Celebrating 50 years of Industrial Light & Magic: Expanding beyond visual effects to pioneer innovative and immersive experiences, seen in projects like 'Star Wars' and 'Jurassic World'
Industrial Light & Magic: Pioneering Visual Effects for Over Four Decades
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the groundbreaking visual effects company founded by George Lucas in 1975, has been pushing the boundaries of technology and art for over four decades. Originally launched to bring Lucas's vision for "Star Wars" to life, ILM has grown from a team of 25 artists to employing over 3,500 VFX artists across the globe.
The original core team that revolutionized the Star Wars film included visual effects pioneers such as George Lucas, John Dykstra (visual effects supervisor), and other key artists and technicians who developed innovative special effects techniques for the original 1977 Star Wars film. John Dykstra, renowned for his work in dynamic energy and fast-moving cameras, was brought on board by Lucas, who had initially consulted Douglas Trumbull, visual-effects artist from "2001: A Space Odyssey".
In the 1980s, ILM's work revolutionized visual effects once again with the combination of CG and puppetry. Mark Deppe and Steve Williams, who emphasised the use of computer graphics in ILM's projects, played a significant role in this development. This period saw the creation of the first CGI-animated character for a live-action, feature-length film with the Stained Glass Knight for "Young Sherlock Holmes".
The dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park", released in 1993, were another significant leap forward for ILM. Initially planning to use stop-motion animation, the team opted for computer graphics instead due to its potential for more complex shots. Gareth Edwards, director of "Jurassic Park: Rebirth", considers ILM sacred, as the company helped him overcome his biggest challenge - a 30-minute water sequence in the film.
More recently, ILM's LED wall technology, StageCraft, was first showcased in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian". This innovative technology allows for realistic scenes to surround actors in virtual production, revolutionising the way films are made. ILM's visual-effects supervisor John Knoll stated that the company was born out of necessity, and this ethos continues to drive its work today.
ILM's latest project, "ABBA Voyage", saw the company venturing into entertainment adjacent projects, creating digital versions of the Swedish pop band ABBA. The company's goal remains to make shots look good and have an authenticity to them, whether depicting something that doesn't exist or stretching superheroes.
In working with bands like ABBA and providing graphics for The Sphere, ILM has intentionally taken steps to converge all of their subbrands under ILM, ensuring that the company continues to be at the forefront of visual effects innovation.
