The power of innovation: How Star Wars has been shaping technology and entertainment for 50 years

50 years of innovation

Since the theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977, the saga not only set new standards in film, but also triggered numerous technological and creative innovations in the entertainment industry. From revolutionizing film and editing techniques and creating new standards in sound design to influencing the video game industry and cutting-edge visual effects - Star Wars still acts as a driver of innovation today. In particular through the George Lucas founded companies - Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for visual effects, Skywalker Sound for sound and LucasArts (later Lucasfilm Games) for video games - have been developing new processes since 1977 that have shaped the entire industry. Under the leadership of Disney Star Wars continued this spirit of innovation and adapted it to modern formats such as streaming series and virtual reality experiences. In the following, the most important influences of Star Wars analyzed in five areas, each with historical milestones and current developments.

Film production & technology

Camera technology and turning methods: Star Wars fundamentally changed how action and effects are captured. For Episode IV - A new hope (1977) developed ILM under the leadership of John Dykstra the Dykstraflexthe first computer-controlled camera system. This motion control system made it possible to film models of spaceships dynamically and repeat the exact same camera movement several times. This meant that separate image planes - such as X-wing models, the Death Star background, star fields and lasers - could be filmed one after the other with a moving camera and then perfectly superimposed on top of each other. optically composed be used. Previously, visual effects shots had mostly been shot with a static camera in order to keep multiple exposures accurate. However, the Dykstraflex made it possible to realize rapid camera pans in space battles, inspired by dynamic aerial combat documentaries from the Second World War. This innovation lent Star Wars unprecedented kinetic energy and was awarded a special Oscar. ILM's motion control technology has remained 30 years industry leader until it was replaced by virtual cameras in the digital era. In addition to the camera work, George Lucas' fast Cutting style - for example, the parallel montage of several storylines in the finale of The return of the Jedi Knights (1983) - helped to define the suspense structure of modern blockbusters.

Special effects and early CGI: To bring the vision of a distant galaxy to life, ILM had to develop numerous new special effects in 1977. Model making, matte paintings and puppet animation (stop motion) were used in Star Wars used and further developed on a large scale. One example is the battle on the ice planet Hoth in The empire strikes back (1980): The AT-AT fighters were animated using stop-motion, partly with the use of Go-Motiona technique that integrated motion blur into every single frame in order to display smoother movements. ILM also experimented early on with Computer graphics. As early as 1983, a short CGI shot of the surface of Endor with the second Death Star was created - realized by Lucasfilm's Computer Division, which later became Pixar emerged. Star Wars itself still used CGI sparingly in the 1980s, but ILM laid the foundations for later breakthroughs. In the following years, ILM engineers developed the first realistic digital 3D effects (e.g. the animated "Knights of Glass" in Young Sherlock Holmes 1985) and the Morphing (used in Lucas' Willow, 1988). These advances ultimately flowed into the Star Wars-prequels, which used groundbreaking digital effects from 1999 onwards.

From analog to digital: In the 1990s, George Lucas was determined to bring filmmaking into the digital age. Lucasfilm was one of the pioneers digital non-linear editing and digital pre-visualization . Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) already combined classic 35mm material with the first digital sequences. For Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), Lucas took the technology even further: the film was released as a First blockbuster entirely with digital cinema camera filmed. In collaboration with Sony and Panavision, Lucasfilm developed a special CineAlta HD camerawhich recorded 24 frames/second in high resolution - comparable in quality to 35mm film. The prototype cameras were delivered just a few days before shooting began and the team adapted their working methods to the new digital workflows. The advantage: the director and crew were able to view the shot material immediately on high-resolution monitors instead of having to wait for photochemistry and daily development time. This change accelerated the production process enormously. At the same time, the digital format made ILM's work easier. 2,000 VFX recordings in Episode II benefited from optimized pipeline access to the film material. ILM was able to directly produce high quality digital Dailies (day views) and even create the Color grading (color correction) digitally for the first time. Another milestone was the creation of the first fully digital Yoda in the battle against Count Dooku - a computer-animated character who acted believably alongside real actors. These advances proved to the industry the suitability of digital production methods for large-scale productions.

Motion capture and virtual production: Star Wars has also done pioneering work in motion capture processes. As early as 1999, the Gungan Jar Jar Binks as one of the first fully computer-animated supporting characters of film history . Actors Ahmed Best played Jar Jar on set with a costume as a reference; the character was then digitally animated by ILM. This early use of motion capture paved the way for CGI characters such as Gollum (The Lord of the Rings) and digital clone warriors in Episode II. In the Disney era Star Wars one step further: In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) used performance capture and CGI to portray deceased or aged actors in young roles - such as Grand Moff Tarkin, played by living actor Guy Henry, whose face was digitally superimposed with that of Peter Cushing (†1994). This digital doubles are considered a technical milestone, but have also given rise to ethical debates.

The latest revolution in film production succeeded Star Wars with the Virtual Production. For the series The Mandalorian (2019), ILM developed the system StageCraft, known as "The Volume". This is a studio surrounded by 270° LED walls onto which computer-generated backgrounds are projected in real time. Controlled by the Unreal game engine, the digitally rendered environments adapt to the perspective of the camera, including correct lighting and parallax effects. This makes it possible to film actors in virtual landscapes without green screen and subsequent compositing - the environment is already in camera visible. This technology proved to be groundbreaking: The Volume avoided distracting green reflections on the high-gloss Beskar armor, especially for the main Mandalorian character dressed in armor. In addition, the LED walls create an authentic ambient light on the actors. The Mandalorian was the first series to use this system on a large scale, achieving breathtakingly realistic locations and more efficient production at the same time. Jon Favreau and ILM thus introduced the Real-time rendering from the world of video games into film production - a concept that other major productions are now also adapting. StageCraft is regarded as "revolutionary [...] VFX technology" which is expected to increasingly become the standard for effects-heavy shoots in the coming years. This ties in with Star Wars once again continues its tradition of using technical progress to open up new creative possibilities for filmmaking.

Series production & streaming

From movie to series: For decades Star Wars-stories took place almost exclusively on the big screen. In the late 1970s, there were forays into television (e.g. the infamous Holiday Special 1978 and two Ewok-TV films in the 80s), but the heart of the saga remained the movie trilogy. Only with the animated series The Clone Wars (from 2008), Lucasfilm began to explore the galaxy in longer series formats. However, a real paradigm shift took place after the takeover by Disney: Star Wars turned into a Prestige series franchise in the streaming age. Disney's own platform Disney+ (launched at the end of 2019) was significantly Star Wars-content - above all The Mandalorianthe first live-action series in the Star Wars-universe. This series marked a Milestone for the brand and for streaming series in general. The Mandalorian proved that elaborate, cinematic Star Wars-stories also work excellently in series format and attract fans in large numbers. With cinematic staging, cinematic music and ILM's state-of-the-art technology (including StageCraft), the boundaries between cinema and series production became blurred.

Influence on streaming platforms: The success of The Mandalorian and the following Star Wars-series (like The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka) has helped shape the strategies of streaming providers. The Mandalorian became a cultural phenomenon - not least thanks to the character "Baby Yoda" (Grogu) - and boosted Disney+ subscriber numbers. The series established a trend back to weekly episodes in streaming instead of releasing complete seasons at once. This "Appointment Television"-The "binge-watching" feeling, with fans eagerly awaiting the new episode every week, sparked lively online discussions and increased viewer engagement. In an era where binge-watching is prevalent, the Star Wars This brought back the shared viewing experience. Across the industry, it was noted that The Mandalorian new Benchmarks for quality series on streaming platforms. Viewers now also expect blockbuster-level production values and storytelling in streaming formats. In addition, the success of the Star Wars-series the Feasibility of large franchise universes in streaming confirmed. This also encourages other studios to continue the storytelling of their brands (Marvel, Lord of the Rings, etc.) in elaborate series - a market in which Disney+ is well positioned thanks to Star Wars was able to set the tone early on.

Production methods and narrative techniques: Series in the Star Wars-universe allow a kind of storytelling that was not always possible in the movies. While the saga films focus on an epic plot told in two hours, the series Sideplots and character development deepen. The Mandalorian for example, tells the story of a loner's transformation into a father figure at a more leisurely, chapter-like pace and leaves room for excursions into various genres (western, samurai and heist references). This episodic structure combined with an overarching story arc keeps both traditional fans and newcomers hooked. In addition, the series utilize the expansive narrative universe: animated characters such as Ahsoka Tano or Bo-Katan Kryze found their way into the live-action series The Mandalorianwhich dovetails the media and connects fans across generations. On the production side, the series use the same state-of-the-art technologies as the films - including ILM's StageCraft - and are often experimental. Andor (2022), for example, deliberately dispensed with volume technology in favor of real sets in order to achieve a gritty, analog look. All in all Star Wars The move into series format has shown that streaming series have the potential to achieve cinema-level narrative depth and technical quality. This change is having a lasting impact on how stories are consumed and produced in the 21st century.

Sound design & music

Innovation through Skywalker Sound: Star Wars has added a new dimension to the world of film sound. As early as 1975 - two years before the release of Episode IV - was Ben Burtt was hired by George Lucas to create unique sound effects for the galaxy. This task gave rise to the Lucasfilm sound studio, initially called Sprocket Systems and later known as Skywalker Sound achieved world fame. Burtt and his team rose to the challenge, sounds never heard before that still seemed familiar. The result was a plethora of iconic sounds: the buzzing Hum of the lightsaber (composed from television noise and film projector motor, among other things), the explosive "Pew-Pew" the blaster (produced by hitting high-voltage wires) or the throaty, roaring Growl from Chewbacca (a mixture of bear, walrus and other animal sounds). Even R2-D2's "speech" - a sequence of electronic whistles and squeaks - was developed by Burtt using a mixture of synthesizer and his own vocal modulation. This approach of taking organic sources and reassembling them in an alienated way was radically different from previous science fiction films, which often drew on existing sound effects archives. Burtt's work was so original that in 1978 he received a Special Achievement Academy Award for the "Creation of alien, creature and robot languages" in Star Wars received . This established Star Wars practically the profession of Sound Designers in Hollywood. Over the years, Skywalker Sound has produced numerous Techniques and standards in sound design. For example, Lucasfilm was one of the first to make consistent use of computer-aided sound editing and multi-channel surround sound. For The return of the Jedi Knights (1983), Lucasfilm and sound engineer Tomlinson Holman developed the THX sound systemto ensure that the audience hears the movie sound as perfectly as possible. THX defined strict quality standards for movie theater acoustics and speaker systems so that every moviegoer - regardless of their seat - has an optimal sound experience. The program started parallel to the cinema release of Jedi with the first certified cinemas and the famous "Deep Note"-Audio logo, which is still a seal of quality for home theater enthusiasts today. All in all Star Wars This created a new awareness of sound quality in cinema and influenced a generation of sound engineers.

John Williams' musical influence: The decision was no less revolutionary, Star Wars musically with a large symphony orchestra. In the mid-1970s, orchestral scores for science fiction were by no means a matter of course - many films relied on electronic sounds or pop music. George Lucas, however, engaged the composer John Williamswho wrote a classic leitmotif work in the style of the Golden Hollywood era. Williams' Star Wars-title melody, the powerful fanfare in a radiant major key, and the numerous recurring themes (Leia's topicthe Imperial March, Yoda's Theme etc.) created an emotional connection to the action on the screen that captivated audiences worldwide. The film music for Star Wars has not only been awarded Oscars and Grammys, but is also regarded as a A turning point in the history of film music. It ushered in a renaissance of symphonic soundtracks and sparked new interest in traditionally orchestrated film music. In the years that followed, many blockbuster series (from Superman to Indiana Jones - the latter also composed by Williams) to opulent orchestral scores, inspired by the success of Star Wars. In addition, Williams' consistent use of Leitmotifs - musical themes for characters, places or concepts - shaped the narrative style of soundtracks. This principle, which Richard Wagner established in opera, was further developed by Star Wars modern franchise films often use similar musical leitmotifs to unconsciously provide the audience with emotional points of reference. Also in the current Star Wars-era, Williams remains active (until Episode IX). At the same time, new composers are appearing who creatively vary his legacy - such as Ludwig Göransson, who wrote for The Mandalorian created a genre mix of electronics, classical elements and unusual instruments (such as bass recorder flutes). Overall, the significance of Star Wars for film music can hardly be overestimated: The saga has shown what immense part music plays in world-building and recognizability of a movie can have. Countless soundtracks of recent decades - from adventure films to fantasy epics - bear Williams' signature, either directly or indirectly.

Progress in sci-fi sound design: After Star Wars other science fiction productions also placed greater emphasis on original soundscapes. Films like Blade Runner (1982) or Alien (1979) developed individual, immersive soundscapes - a tendency that Star Wars by proving that sound can be a narrative element. Skywalker Sound's methods were widely used: from then on, foley artists went to work with similar experimental zeal to find new sounds. At the same time, the Star Wars-series has repeatedly highlighted technical advances, such as the Use of digital sound formats. Episode I was one of the first films with completely digitally mixed and delivered sound, Episode II used 6-channel sound directly from the digital recording. Skywalker Sound was also one of the first studios to integrate digital audio workstations (like ProTools) on a large scale, which made post-production more flexible. With the advent of home theater systems in the 1990s, THX remained a quality benchmark, and Lucasfilm released Star Wars-home editions with elaborately remastered soundtracks (e.g. the THX-Remastered VHS 1995, the Special Edition 1997 in Dolby Digital and DTS). LucasArts was also an early adopter of dynamic music and surround effects in video games (e.g. the iMUSE system in X-Wing 1993 adapted pieces of music interactively). Today as then Star Wars audio technology forwards - for example with 3D sound experiences in VR projects (Vader Immortal with binaural audio) or the use of Dolby Atmos in current films. The combination of technical pioneering spirit and creative courage, which was noticeable in the sound sector from the very beginning, makes Star Wars also became an acoustic reference in film history.

Video games

LucasArts and the gaming industry: The influences of Star Wars reach far into the video game industry. Shortly after the success of A new hope the first licensed Star Wars-games, such as a simple vector graphics arcade game in 1982. George Lucas even founded his own games department in 1982 called Lucasfilm Games (later renamed to LucasArts) to create interactive experiences. In the 1980s, Lucasfilm Games initially experimented away from Star Wars and published innovative titles such as Rescue on Fractalus! (one of the first games with a fractal 3D landscape) and above all Point-and-click adventures like Maniac Mansion (1987) and The Secret of Monkey Island (1990). These adventure games set new standards with the SCUMM engine and creative game design and had a lasting impact on the industry. In the 1990s, LucasArts increasingly turned to the Star Wars-universe and developed bestsellers, which in turn shaped genres. The X-Wing/TIE Fighter Series (1993-1997) set the standard for 3D space flight simulations with realistic physics and tactical gameplay depth. First-person shooter like Dark Forces (1995) and Jedi Knight (1997) brought lightsaber and Force powers to the 3D action world for the first time and expanded the possibilities of the shooter genre. Real-time strategy (Galactic Battlegrounds), role play (Knights of the Old Republic) and MMORPG (Star Wars Galaxies), LucasArts and the Star Wars-license by introducing large fan communities to these genres.

Technological pioneering role: LucasArts was known for advancing new technologies in games, often in close collaboration with ILM. For example, for the adventure games, the iMUSE system which dynamically adapted the music to the gameplay - a concept that is now standard in many games. An outstanding example of technology integration is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008). This action game used three groundbreaking engines: Havok for physics, Euphoria for procedural animation of artificial intelligence and D.M.M. (Digital Molecular Matter) for realistic destruction of objects. For example, the Euphoria middleware allowed each stormtrooper thrown by the player to react differently - does he grab an edge when falling or does he kick wildly? - so that repetitions always vary. DMM technology simulated the material properties of surfaces so that, for example, wood splinters or glass cracks realistically instead of breaking in predefined patterns. LucasArts merged these techniques to create gameplay with unprecedented physics interaction to create. The developers achieved such a high level of authenticity that competitors began to license similar tools - Rockstar Games integrated Euphoria into Grand Theft Auto IVLucasArts had a head start of around three years. Also Motion Capture was used extensively to achieve lifelike character animations (for example in lightsaber duels in Jedi Academy or the cinematic intermediate sequences of The Old Republic). LucasArts knew how to transfer the cinematic presentation from the films to the interactive - many games had movie-like cutscenes, some animated by ILM, and told complex stories in the canon of the franchise.

Open world and VR in modern Star Wars gaming: Although LucasArts was closed under Disney in 2013, the video game development around Star Wars went further with license partners and tapped into new technologies. The Star Wars: Battlefront-series (2015/2017 by DICE) used photogrammetry to scan original movie props into the game in high detail and delivered bombastic multiplayer battles with Dolby Atmos sound. In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019), developer Respawn combined a story-driven action-adventure with Metroidvania elements - the game benefited from motion-capture recordings for believable facial expressions and combat animations. Open world designs are now also coming into focus: Ubisoft Massive is working on Star Wars: Outlaws (2024), the first real open-world game in the Star Wars-universe, which will offer players complete freedom of movement in an expansive galaxy. In addition, Lucasfilm and its ILMxLAB the Virtual Reality ahead. Experiences like Vader Immortal (2019) and Tales from the Galaxy's Edge (2020), fans can become Jedi themselves using a VR headset and experience the Star Wars-experience the universe in 360°. This blurs the boundaries between game and movie: Vader Immortal for example, combines narrative sequences in cinema quality with interactive Lightsaber duels. An unreleased project had already caused a stir a few years earlier: Star Wars 1313an action adventure game of which an impressive demo was shown in 2013. In it, LucasArts was able to achieve graphics quality in real time that was almost at movie level. Although 1313 was discontinued, its technology lives on in some ways - Lucasfilm showed a Real-time motion capture demoin which an actor was rendered directly as a digital character. Today, this technology is used in virtual production and visual effects (similar to StageCraft) and demonstrates the close interaction between game engines and film. All in all Star Wars the A lasting influence on the gaming landscape - in terms of content through a huge expansion of the universe in games, but above all technically by constantly pushing the boundaries of what was possible. Many developers from the golden LucasArts years later founded their own studios (such as Tim Schafer's Double Fine or the adventure specialists from Telltale Games), which also shows how Star Wars served as a source of inspiration for creatives in the gaming sector.

Visual effects (VFX)

Foundation of ILM and first milestones: No saga is as closely linked to the history of visual effects as Star Wars. In 1975 George Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)to achieve the necessary effects for War of the stars to realize. Within a few years, ILM became Hollywood's leading VFX studio. The work on the original trilogy brought numerous Technical breakthroughs stand out: In addition to the aforementioned Dykstraflex motion control camera, these included advanced optical composition techniquesto seamlessly combine hundreds of elements (models, matte paintings, animations). ILM built detailed Models The film was shot on an unprecedented scale - from the two-meter tall Star Destroyer to the massive Death Star surface as a modular kit - and filmed under sophisticated lighting for maximum realism. Star Wars proved that practically anything you can imagine can be brought to the screen - with enough creativity and technical effort. The triumph of Star Wars was also the starting signal for the modern effects industry: in the years that followed, ILM was inundated with commissions from other studios and worked on groundbreaking films such as E.T. (1982), Indiana Jones (1981-89) and Ghostbusters (1984). For The empire strikes back (1980), for example, ILM developed the technique of Stop-motion with motion blur (Go-Motion) to make the AT-ATs look more realistic. In The return of the Jedi Knights (1983), early Computer animations for example in the tactical hologram view of the Death Star. ILM's in-house computer department, which was involved in Jedi for the first time with a CGI shot, was later spun off - resulting in Pixar, which shows how Star Wars also formed the nucleus of the digital animation revolution.

CGI revolution in the 90s: In the 1990s, ILM led the industry into the age of the Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). While Star Wars itself initially paused during this decade, ILM celebrated success elsewhere: Terminator 2 (1991) with its liquid metal T-1000 and Jurassic Park (1993) with the first photorealistic animated dinosaurs are considered milestones that would not have been conceivable without ILM's preliminary work. This experience flowed into the Star Wars-prequels, where ILM once again broke new ground. Episode I (1999) shone with its digital depiction of large-scale battles (droid army vs. Gungans) and virtual locations (the underwater city of Otoh Gunga). Characters such as Jar Jar Binks represented the first attempts to create a fully animated secondary character credibly into a live-action world. The results were controversial at the time, but technically groundbreaking. Episode II (2002) topped this with countless CGI clone warriors and the completely digital Yoda in battle sequenceswhich still seemed unimaginable in 1999. Lucas' decision to shoot most of the prequels in front of a blue/green screen accelerated the development of Keying, rendering and compositing software enormous. ILM developed new programs such as Zeno (a digital compositing software) and used Alias/Wavefront Maya for animation - tools that became the industry standard. ILM also experimented successfully with digital duplications real actor: In Episode III (2005), there are shots in which digital doubles of the actors merge seamlessly with real footage (for example in spectacular tracking shots during the battle over Coruscant).

ILM under Disney - digital doubles and new techniques: In the current Star Wars-era, ILM and other effects studios continue to innovate. Rogue One (2016) caused a sensation when the late Peter Cushing, who died in 1994, was portrayed using CGI. Grand Moff Tarkin reappear on the screen. This effect was achieved by scanning in a new actor and meticulously digitally modeling Cushing's face - a process that took months and pushed the limits of digital human representation tested. A young Princess Leia was also reconstructed using CGI for a brief appearance. These so-called "CGI Resurrections" are considered a milestone, but at the same time a warning against the Uncanny Valley effects, as not all viewers found the digital characters completely convincing. Nevertheless Star Wars The industry has been shown what is already technically possible - for example, in the rejuvenation of actors (de-aging) or the revitalization of other icons (such as in Ghostbusters: Afterlife) was used. In addition to photorealistic CGI characters, ILM is continuously working on improved 3D rendering process. With every new Star Wars-With each episode or series, the digital models become more detailed and the lighting more physically correct. The sequels (Episode VII-IX) deliberately combined Practical effects (masks, animatronic figures like BB-8) with modern CGI, which triggered a trend towards this hybrid style - many current productions rely on a mixture to combine the best of both worlds.

Effects on today's blockbusters and series: ILM's innovative spirit has defined the visual language of blockbuster cinema. Numerous rival VFX studios were founded by former ILM employees, and techniques such as Motion Control, physical Particle simulation (for explosions, smoke, etc.) or digital Water animation (as first perfected in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 with ILM's Davy Jones) are indispensable tools today. Modern superhero and sci-fi films would not be possible without the Star Wars developments that have been initiated. In addition, ILM has Open source initiatives (e.g. OpenEXR image format) and spin-offs (Pixar, THX) have had a lasting impact on Hollywood's technical infrastructure. A level of VFX has also been established in high-end series that was previously reserved for cinema - think of the spectacular spatial effects in The Mandalorian or Andorwhich look cinematic thanks to ILM's involvement. Star Wars continues to set the pace to this day: whenever a new series or movie from the galaxy is released, fans rightly expect groundbreaking visual ideas. One example is once again the StageCraft technology (The Volume), which, strictly speaking, is as much a visual effect as a recording technique - it enables In-Camera VFXThe fusion of the real and digital worlds during filming. This approach was developed after The Mandalorian also tested in other productions (e.g. The Batman 2022 used a similar LED volume stage for car rides). One can say that ILM and Star Wars have the Effects industry democratizedMany previously unique tricks are now generally available or standardized. Nevertheless Star Wars to always be one step ahead - be it through the creative use of existing technologies or through genuinely new developments. The multitude of Oscar-winning effects (from 1977 until today Star Wars-films have won a total of over a dozen VFX-related Oscars) underscores its continuing leading role. Thus remains Star Wars is also synonymous with progress and imagination-driven technology in the field of visual effects.

Conclusion

Over almost five decades Star Wars set standards in almost all areas of audiovisual entertainment. The original films set new standards with ILMs practical tricks and newly invented camera systems laid the foundations for modern blockbuster cinema. In the 1990s Star Wars The company also addressed the digitization of film - from editing to projection - and demonstrated the power of CGI and digital production pipelines. Under Disney Star Wars successfully developed into the future: The brand conquered the series format and helped to establish streaming as a medium for high-quality, high-impact content. This change was again accompanied by technical quantum leaps such as virtual production.

The influence beyond the screen is also immense: in sound design Star Wars as a prime example of how important creative soundtracks are for world-building, and John Williams' score inspired generations of composers. In the games industry Star Wars for the fact that cinematic staging and innovative technology go hand in hand - many players and developers came to the game in the first place through Star Wars-games to the medium. Finally, the VFX industry was literally launched by ILM and has been revolutionized time and again, from the model battles of 1977 to the LED volume stage of today.

The Star Wars-saga shows impressively how Creativity and technology inspire each other can. George Lucas' visionary ideas drove the development of new processes - and these processes in turn made it possible to realize even more fantastic ideas in new films, series and games. Star Wars has not only created a pop cultural legacy, but also the Tools and methodswith which modern stories are told. In an industry that is constantly changing Star Wars a fixed point from which innovation can be measured. It can be assumed that in the future, every new Star Wars-production is pushing the boundaries of what is possible - much to the delight of fans and the progress of the industry as a whole.