It’s been just over a month since our imaginations were first captivated by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The film had nigh-insurmountable expectations to live up to, and while there are plenty of complainers out there hating on the little problems of the film, for the most part, everyone seems to agree that the franchise is back on track. Perhaps one of the most integral pieces of the puzzle that helped to bring “Star Wars” back to its former glory were the visual effects. 

Yes, visual effects have always been an integral part of “Star Wars.” It’s well known that back in the 70s and 80s, George Lucas had to invent many of the VFX processes in order to make the film a reality. This continued with the prequel trilogy in the early to mid-2000s, though perhaps not in the direction fans had hoped. Rather than create a healthy integration of practical and CG effects, Lucas went all out on the digital front, opting to create most of the world of “Star Wars” during post-production. That’s all well and good for Lucas, who was more interested in pushing the technology, but for many, it really took away from the tangibility of the world that we’d grown to love.

With “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” J.J. Abrams, along with the visual effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, managed to bring back that missing practical aspect. Of course, many of the effects were purely digital, but in making the film a healthy mishmash of practical and digital, it gave the franchise a well-deserved breath of fresh air.

Wired recently released a video that chronicle the VFX process in the film, including how they shot and animated the scenes with Lupita Nyong’o’s character, Maz Kanata.

Check it out below!

What was your favorite aspect of the visual effects in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”? Let us know in the comments down below!

SOURCE: Wired