Star Wars

Star Wars is one of the most successful media franchises in the world. Having originated in films since May 1977, its influence currently spans from television to merchandise.

The guiding spirit/mastermind of the Star Wars franchise is George Lucas and his company Lucasfilm.

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chewbacca, Yoda, Darth Vader and Palpatine/Darth Sidious are iconic characters of the original Star Wars trilogy.

For the original Star Wars trilogy, the Rebel Alliance is an organization that uses freedom, democracy, justice, peace, goodwill and resilience, all positive values.

Conversely, the Galactic Empire represents evil, fear, tyranny and military might, all negative values.

Key figures of the the Rebel Alliance include Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia

Palpatine/Darth Sidious leads the Galactic Empire as its emperor, with Darth Vader as his enforcer.

The Death Star is a superweapon being constructed by the Galactic Empire, as featured in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) serves as the main visual effects house for the Star Wars franchise.

Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Alec Guinness are live-action actors in the original Star Wars trilogy.

David Prowse is the physical actor inside the Darth Vader suit for the original Star Wars trilogy; James Earl Jones provides the iconic voice.

Anthony Daniels portrays (and provides the voice for) C-3PO, with Kenny Baker portraying R2-D2 in Star Wars.

George Lucas, an Old Hollywood admirer, insisted that the extended 1954 version of Alfred Newman's iconic and world-famous 20th Century-Fox fanfare be used to begin the first Star Wars film.

John Williams is the composer of the iconic and world-famous Star Wars theme tune in the same B-flat major key as the 20th Century-Fox fanfare by his friend and mentor Alfred Newman.

The London Symphony Orchestra performed the score for the first two Star Wars film series from 1977 until 2005 overall.

What launched this long tenure of the London Symphony Orchestra as the performer of the score of the first six Star Wars films is the connection that both André Previn and Lionel Newman facilitated.

Lionel Newman, who is Alfred Newman's slightly younger brother, suggested the usage of the London Symphony Orchestra, once led by André Previn, to John Williams.

Recorded at Anvil Studio in Denham, under the performance of the London Symphony Orchestra, the score for the first Star Wars film by John Williams was recorded by Eric Tomlinson.

For John Williams, his work on the Star Wars franchise marked a revival of the symphonic film music tradition, departing from the pop, jazz and experimental-infused film scores of the time.

Meco's disco version of the Star Wars theme, composed by John Williams, is also a successful tune.

Suzy Rice designed the iconic and world-famous Star Wars logo.

Dan Perri, with Saul Bass serving as his mentor, created the equally-iconic and world-famous opening crawl for the Star Wars franchise, with Suzy Rice's logo included at the start of each film.

The inspiration for this iconic and famous Star Wars opening crawl comes from the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers film serials that George Lucas loved.

For its original trilogy starting in 1977, the Star Wars franchise has innovations in special effects.

In 1975, with him needing a special effects team for Star Wars after 20th Century-Fox's in-house visual effects department closed, George Lucas founded his own company based in Van Nuys.

Seeing this location as light industrial, George Lucas named his company Industrial Light and Magic.

George Lucas first approached Douglas Trumbull to lead the special effects team for Star Wars.

However, Douglas Trumbull declined to do special effects for Star Wars due to other commitments and instead recommended his assistant John Dykstra to take his place.

John Dykstra created the Dykstraflex, the first motion control camera controlled by a digital computer.

Before the Dykstraflex, special effects shots were often static with locked-off cameras.

The Dykstraflex means that special effects shots feature dynamic and seamless camera movements, all adding fluidity, realism and excitement to them.

VistaVision is a widescreen film format that Industrial Light and Magic had used to film special effects shots of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Some of the iconic and world-famous catchphrases that come from the original trilogy of the Star Wars franchise include "May the Force be with you" and "I am your father."