Star Wars: Holograms to Vaderselfies
Star Wars' impact on the world of film cannot be ignored, but George Lucas' iconic sci-fi series has also been a significant player in the world of tech since 1977.
From sound design to special FX, via computer games and CGI and from laser disc through to holograms, Star Wars has always been close to TechRadar's heart.
So, with Star Wars VII's trailer nearly here, we've combed through our archives and put together an alternative list of Star Wars facts to fascinate and enthrall you like C3PO to an ewok.
And while you're here - remember to check out our Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailers, news and rumors
We've got a good feeling about this.
1. Star Wars special effects guru Dennis Muren is backing a holographic version of Star Wars
Muren is often asked about the inevitable re-release of Star Wars on every single new format, but he told TechRadar that he was kinda okay with all of that adding: "If there is a way in the future to do a hologram version [of Star Wars] and the fans want it then it should be done.
2. Sebulba's pod racer uses the sound of a Ferrari, and Anakin plumped for a Porsche
The sound-design for Star Wars has been a source of fascination for years: most Star Wars fans could tell you that the lightsaber noise is a mixture of a TV cathode ray tube hum and film projector hum, for instance - but did you know that for the pod races nasty Sebulba was all Italian sports icon but Anakin's self-built offering was a bit more Bavarian hot rod?
3. It was seven long years before you could buy yourself Star Wars on VHS
In this modern day and age you can practically buy yourself a copy of the film before it hits the big screen, but there was a time when you had to be little more patient. The rental version of Star Wars was in 1982, but it was apparently a couple of years down the line before you could spend your hours rewinding the R2D2 Jawa bit until you could perfectly mimic the noise he makes when he s's hit by the stunner.
4. The Xbox 360 was redesigned as R2D2 to launch Kinect Star Wars
The game might have been a bit, well, Jar Jar, but when we're looking back at the greatest console designs of all time there might well be a place for this droidified bit of kit - we're not so convinced by the C3PO blingpad however.
5. Darth Vader selfie launched the official Instagram account
We wanted to roll our eyes, but we secretly loved it
6. Seven formats and counting
By our reckoning, even without the remasterings and generally tinkered-with editions Star Wars has managed to get itself onto at least seven different home entertainment formats: VHS, Betamax, Laser Disc, V2000, DVD, digital and Blu-ray. 3D Blu-ray is yet to make an appearance - but we might just wait for Muren's Holographic version for now. Don't even get us started on streaming…
Star Wars: lightsabers to Streisand
7. Not making lightsaber noises under your breath is *actually impossible*
Even the consummate professional Ewan McGregor couldn't stop himself from hmmzzzing as he swung his laser sword around. They had to edit out his noises in post production
8.Spielberg's War of the Worlds owes a debt to Revenge of the Sith
Lucas had hoped to get his mate Spielberg into the director's chair for Star Wars but it was not to be. The Jaws and indiana Jones director did help out with Episode III however - including the Anakin and Obi-wan lightsaber duel which was one of the high points of the prequels. Apparently Lucas took that knowledge of modern visual effects into his next big thing War of the Worlds.
9. Episode III had more special effects shots than the first two prequels put together
350 visual effects in A New Hope gave way to 2,200 digital effects shots in the last of the prequels to be released - and yet Revenge of the Sith is the only Star Wars film not to receive an Oscar nomination for best visual effects.
10. The asteroid sequence in Empire apparently includes a shoe and a potato
It's been suggested that Lucas' constant tinkering brought a object protest by the visual effects team - we understand chipping in with a potato but who throws a shoe?
11. Star Wars DIDN'T introduce Dolby Stereo to the world
Lucas' original is certainly the film that made Dolby Stereo popular - but the first firm to feature the sound tech was actually Barbra Streisand's A Star is Born.
12. The dialogue on the Blu-ray edition is as close to the original sound as you're ever going to get
Star Wars sound maestro Matthew Wood told us: "On this Blu-ray release one of things that came available to us that we found deep in our archive was the original production rolls. These were the rolls that were used for the original dialogue recording and the entire production recording that were done on the set."
Article first published in May 2014
From techradar
from http://bit.ly/1aA6OgL
