Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2020, and four original crew members from Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) convened for a virtual discussion full of reminiscences and insights. Visual effects supervisor Bill George (himself with ILM since 1981) moderated because, as he put it, “of all the ILM employees, I have the best attendance record.” Each panelist, all veterans of Star Wars: A New Hope, played essential roles in Empire’s production.
It was a period of remarkable growth for ILM as they relocated to San Rafael, California, established a new facility, and expanded their workforce. An eccentric group came together, and the company thrived, creating Empire’s effects with a relatively small number of crew (around 60).