Lucasfilm is set to bring back one of the legendary VFX artists from the original trilogy as Skeleton Crew aims to blend old and new film techniques.
An Artist Legend for a New Saga
The Star Wars franchise is about to receive a significant reinforcement. Indeed, Phil Tippett, one of the legendary VFX artists from the original trilogy, is joining the team of the upcoming TV series Skeleton Crew. Created by Jon Watts, director of Spider-Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his regular collaborator Christopher Ford, the series is described as a coming-of-age story set in the Star Wars universe during the time of The Mandalorian.
An Old and New Blend for Star Wars
In a recent interview with Collider, Jon Watts discussed how he combined cutting-edge digital effects with classic cinematic tricks directly inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy. The director not only revealed that Skeleton Crew uses traditional matte paintings, but also explained that Phil Tippett worked on stop-motion animation for the series.
Modern Techniques Serving the Old
Jon Watts’ decision to merge these modern tools with older techniques could provide viewers with the best of both worlds, offering impressive visuals enhanced by the art and detailed efforts required for creating traditional matte paintings and stop-motion creatures. Since its inception, the Star Wars franchise has been known to be at the forefront of visual effects technology.
What Do We Think?
Phil Tippett is a living legend of stop-motion animation, and his contribution to Skeleton Crew can only enrich the visual experience of the series. We are eagerly looking forward to seeing what this combination of talent and technology will bring to the Star Wars universe.