Lucasfilm could walk away from next month’s 90th Academy Awards with a Visual Effects Oscar for The Last Jedi, which was full of stunning sequences like Holdo’s hyperspace sacrifice and the Battle of Crait. A big reason for its nomination also includes its incredible opening bombing run sequence, when Poe Dameron led the Resistance on a Pyrrhic victory to bring down a Dreadnought. And Lucasfilm has shared a behind-the-scenes VFX reel to show how they brought one of the best space battles in franchise history to life.
Industrial Light & Magic shared a new short video to YouTube that reveals how they used art, CGI, and green screen to create the massive bombing run. It also includes a brief look at when the Resistance’s hanger was blown up just as Poe Dameron was rushing with BB-8 to his ship.
When I saw The Last Jedi for the first time, I thought this scene might have been the best looking space battle in franchise history. When I saw it a second time I was convinced it is. (And no, I wasn’t upset by bombs “falling” in space without gravity, because I assumed there was something that was making them move that way. If I can accept the Force is real—which I honestly do—I think I can accept that they can figure out magnets.)
We hope Lucasfilm shares a lot more of these VFX reels, because this was just the first of many amazing sequences. And whether it wins the Oscar or not, the people who helped make the movie look so good deserve to have their work recognized.
Which scene would you most like to learn more about the making of? Fly into our comments section to let us know.
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Images: Lucasfilm
