July 14, 2003; Hyperspace: "Quick Turnarounds":
• Today's shoot involves a dialogue-intensive scene entirely in Palpatine's Office. The scene is in a new corridor that connects the Ep2 office to a new Ep3 antechamber.
• Today's shoot has some complicated blocking and camera moves. As the characters exchange words, they slowly circle each other, and the camera in turn circles them.
• The stage where shooting started held four sets: the elevator lobby, the hallway, the elevator shaft, and the majestic environment with the columns and statues.
• Six new sets will be built. One of these new environments will feature an opening in the floor which will reveal a ten-foot deep sunken area to be filled with water. One of our heroes get wet.
July 15, 2003; Hyperspace: "Nothing Up This Sleeve":
• Today's scenes are once again in the Chancellor's office. Palpatine holds important meetings to discuss affairs of galactic significance.
• Natalie Portman returns as the Senator from Naboo.
• A CGI alien Senator will also be present. He will have no lines.
• An as-yet unnamed Mon Calamari Senator will also be present.
• Rena Owen (Taun We's voice in Ep2) will play a human Senator.
• Ask Aak, will be back for Episode III, played by extra Paul Spence. Ask Aak has no lines.
July 16, 2003; Hyperspace: "Spin Me Right Round":
• Set crews are working on revolving sets to create a "topsy-turvy effect".
• Some special FX to be done by ILM will include wind effects, sparking squib hits, indoor rain, smoke and fire, and now - working with a huge rotating set called a "revolve".
• A square wooden room will be in the center of the "revolve".
• The set can spin fast enough that someone running inside would not be able to keep up with the rotation.
• There were 20 costume fittings booked today.
• Palpatine's Royal Guards were included in today's shoot.
• Jimmy Smits has arrived at Fox Studios. Bail Organa will have several costume changes.
July 17, 2003; Hyperspace Webchat with Rick McCallum:
• Mace Windu's role will be bigger and unforgettable.
• Christopher Lee has arrived in Sydney but has not started shooting.
• Vader may have more screentime that originally anticipated.
• Keira Knightley is not in Ep3.
• The scenes for the EU character will not be shot until 2004 and no one has been cast for the part.
• Rick is most looking forward to the Anakin/Obi-Wan duel.
• Tatooine will "tie everything together" in Ep3.
July 17, 2003; Hyperspace: "Matching Moves & Making Faces":
• ILM is waiting for principal photography to be complete so they can begin the large amount of digital work needed for Ep3 post-production.
• ILM places tracking makers around the set to match where digital characters may be and where they will look to other characters or things. All these measurements are very specific and carefully managed. Lighting is sampled and tests are run on the rough footage in between takes.
• The Creature Shop animatronics engineers are working with the heads of Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, and a third Neimoidian.
• Nute and Rune will have new hats.
• The Neimoidians aren't scheduled for shooting for maybe another four weeks.
• Rune Haako only has one line.
• Silas Carson has recorded a number of Nute's lines.
• Ahmed Best is now in Sydney and was fitted into his Jar Jar Binks skin, and then quickly took off to Costumes, to try on Jar Jar's new clothes.
July 17, 2003; Hyperspace Webchat with John Knoll - A Summary:
• The Clone Troopers will again be CG, yet different than seen before.
• Ep3 will contain roughly the same amount of visual effects as AOTC.
• Wat Tambor is back, and "badder".
• Page 7, word twelve of the script is "trench".
• There's more planets in Ep3 than any previous SW film.
• There will be some spectacular battles.
• No plans for a CG Chewbacca.
• Artoo will still have his jet rockets.
• We will be seeing more of Coruscant.
• We will see the next step in evolution of the Republic ship to the Imperial ships.
• Pre-visualization will continue until a few months before the film is finished.
• Droids will be CG at times.
• The current plan is for Anakin to have the same metallic hand he had at the end of AOTC.
• Watto will not be in Ep3.
• No CG bounty hunters in Ep3 that he knows so far.
• Mace still has a purple lightsaber.
• Padme and Threepio will be looking out a window of a palace at something spectacular.
• The elevator set from shooting so far is not the Death Star.
July 18, 2003; Hyperspace: "Change of Venue":
• George may change the shooting script at any time to change ideas.
• A private meeting scene originally shot in Palpatine's Office was changed to occur in a very public place.
• Today's shooting was on sparse set which will become a Coruscant theater in post-production. The theater will feature tiers of viewing boxes and an elaborate stage show for entertainment yet to be determined. Palpatine will be in this scene and a clue is that the show may be "refined and sophisticated".
• Palpatine will be seated, awaiting a guest. He will by joined by his aides Sly Moore and Mas Amedda and a pair of red robed guards.
• Sly Moore will not have a new outfit as previously reported.
• Mas Amedda has a new costume featuring new imposing shoulder-pieces.
• The theater scene will last 8 minutes, but may later be shortened.
• Shooting in Palpatine's office is now complete.
July 18, 2003 ; COMIC-CON: Lucasfilm Previews Star Wars: Episode III:
• The 'flannelled one' appeared next on a set he himself described as the 'Emperor's Throne Room'. He spoke briefly about looking forward to having all the fans see the final film… which he said the title of, but was beeped out with the words "Title Censored" flashed across the screen. "Oh, I wasn't suppose to say that yet?" he questioned to someone off-screen.
• When the video was over, Steve Sansweet returned to the microphone, quick to say that he didn't know what Lucas had called the third film… "So, don't ask!" he laughed.
• Sansweet reassured fans that Episode III will answer the "Why" and "How" of the saga. He added that while most of the main characters are returning, some of the characters from the classic trilogy also emerge, such as Chewie and Mon Mothma. He also promised new vehicles, weapons, creatures and planets that we've only heard or read about.
• In closing, Sansweet said Episode III will 'surprise, amaze and shock.' He reinforced that it will be the darkest of the six saga films and promised that it will tie the series together in 'unexpected and surprising' ways.
July 21, 2003 ; Hyperspace: "Three Sets In One ":
• Two of the three sets used today are small "bridge" environments for characters to transition from one set to another.
• Shoot Day 16 starts with reversal angles of the Coruscant Theater. The previous shooting focused on the seated characters, while today focuses on angles behind them, looking out over their shoulders toward the stage show.
• The next set is a starship boarding ramp. R2 and 3PO will be in a scene going down the ramp.
• Padmé and Obi-Wan join C-3PO, hurrying down the ramp to meet Bail Organa at its base.
• Later, this set is transformed into a lobby.
• Four Jedi walk through the lobby set which is an environment that will be completely digital in the finished film.
• The final set is a new Coruscant landing platform. R2 will be in this scene. Three wind machines blast the actors on the first take.
• Large fans provide wispy clouds of smoke to waft into frame of the windy environment on Coruscant.
July 22, 2003; Hyperspace: "Two Dozen's A Crowd":
• Today's shooting is again on the Coruscant landing platforms. One the later scenes will take place on a Republic gunship.
• The gunship scene will include Obi-Wan and Mace. Mace is speaking to Yoda via hologram and Yoda will receive the transmission from Mace.
• The next landing platform scene features Palpatine, Mas Amedda, and four red-robed guards. They will depart in a vehicle yet to be built. It will ultimately be a large shuttle.
• A new scene includes Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine, Mace, and Bail Organa - as well as a swarm of Senators and planetary representatives, alien and human alike.
• Jar Jar Binks wears a new dark maroon outfit. Orn Free Taa wears a new costume as well. Mon Mothma wears a silver-painted headpiece. The new Senators include Warren Owens, Chris Kirby, Kee Chan, Rena Owen and two new politicians played by special cameos.
• The extras include Olive Levi's human Senator, the Mon Calamari Senator, Senator Ask Aak, a Quarren Senator and his aide (whose species is questionable, since the character is completely obscured by an intricate black and charcoal costume) and several blue Coruscant guards. Oh, and there may be a new computer-generated Senator in the frame.
• C-3PO is also in the scene accompanied by R2-D2.
• At the end of shooting day, the stage is again a landing platform, this one an indoor hangar for Bail Organa and his aides. The light cast on the floor behind the characters perfectly emulates the light that would come from behind a closing and opening door, with long shadows cast by the Alderaanians as they walk closer to camera.
July 23, 2003; Hyperspace: "They Came From the Ranch":
• Five members of the Skywalker Ranch Art Department are now in Sydney.
• One of the sets is a bridge of a Trade Federation Cruiser. One of the artists said "...it's great knowing what's going to happen there, and what we're going to see out those huge windows."
• Shooting today focused on the "Senate Office Building Main Hall," as described in the script. Padmé Amidala (still a Senator) was in the scene.
• Bail Organa's female aide wears something that is very "nice" for male fandom.
• The Creature Shop is working on the alien designing for Bruce Spence.
