Star Wars: the Last Jedi
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The Art and Science of Lucasfilm: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Grades 6 - 12 CLASSROOM GUIDE ABOUT THE DISCUSSION SUPPLEMENTAL VFX TERMS AND LUCASFILM PRESENTERS QUESTIONS & RESOURCES DEFINITIONS OVERVIEW ACTIVITIES This special Schools at the Festival edition of our long running collaborative educational series will highlight the work of the Academy Award nominated film Rogue One. Experienced professionals from Lucasfilm will share their knowledge in a behind-the- presentation scenes, interactive multimedia presentation that demonstrates the intersection of art and science in the entertainment industry, all while making connections to current STEAM curriculum topics. Presentation doesn’t include screening of the film. The Art & Science of Lucasfilm program features experienced professionals from the overview: various Lucasfilm divisions sharing their knowledge with Bay Area middle and high school students in a series of behind-the-scenes, interactive multimedia presentations that demonstrate the intersection of art and science in the entertainment industry. Each event includes time for discussion, where students have the opportunity to ask questions of Lucasfilm, supervisors, artists and engineers. All SFFILM Education materials are developed in alignment with California educational standards for media literacy. SFFILM Education welcomes feedback and questions on all printed study materials. Grades 6-12 Suggested Subject Areas: Arts/Media, Career Path Training, Math, Peer/Youth Issues, Science PRESENTER BIOS DISCUSSION AND EXERCISES VFX TERMS SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES LUCASFILM OVERVIEW presenter bios JANET LEWIN, Executive Producer of Lucasfilm minor in Journalism. A 24-year veteran of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Prior to ILM, Pasquarello worked for Disney, starting Magic, Janet Lewin is currently serving as Lucasfilm’s in 1989, as a digital compositor for various projects VP of Visual Effects. for Walt Disney Animation and The Disney Channel, including The New Mickey Mouse Club. In her current role, Janet oversees all visual effects work across the Lucasfilm franchise, encompassing feature films, theme park rides, marketing projects PABLO HIDALGO, Lucasfilm Story and commercials. In addition, she functions as VFX A lifelong Star Wars fan and recognized expert on the Producer on the films, closely collaborating with depth and history of the saga, Pablo Hidalgo started filmmakers on VFX strategy, schedule and budget writing professionally on the subject in 1995, penning throughout the productions of Star Wars: The Force articles for the original Star Wars role-playing game. Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The He was one of the first online fans to attempt to tackle Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. cataloging and inventorying the Star Wars universe in 1997 with a fan encyclopedia he eventually moved Before joining Lucasfilm, Janet was Head of Production offline. and Executive Producer at ILM. Some of her ILM Producing credits include Star Wars: Revenge of the In 2000, he switched careers from being a visual-effects Sith, The Hulk and Spiderwick Chronicles, among many concept artist and digital compositor to a full-time others. Star Wars authority at Lucasfilm, joining as a content developer for the official Star Wars website. In 2003, he accompanied the Episode III crew as the on-set Eddie Pasquarello, ILM Supervisor diarist, reporting daily from Sydney, London and San Rafael during the film’s production and postproduction Eddie Pasquarello joined Industrial Light & Magic in periods. His close involvement with the making of November of 1993 as a compositor working on Forrest Episode III netted him a walk-on cameo role in Revenge Gump. In 1999, he became Lead Compositor on of the Sith. He would later serve as managing editor of Sleepy Hollow. Pasquarello just wrapped production StarWars.com, and then became brand communication on Star Wars: The Last Jedi directed by Rian Johnson manager for Lucasfilm, where he applied his deep on which he served as ILM San Francisco’s Visual knowledge of the company’s brands to advise on Effects Supervisor. Previously he served as Visual creative and business decisions. Effects Supervisor on Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland, Co- Visual Effects Supervisor on Guillermo del Toro’s sci-fi Now, as part of the Lucasfilm Story Group, Hidalgo epic, Pacific Rim, Associate Visual Effects Supervisor works with filmmakers, authors, artists and other and Compositing Supervisor on J.J. Abram’s Star Trek creatives to hone their stories and connect to the larger and Compositing Supervisor on James Cameron’s mythos of the Star Wars galaxy. Hidalgo has also written blockbuster science fiction epic, Avatar. or co-written several authoritative Star Wars reference books, and frequently serves as stage host at fan Originally from Woburn, Massachusetts, Pasquarello conventions. graduated from Suffolk University in Boston with a B.S. degree in Mass Communications/Advertising with a Pablo lives in San Francisco. PRESENTER BIOS DISCUSSION AND EXERCISES VFX TERMS SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES LUCASFILM OVERVIEW MATT SHUMWAY, ILM Animator CHARMAINE CHAN, ILM Compositor Charmaine Chan joined Industrial Light & Magic in Matt Shumway joined Industrial Light & Magic in 2013 2007. She started off as a Digital Resource Assistant, as an Animation Supervisor. then became an Assistant Technical Director, and Matt received an Academy Award nomination for his currently holds the role of a Compositor and Area Tech contribution to Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu’s The Lead for the Compositing Department. Revenant. That work included the development of Born and raised on the islands of Hawaii, Charmaine several photo real animals including wolves, buffalo, moved to California to study at UC Irvine where she cubs, and a large grizzly bear. The terrifying bear received a BA in Studio Art. During college, Charmaine sequence led to honors from both the Visual Effects worked part time for Deluxe Digital Studios where she Society and ASIFA Hollywood for outstanding character created motion graphics for DVD/Blu-ray menus. animation. While working as an Assistant Technical Director, Charmaine helped create the outsourcing pipeline and Prior to joining ILM, Matt spent 10 years working as an process for collaborating with third party vendors and Animation Supervisor for Rhythm and Hues Studios in ingesting their material for artists to use. Los Angeles. There he was part of the supervisory team As a Compositor, Charmaine has done shot work for several films including two Academy Award-winning for films like Black Panther and Star Wars: The Last films, The Golden Compass and Life of Pi. For Life of Jedi. She has also designed and created the current Pi, Matt’s team led the development of the film’s central Compositing Nuke pipeline. As an Area Tech Lead she character Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger. Matt’s work continues to facilitate new developments and processes also included the creation of several other animals in for the department. the film including the orangutan, zebra, hyena, and On the side Charmaine has created the project Women meerkats. His work on the tiger earned him a 2013 in Visual Effects which is a video series that helps Annie Award. The Life of Pi visual effects were honored advocate the stories and experiences of women in the worldwide. industry. She is also an active member of Women in In 2016, Matt headed off to a galaxy far, far away, Animation and the Visual Effects Society. Supervising Animation on Star Wars: The Last Jedi. His team was responsible for the epic end battle which included the development of the Crystal Foxes and the Porgs. Following Jedi, Matt continued with the Force by joining Solo: A Star Wars Story as the overall Animation Supervisor. Matt graduated with distinction from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. PRESENTER BIOS DISCUSSION AND EXERCISES VFX TERMS SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES LUCASFILM OVERVIEW Discussion and exercises POST PRESENTATION DISCUSSION 8. What is different about the main characters in The Last 1. Did you enjoy this presentation? What were your favorite Jedi compared to other movies you have seen? Why is moments? What was most thrilling about STAR WARS: The it important to have a diverse crew and cast working on Last Jedi? films today? 2. Describe some of the settings of the film: where does 9. Were you surprised by the scope of teamwork and the action takes place? Are the worlds created for The collaboration that went into the making of The Last Jedi? Last Jedi believable? Why or Why not (what makes them Would you enjoy working on a large production like The believable or not believable)? Last Jedi? 3. Can you explain how a Green Screen works? How 10. What did you know about the STAR WARS series as a does this technique help the film makers connect the whole before seeing this film, and how does STAR WARS: Real World to the Virtual World they have created with The Last Jedi fit into the series? Does it have a simple plot computers? What other techniques help build the STAR (storyline) or complicated plot? Why? WARS Universe? 11. What is the main conflict in the plot? What are some 4. What are some of the more interesting creatures in the of the smaller conflicts in the plot, and why are they film? How do the main characters interact with them and conflicts? Do the characters make the conflicts in the film how do they help to tell the story? What CGI techniques worse or help resolve it? How? might be used to help the actors interact with the creatures? How do the actors in The Last Jedi interact with 12. Which combination of settings, creatures, actors, other computer generated elements? props and CG elements seemed the most interesting, or complicated? How do the details of the STAR WARS 5. Who are the main characters and what are their main universe allow us to experience the story as familiar and strengths and weaknesses? How are they connected to strange at the same time? each other? How does the plot (storyline) help develop and build the character’s traits and personality, or the 13.