Morfing

Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?

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"Morfing" is the fifth episode of the documentary series Light & Magic, released on Disney+ on July 27, 2022.^[1]

Official description[]

The digital age brings new challenges to ILM, but not everyone is ready for such massive change.

Synopsis[]

Digital pioneers[]

The episode focuses on Industrial Light & Magic's transition towards adopting digital visual effects technology. It features interviews with Doug Chiang, Chrissie England, George Lucas, Ken Ralston, Ron Howard, Jean Bolte, Dennis Muren, Mark Dippé, Steve Williams, John Knoll, Lorne Peterson and Ellen Poon.

Following Return of the Jedi , ILM works on other projects including Howard's Willow. Aspiring artist Bolte joins the team and helps them realize a scene depicting the transformation of a witch from various animals. Muren coins the term "morfing" to describe the visual effects process. Starting of as a set designer and modeler, Bolte rises through the ranks of ILM.

Newcomers[]

The episode features computer graphics artists and animators Mark Dippé and Steve Williams, an Alaskan and Canadian. Dippé studied computer graphics at University of California, Berkeley while Williams studied animation at Sheridan College. The two colleagues bond over their shared love for music and animation. Under Dippé and Williams' leadership, ILM develops its digital animation capabilities. Several new animators join ILM including Doug Kaye and George Joblove.

Director James Cameron enlists ILM's help in creating the pseudopods that appear in The Abyss. Knoll, Muren and Bolte talk about using a mixture of photography, Adobe Photoshop, and animation to realize the pseudopod. From 1991, Lucasfilm begins offering computer graphics training to its employees. Several employees including Bolte take the opportunity to upskill while Peterson laments the model shops and camera department's being "supplanted" by the digital effects department.

Hong Kong-born computer graphics artist Ellen Poon talks about being inspired by A New Hope to pursue a career in film and computer graphics. She was later recruited by Lucasfilm and relocated to San Francisco. Taiwanese-born film designer and artist Doug Chiang talks about finding solace from bullying in art and being inspired by The Golden Voyage of Sinbad to pursue a career in films and computer graphics. Later, he joins ILM.

Creating T-1000[]

ILM also works on Terminator 2: Judgement Day, helping to create the antagonistic robot T-1000, Muren, Dippé, Williams, Johnston, Morris and Chiang discuss the techniques for creating the visual effects for T-1000 including mapping Robert Patrick's muscles and bones, and using computer graphics animation. Following the success of Terminator 2, Spielberg enlists ILM's help in creating the first Jurassic Park film.