Completing Visual Effects

"We are nine weeks from finishing the final effects shot," says producer Rick McCallum, looking at the home stretch for Episode I. "We have 315 shots to do in these nine weeks, and everything is on schedule. ILM is completing 35 shots a week." Is this a tense period then? "Well, we are right on target and there's really no drama," says McCallum. "But that's because we know we can depend on ILM. ILM has been fantastic on this project. The focus, dedication and commitment we have seen from hundreds of people is amazing. They have completed almost 2,000 shots for this film -- which is a tremendous number -- without having to farm out any of it to any other company. I think ILM's work on this project is one of the most remarkable achievements in effects history."

THE NEW SCORE
Other long-awaited elements of the film are falling into place as well. McCallum and director George Lucas have just returned from a three-week stay in London for the scoring of Episode I. Composer John Williams conducted the London Symphony Orchestra once again, this time in the famous Abbey Road studios. McCallum called the recording session "A rare pleasure. John Williams has come through for us again, and he has created a dramatic, intriguing new score. The music is wonderful. There are many new themes, and all of us found it very exciting."

SOUND MIX PREPARATION
"We start the film's sound mix on March 15, and we are already into the premix," says McCallum. Ben Burtt has been hard at work building new sounds for the film and crafting them shot-by-shot, and Foley experts have been busy recording crisp footfalls, cape swishes, and every other sort of sound shading that makes the artificial business of a feature film sound perfectly, casually real.

From long preparation, through intense production, to equally intense post-production, Episode I is moving closer and closer to being a complete and finished film at last.