By James F. Steranko - February 14 - 1980 

A CANDID INTERVIEW WITH RALPH MCQUARRIE

Of all the talents who have emerged from the Star Wars universe, Ralph McQuarrie is one of the most exceptional. As Design Consultant and Production Illustrator for both films, he has been largely responsible for creating the appearance and atmosphere that gave the imagery the extraordinary aura of authenticity - from costumes and weaponry to spaceships and starscapes.

He was born in the midwest 51 years ago, spent his childhood in Canada, and studied at the Art Center of Design in Los Angeles. As a commercial artist, he has worked for Kaiser Graphics, Boeing Aircraft and CBS. His contributions to the film industry include a series of movie posters, and production design for projects such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek.

McQuarrie is deliberate and soft-spoken in manner. He is slightly under six feet tall, his hair a light gray. He has a quiet sense of pride and a deep comprehension of his work and its ultimate influence.

Prevue: After George Lucas gets the Star Wars machinery in motion by developing a new storyline, characters, settings and script, you take over by envisioning those elements in a series of tight, full-color production paintings. When did you begin working on the Star Wars sequel?

McQuarrie: I started on Empire as far back as the fall of 1977. Most of the production illustrations were painted here in the States over the next year and a half. The others were done in England, where I spent almost a year during the filming of the picture.

Prevue: How many were there altogether?

McQuarrie: Over thirty which were completely rendered in full-color and finished. Twenty-four of those will be used, I understand, in an Empire Strikes Back art portfolio which will be released by Ballantine in the summer. This time, however, the prints will be larger than in the previous portfolio; the format will be different. I think they're going to produce it as close to the time of the film's release as possible.

Prevue: Was there any difference in your approach to painting the Empire illustrations - compared to the Star Wars pieces - because you were aware of the portfolio?

McQuarrie: Yes, I did go a little further with some of them. I think I was a bit self-conscious, because I was aware they were going to be reproduced after their film use, so I tried harder. I didn't necessarily get better results, though.

Prevue: Is that because of the more casual, loose approach you achieved on the Star Wars art?

McQuarrie: That, and because many of the major things that were out­standing visually were already done for the first film.

Prevue: You mean, like the hardware, the ships and weapons?

McQuarrie: And the costumes. Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers.





I completed a few extra paintings especially for the portfolio, however, just to complete the collection - to have something on every important scene in the film, and cover the full range of subject matter. But most of the paintings were done to solve the film's design problems.

Prevue: I must disagree with you when you say the Empire paintings are not up to the Star Wars work. They seem to have a lot more in them, I'm not saying that's better, because I think you're one of the artists who can manipulate open space or negative area, better than almost anyone else working commercially today. Your organization of elements is always superb, and there's still the little McQuarrie touches like C-3P0 carrying the luggage in the disembarking scene. And I find your figure work has improved over the past couple of years.

McQUARRIE: Yeah, in that area, I agree with you. I guess I'm being too critical; I'm looking for the weak points. I think some of the paintings - after I got over the nervousness and just settled down to work on them - are better than the others in some respects. I feel that I'm improving, and, as I stay on the project, I'll continue to improve. On the whole, I feel I've been reasonably consistent.

PREVUE: There seems to be enough variety to keep you interested artistically.

McQUARRIE: That's it, there's more than enough variety in the subject matter and approach to keep from getting in a rut from sketches to finished paintings, from objects to full landscapes.

PREVUE: The Empire paintings are very colourful - even more so than the first series. Usually you paint in a very subdued color range, but these have bright blues, oranges and pinks. Was that a conscious effort?

McQUARRIE: No, I don't think so; I was just going along with what I felt was right for the picture.

PREVUE: Was the completed film able to capture the color and composition of your paintings? I'm referring primarily to Irv Kershner’s viewpoint and sense of aesthetics. Do you feel he was able to capture that tight composition and kind of sweeping vision you project in your work?

McQUARRIE: Definitely. The footage in this film is superb. On the whole, it looks better than the illustrations.

PREVUE: What would you say was the basic difference between Lucas’ approach to Star Wars and Irv Kershner's approach to Empire?

McQUARRIE: To me, Irv is a director who seemed to be very interested in the telling of a story. He didn't have time to get involved the way George does in the nature of all the aspects of the film - the angles, compositions, shots, the color, the texture. George, perhaps, is more of an artist, where Kersh sees things from another point of view, a dramatic one concerning the motivation of the characters.





It's one of the things that makes Empire work so well: he concentrated on the story, and George concentrated on the other things. Not that Kersh didn't get involved. He did his primary job - and believe me, it's a full-time project just getting the scenes organized, rehearsed, set up and shot. In the meantime, he was responsible for quite a few other details, because so many shots have technical problems. I imagine it was a little frustrating for him.

PREVUE: I take it that he was working from Joe Johnston's storyboards.

McQUARRIE: Yes. the storyboards were always consulted, especially those involving sequences which have a combination of model animation and live-action. Most of the straight live-action sequences were created and developed right on the set. Kersh worked it out himself with the help of Ivor Beddoes. a veteran storyboard man who's been around for a while. He did an exquisite job for a movie called The Red Shoes, many years ago. It's a beautiful picture, and Ivor designed the ballet sequence, and painted the mattes for the surrealistic sets.

PREVUE: That was in the late 40s. Now he's focused his talent on science-fiction films.

McQUARRIE: Yes, he worked on Superman and Star Wars. On Superman, he did a lot of storyboard work including the flying sequences, getting the geometry plotted to give a proper line of flight.

PREVUE: Was there a hard line distinction between his job and Joe Johnston's?

McQUARRIE: Not really. Ivor was consulted for scenes that were shot on sets. He did most of the action sequences. Once the layout of the stage was completed, Ivor would go in and develop the sequence He was there all through the actual filming of Empire.

PREVUE: Apparently we're going to be treated to different kinds of hardware in Empire, along with some of the previous creations, like the TIE fighters and the X-Wings. The Probots are completely new. Did you have anything to do with creating them?

McQUARRIE: The Probots were Joe Johnston's concept, and I made paintings of them in the early stag¬es. Then, Joe made sketches that tightened up the idea, and the whole works was turned over to the staff who actually built the models.

PREVUE: Was there anything in the film that the artists found particularly difficult to capture?

McQUARRIE: Everything. Let's face it, it's not easy to create several completely new worlds. I suppose the biggest problem was to get things working in the snow for the ice planet sequences. On the other hand, the stop-motion animation work has been going on very smoothly.





PREVUE: Out of the number of new devices you created, which are your favorites?

McQUARRIE: I suppose the concept used for the Snowspeeders. Joe worked them up to their final form, and he solved the real problems. They're quite nice.

PREVUE: Would you say there Is less of a focus on special effects in Empire, and more concentration on the characters and the story? We've seen so many effects films in the past two years since Star Wars that we're becoming jaded. In your opinion, would you say there was a subtle shift in emphasis?

McQUARRIE: No, I wouldn't. I'd say that the proceedings have been well thought out, and it should be a satisfying experience, both as a story and a visual encounter. I don't think there was any special approach that diminished the effects to make the story more important. Effects have been used lavishly throughout the film. I see what you mean, though, and there definitely are elements of the story that get more out of the characters. We get to know them better. The first picture established them very well; Empire develops them further.

PREVUE: So we can anticipate a range of special effects. I know there are less deep-space action scenes in Empire. Could you tell us what to expect instead?

McQUARRIE: Well, there's more happening on the ground this time. There's the battle on the ice planet, the floating city of Bespin and a kind of boggy, jungle planet.

PREVUE: At the moment, you're involved in post-production work. How many hours a day do you generally put in?

McQUARRIE: We've been working ten or eleven hours a day and Saturdays - just on the matte work. On the illustrations, I was putting in a regular eight-hour day - sometimes longer - at home where I do my best work. But, I guess like most artists, I don't want to put everything away until the painting is as finished as I can make it. Working for Star Wars is not just a job to get money so I can live. It goes beyond that.

PREVUE: Obviously you're a man who loves his work. Once you accept the assignment, it's almost like working for yourself. You go all out.

McQUARRIE: I feel that's true. I knew these paintings were going to be seen by a lot of people, not just me. That makes a difference in how much time and effort goes into them, regardless of how we use them here to help create an atmosphere and sense of drama for the film.

I'm almost happier working on the matte paintings. I didn't think I would be, but this is the stuff that goes into the film - and I do like to see it on the screen.





PREVUE: How many matte paintings have been created for Empire?

McQUARRIE: Let's see, there's about seventy altogether. They aren't all full paintings however; some are just sections of background.

PREVUE: How many people are working on the matte paintings?

McQUARRIE: Myself, Harrison Ellenshaw and Michael Pangrazio. Michael, incidentally, has painted a lot of backgrounds for the miniature photography, so they could shoot animated miniature stop-motion right in front of the background instead of using a blue screen. The quality is extraordinary in those shots.

PREVUE: I know that you started working on Empire immediately after Star Wars. What has Ralph McQuarrie learned in terms of film production illustration in the last two or three years?

McQUARRIE: Seeing my work transferred from drawings to live action is quite an experience, and my basic knowledge of film has increased in the process. I've learned that in designing things, you have to be able to think in three dimensions - and that, like a sculpture, they have to be good from all angles. Some objects I’ve created on paper from a particular view simply didn't look good from another. Fortunately, other people picked up on them and fixed them.

As Design Consultant, I throw in ideas, as we all do, in the course of producing a picture. George Lucas is very good at seeing what works, and saying, “ok, let's do it this way,” or “let's try something else.” At times, he'll give the job to someone else if I haven't done It satisfactorily, or have just gone on to other things. Empire is really very much a group effort.

PREVUE: Did George have a great deal of input into the film?

McQUARRIE: Oh, yes. He’s very much involved in every aspect, though not quite as much as with Star Wars. During the development stages, we often waited until we could talk with him and get his ideas before we actually finalized anything. If he's out of town, more often than not, a great many things are left hanging until he comes back. Empire will definitely have the Lucas touch.

PREVUE: Are you or George concerned about being able to top yourselves?

McQUARRIE: I don’t consider that to be important. George handles all that in his script, and we take it from there. It's not a matter of topping as much as doing it well.

PREVUE: I wondered if there was an attitude about the crew, like, “We're going to make Empire even better than Star Wars.”

McQUARRIE: I don't know that anybody's conscious of that. It seems to me these films are naturally challenging, especially to the designers and technicians. We just get immersed in the work, and there's hardly enough time for a philosophical approach.





PREVUE: Audiences have a way of expecting bigger and better productions, especially in a series; perhaps the 007 films are a classic example of this. My feeling is that George has taken care of this in plotting out the nine stories. I believe the good guys vs. the bad guys tale from Star Wars is just the tip of the iceberg. Monumental themes will begin to develop out of the conflicts of the characters - many of whom we don't even know about yet, like the Emperor himself - and their convoluted relationships will produce bigger and better shocks and surprises to Star Wars fans. In other words, the topping effect is already built-in.

While we're on the subject, will you begin work on the next sequel now that Empire is almost completed?

McQUARRIE: This has not yet been outlined for me; they haven't told me when I actually start. I don't actually know when he's going to start with Star Wars 3. It also depends on whether George has finished the next script yet.

PREVUE: You've worked on Star Wars for almost five years now. Will you be able to maintain your enthusiasm through all nine productions?

McQUARRIE: I don't think so. I suppose it's possible, depending on outside diversions, but I tend to want to do other things. I have wider interests, and although this suits me fine, I'd like to work on something other than Star Wars.

PREVUE: Nine films sounds like a twenty-five-year project. That's a long time to be working on similar subject matter.

McQUARRIE: I think I'll probably continue on them for a while yet. I signed a contract to work on two more, and I expect they'll be as challenging as the first two.

PREVUE: I agree. And if I'm allowed to speculate, I think George will explore a great many environments as we go through the nine Star Wars films, probably every one imaginable. Perhaps the next one will be set on a water planet, or a world of molten lava. Then there's black holes and anti-matter universes that really open the door to special effects. I think he'll have to develop all these situations to keep audiences interested - as well as the people working on the films.

McQUARRIE: Yes, and film technology will also continue its rapid growth, so that effects we can't even dream of now will be possible. It'll be like the man said - you ain't seen nothing yet!

TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd.

INTERVIEWS

HOME