Force Is Strong with ILM After 35 Years of Special Effects
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Industrial Light & Magic celebrate 35th Anniversary since its formation in May 1975.
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) celebrates its 35th anniversary this week, having revolutionised and constantly broken new ground in visual special effects in the movie industry.
Over the last 35 years ILM have won 15 Oscars for special effects on some of the biggest grossing movie franchises of all time including Star Wars, Star Trek, Terminator, Back to the Future and Harry Potter. When it comes to wowing audiences with technical wizardry and spectacular visual artistic creation, ILM have been at the forefront for three and half decades.
We take a look at some of ILM’s phenomenal achievements over the last 35 years.
Star Wars – 1977
George Lucas’ space epic is where Industrial Light & Magic all started. Under the leadership of John Dykstra a small but talented team of artists, engineers and enthusiastic geeks came together to form the Special Visual Effects team on Star Wars. Their use of motion control camera to film the trench sequence on the Death Star was a first for visual effects and was the beginning of celluloid legend.
Willow – 1988
Five years after the conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy and having worked on projects like E.T., Star Trek and Labyrinth ILM were challenged by Lucas with his dwarf fantasy Willow. The special effects pushed the boundaries of digital morphing when Willow uses magic to turn the great sorceress Raziel back into her human form.
Ghostbusters 2 – 1989
Ghostbusters 2 was mesmerising for its size and scale of special effects. The combination of techniques used to make fantastical ghosts like Slimer seem real, as well as creating a walking Statue of Liberty to crunch down the streets of New York made ILM the people you were gonna call if you needed special effects doing.
The Abyss – 1989
Buoyed by the success of Willow, ILM started pioneering the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in 3D. Previous CG sequences had been completed by ILM on Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan but The Abyss was a real milestone in 3D CGI as the amorphous pseudopodium came to life.
Terminator 2 – 1991
After Star Wars, T2 is often considered the landmark moment not just for ILM but for special effects as an industry. The T-1000 was the first main character to be partially computer generated, and perfecting the techniques that had been used on The Abyss, ILM created an unstoppable machine of visual perfection. The scene where the T-1000 reforms after being shattered remains one of the most iconic moments of 20th Century film.
Jurassic Park – 1993
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park took a huge leap forward for animated animals, beautifully mixing CG models with huge animatronic rigs. The visual impression of dinosaurs roaming the park was breathtaking, and the T-Rex set audiences suitably on edge with its raw visceral power.
Titanic – 1997
Whilst ILM have made their name by creating the fantastical and ultra technologically advanced, the work done on James Cameron’s Titanic was a break from the norm, creating a gritty and realistic historical event. The CG work was exceptional, painting a dramatic and horrific account of the sinking superliner.
Harry Potter – 2001
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise officially became the most successful box-office movie franchise in 2009 when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pushed the Potter franchise above James Bond. ILM’s witchcraft and wizardry cast a confundus charm on audiences, dazzling and entertaining them with their magic.
Transformers – 2007
The excitement of seeing live action robots in disguise made Transformers the summer blockbuster of 2007. ILM were the team behind Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron and the rest of the Transformers in jaw-dropping visual orgasms of robot war. The third Transformers movie may be without Megan Fox, but ILM continue their work for Michael Bay.
Avatar – 2009
The highest grossing movie of all time, Avatar represents the next revolution in ILM’s history by being the first film to maximise the potential of 3D cinema in a box office smash. Three Oscars, Two Golden Globes and $2.7 billion later, Avatar is the pinnacle of ILM’s achievement’s to date, with more 3D excitement in the pipeline.
