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the “Red Leader” (Red One) X-wing is one of just...
The X-wing — part of the collection of late Oscar-nominated modelmaker Greg Jein, which was auctioned this weekend — had been thought to have been lost for decades and was recently found in a box in Jein’s garage.
“Heritage just set the record for the most expensive Star Wars screen-used prop sold at auction,” said Joe Maddalena, exec vp Hollywood/entertainment memorabilia at Heritage Auctions, in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The worldwide response to the Greg Jein collections has been outstanding, a true testament to Greg and all he accomplished as visual effects artist and collector.”
Built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the “Red Leader” (Red One) X-wing is one of just...
- 10/15/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When George Lucas and his special effects house Industrial Light and Magic finished shooting "Star Wars" back in the late 1970s, they boxed up all of their props and widgets -- then stored in the San Fernando Valley -- and moved their operation north, just north of the San Francisco Bay. While most of the "Star Wars" props made the trek undamaged, at least one of the X-wings models remained behind by accident. "Star Wars" fans will instantly note X-wings as the single-occupancy, biplane-like spacecraft that the film's heroes used to attack the Death Star in the film's climax.
One of the more forwardly visible models used to shoot the Death Star sequence -- the Red Leader X-wing -- was 20 inches long and was equipped with lights and servos to control the "expanding" of the ship's four wings. It was massively detailed and was painted to look like it had seen some action,...
One of the more forwardly visible models used to shoot the Death Star sequence -- the Red Leader X-wing -- was 20 inches long and was equipped with lights and servos to control the "expanding" of the ship's four wings. It was massively detailed and was painted to look like it had seen some action,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
A long-lost piece of Star Wars history has been uncovered, and if you’ve got a few hundred thousand to spare (at least), you can bring it home. An original 20-inch X-wing model used in the Death Star battle in the original Star Wars movie is set to be sold at a Heritage Auction next month in Dallas, with the bidding starting at $400,000.
The Red Leader X-wing model was part of the collection of late modelmaker Greg Jein and was one of just four hero filming models with articulating servo-controlled wings and lights. “This model has not been displayed or modified since it left Ilm,” VFX historian Gene Kozicki told THR. “For those of us that grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, and those of us that work in visual effects, this model is as significant a find as the ruby red slippers or the Maltese Falcon.“
Related Liam Neeson...
The Red Leader X-wing model was part of the collection of late modelmaker Greg Jein and was one of just four hero filming models with articulating servo-controlled wings and lights. “This model has not been displayed or modified since it left Ilm,” VFX historian Gene Kozicki told THR. “For those of us that grew up in the ’70s or ’80s, and those of us that work in visual effects, this model is as significant a find as the ruby red slippers or the Maltese Falcon.“
Related Liam Neeson...
- 9/8/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
A fabled piece of Star Wars history that was lost for decades has resurfaced, and is now the crown jewel of an upcoming auction.
An original 20-inch model of an X-wing starfighter used in the climatic space battle in 1977’s Star Wars — believed to be the so-called “missing X-wing” — is part of the collection of late Oscar nominated modelmaker Greg Jein. It will be sold at a Heritage Auction on Oct. 14-15 in Dallas, and the bidding for the X-wing starts at $400,000.
Built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the “Red Leader” (Red One) X-wing is one of just four “hero” filming miniatures with articulating servo-controlled wings and lights, according to the auction description. Hero models were built for close-ups and used in the final battle, including the trench run.
“This model has not been displayed or modified since it left Ilm,” VFX historian...
An original 20-inch model of an X-wing starfighter used in the climatic space battle in 1977’s Star Wars — believed to be the so-called “missing X-wing” — is part of the collection of late Oscar nominated modelmaker Greg Jein. It will be sold at a Heritage Auction on Oct. 14-15 in Dallas, and the bidding for the X-wing starts at $400,000.
Built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the “Red Leader” (Red One) X-wing is one of just four “hero” filming miniatures with articulating servo-controlled wings and lights, according to the auction description. Hero models were built for close-ups and used in the final battle, including the trench run.
“This model has not been displayed or modified since it left Ilm,” VFX historian...
- 9/8/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A decade ago, the visual effects industry hit a creative high note when Ang Lee’s adaptation of Life of Pi — highlighted by an extraordinary photoreal CG Bengal tiger — won the VFX honor at the 2013 BAFTA awards. But the celebration quickly turned to devastation when, shortly after, in Los Angeles, the film’s lead VFX company, Rhythm & Hues (R&h), began calling artists to let them go. Recalls Academy member and former employee Gene Kozicki, “It didn’t matter if you were an Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor or a production manager with 13 years’ tenure — if you weren’t working on a show right then, you were laid off.” Weeks before its work collected the VFX honor at the Oscars, the 25-year-old studio filed for bankruptcy.
The shocking occurrence led to a reckoning in the VFX community, exposing to the world what looked like a broken business model, attributed to...
The shocking occurrence led to a reckoning in the VFX community, exposing to the world what looked like a broken business model, attributed to...
- 3/1/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny and Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
VFX educator Pam Hogarth and Pixar’s Pete Docter were among the honorees at this year’s Visual Effects Society Honors Celebration.
The in-person ceremony took place on Oct. 14 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Calif., where Ves members celebrated their colleagues’ achievements and the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer best known for directing “Monsters, Inc.,” “Up,” “Inside Out” and “Soul,” received this year’s Honorary Membership.
“It’s been a dream of mine to join Ves without having to pay,” Docter said jokingly in his acceptance speech. “I had one overriding obsession: to sell insurance. But instead, I got a job in animation … To everyone at Pixar, who would’ve dreamt that someday I would be lucky enough to work alongside hundreds of amazingly talented people using the latest cutting-edge technology — all to avoid dealing with real life.”
Docter also acknowledged Pixar president Jim Morris,...
The in-person ceremony took place on Oct. 14 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Calif., where Ves members celebrated their colleagues’ achievements and the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer best known for directing “Monsters, Inc.,” “Up,” “Inside Out” and “Soul,” received this year’s Honorary Membership.
“It’s been a dream of mine to join Ves without having to pay,” Docter said jokingly in his acceptance speech. “I had one overriding obsession: to sell insurance. But instead, I got a job in animation … To everyone at Pixar, who would’ve dreamt that someday I would be lucky enough to work alongside hundreds of amazingly talented people using the latest cutting-edge technology — all to avoid dealing with real life.”
Docter also acknowledged Pixar president Jim Morris,...
- 10/18/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
As the Visual Effects Society marks the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the annual Ves Honors ceremony on Friday included celebration along with a call for more diversity and inclusion, as well as a greater effort to achieve a work-life balance amid industry-wide attention on the long work hours kept by many VFX artists under current business models.
Friday evening at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, honorees included three-time Oscar winner and Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter and VFX vet and educator Pam Hogarth.
Hogarth received the Ves Founders Award as well as life Ves membership, and sent a message of community while urging more work toward diversity and inclusion. “The reason we are here is for the community,” she said. “We do this because we love the people around us and the Society. We are so lucky to work with smart,...
As the Visual Effects Society marks the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the annual Ves Honors ceremony on Friday included celebration along with a call for more diversity and inclusion, as well as a greater effort to achieve a work-life balance amid industry-wide attention on the long work hours kept by many VFX artists under current business models.
Friday evening at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, honorees included three-time Oscar winner and Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter and VFX vet and educator Pam Hogarth.
Hogarth received the Ves Founders Award as well as life Ves membership, and sent a message of community while urging more work toward diversity and inclusion. “The reason we are here is for the community,” she said. “We do this because we love the people around us and the Society. We are so lucky to work with smart,...
- 10/15/2022
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Visual Effects Society has set Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron and CG pioneer Gary Demos (The Last Starfighter) as Honorary Members, while adding new fellows and Hall of Fame inductees, all of whom will be celebrated at a special event this fall.
Fellows, who will be bestowed with the post-nominal letters “Ves,” include VFX veterans Brooke Breton, Mike Chambers, Van Ling and Nancy St. John.
The 2021 class of Ves Hall of Fame honorees includes VFX supervisor and Dp and special effects icon Roy Field, special effects supervisor and Dp John P. Fulton, A.S.C. (The Ten Commandments), VFX supervisor and designer Phil Kellison, pioneering filmmakers Auguste and Louis Lumière (The Arrival of a Train), and animator, composer and inventor John Whitney,...
Fellows, who will be bestowed with the post-nominal letters “Ves,” include VFX veterans Brooke Breton, Mike Chambers, Van Ling and Nancy St. John.
The 2021 class of Ves Hall of Fame honorees includes VFX supervisor and Dp and special effects icon Roy Field, special effects supervisor and Dp John P. Fulton, A.S.C. (The Ten Commandments), VFX supervisor and designer Phil Kellison, pioneering filmmakers Auguste and Louis Lumière (The Arrival of a Train), and animator, composer and inventor John Whitney,...
- 9/29/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Star Trek patriarch Gene Roddenberry, Dynamation VFX pioneer Ray Harryhausen and film poster/title sequence legend Saul Bass are among the Visual Effect Society’s 2018 Hall of Fame class, the guild said today. It also named its other career honorees, including Gene Kozicki (Founders Award) and Jonathan Erland (Lifetime Membership).
“Our Ves honorees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects,” Ves Board Chair Mike Chambers said. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”
Here is the full list of this year’s Ves honorees, with bios provided by the guild. This year’s Ves Fellows will be announced later.
Founders Award Recipient
Gene Kozicki for his sustained contributions to the art, science or business of visual effects and meritorious service to the Society.
“Our Ves honorees represent a group of exceptional artists, innovators and professionals who have had a profound impact on the field of visual effects,” Ves Board Chair Mike Chambers said. “We are proud to recognize those who helped shape our shared legacy and continue to inspire future generations of VFX practitioners.”
Here is the full list of this year’s Ves honorees, with bios provided by the guild. This year’s Ves Fellows will be announced later.
Founders Award Recipient
Gene Kozicki for his sustained contributions to the art, science or business of visual effects and meritorious service to the Society.
- 8/15/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Photo: La Times
We Are Movie Geeks were on hand last night as American Cinematheque kicked of their Star Trek.To Boldly Go film series at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The evening began with my favorite of all the Trek films, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Seeing it on the big screen after 32 years was definitely a treat and most of the people in attendance agreed. It was not only fun and sentimental, but really paid homage to all the work that went into a production of that scale in a time before CGI and digital effects.
Surprisingly, the film held up very well for its 1979 release date. The music by Jerry Goldsmith was moving and evoked more than one round of applause during the opening and closing credits from the sentimental audience, who also applauded when names such as Roddenberry, Shatner, Nimoy and Doohan came up.
Following...
We Are Movie Geeks were on hand last night as American Cinematheque kicked of their Star Trek.To Boldly Go film series at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The evening began with my favorite of all the Trek films, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Seeing it on the big screen after 32 years was definitely a treat and most of the people in attendance agreed. It was not only fun and sentimental, but really paid homage to all the work that went into a production of that scale in a time before CGI and digital effects.
Surprisingly, the film held up very well for its 1979 release date. The music by Jerry Goldsmith was moving and evoked more than one round of applause during the opening and closing credits from the sentimental audience, who also applauded when names such as Roddenberry, Shatner, Nimoy and Doohan came up.
Following...
- 3/25/2011
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
To celebrate the Star Trek film series, American Cinematheque has chosen six of the eight films in the franchise, plumbing deep for gems in the Trek universe that haven’t necessarily received the tribute they deserve. From series creator Gene Roddenberry, all of these films embody the ideals of sci-fi’s first franchise that have endured for more than 40 years. May they continue to live long and prosper for many more. The series will run Thursday, March 24 – Sunday, March 27. Thursday evening begins with my favorite of all the Trek films, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Who isn’t sobbing when Scotty and Kirk take the shuttle out to see the Enterprise for the first time?
The Star Trek tribute at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028), will include 35mm screenings of The Wrath Of Khan and The Search For Spock, plus The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country in 70mm.
The Star Trek tribute at the Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028), will include 35mm screenings of The Wrath Of Khan and The Search For Spock, plus The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country in 70mm.
- 3/24/2011
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oken elected VES chair
Jeffrey A. Okun has been elected chair of the Visual Effects Society for a one-year term by the group's new board and will succeed outgoing chair Carl Rosendahl. Other newly elected board leaders are first vice chair Ray Feeney, second vice chair Tim McGovern, treasure Ray Scalice and secretary Pam Hogarth. New members elected to the board include Mat Beck, Jerome Chen, Jonathan Erland, Warren Franklin, Hogarth, Gene Kozicki, John Knoll, Marshall Krasser, Tim McGovern, Loni Peristere, Tim Sarnoff, Ray Scalise, Mark Stetson, Richard Winn Taylor II and Susan Zwerman.
- 1/21/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.