Yoda and beyond: creating the digital cast of Star Wars episode II

Computer graphics play a starring role in the production of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. This session focuses on the creation of the digital cast of the latest prequel to the Star Wars saga. Industrial Light & Magic developed a variety of systems to make the computer-generated characters in this film stand up to the actors with whom they share the screen, both in visual quality and physical realism. These systems also made it possible for digital doubles to stand in for actors in scenes either too difficult or too dangerous to shoot practically. In an effort to match the fidelity of motion of the computer graphics characters to that of their live-action counterparts, physically based simulation was used extensively throughout the production of this film. Multi-layered clothing, skin with underlying musculoskeletal structures, and the motion of rigid bodies each played a key role in imparting a new level of physical realism into the performance of computer graphics elements. The challenge of employing this level of proceduralism is also providing methods for directing the resulting performances. In this session, we will present an overview of the pipeline and systems used to produce Episode II, with the focus of the discussion being on the specialization required to evolve technologies, deeply rooted in academic research, into effective filmmaking tools. The panel will include individuals who played key roles in the development of key digital characters for the latest prequel to Star Wars.