The Author

Like an archeologist, author J. W. Rinzler reveals the incredible story behind each blueprint, tracing the groundbreaking path from drawing to concept design to production models to film. Each seminal design was handpicked by Rinzler and his expert panel of three Academy Award©-winning artists: Dennis Muren, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) visual effects supervisor on the original Star Wars trilogy; John Knoll, ILM visual effects supervisor for the Star Wars prequel trilogy films; and Lorne Peterson, ILM model shop supervisor for all six Star Wars films. 

Rinzler, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Making of Star Wars, writes a behind-the-scenes look at each blueprint, from the original concept to how it appeared (or didn’t appear) in the final film. In addition to insights from the Oscar{TM}-winning panelists, Rinzler includes new material from discussions with Norman Reynolds, the Academy Award™-winning production designer and art director for the original Star Wars trilogy, and Gavin Bocquet, the production designer of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, as well as many others from the Star Wars production departments. These interviews reveal previously unexplored details behind the creation of the Star Wars galaxy—from concept to blueprint to set to screen.

J. W. Rinzler, executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd., is the author of The New York Times best seller The Making of Star Wars, as well as the London Times best seller The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. His most recent book is The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Rinzler lives in Petaluma, California.

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