There’s a lot of Star Wars related BTS stuff that show up on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. taken from old TV programs, documentaries, etc. that wouldn’t normally be available on any official DVDs or Blu-rays, so I figured I’d make a thread in the same vein as YouTube/Vimeo/etc… Star Wars finds but focused exclusively on these “forgotten” shows, documentaries, promos, etc.
POSTING GUIDELINES:
- When adding a link to a video, please add a title and/or description so that we don’t have to click on it to find out what it is. Please consider also adding any relevant additional info about the video; like f.ex. an IMDB page link, article links, or just a simple blurb. The length of the video, what year it’s from, and credit to the uploader would also be appreciated. You can also add a photo; screenshot, poster, or simply add the YouTube thumbnail (like this). Alternatively, just PM me with the video link and I’ll send you the image link.
- Fan-made videos qualify provided they are of reasonably good quality and provide some insight into the production of the OT (Jamie Benning’s Filmumentaries are a good example of this).
- No reviews or opinion-pieces.
- No mockumentaries.
- This thread is for Original Trilogy content only, so please don’t post any Prequel Trilogy, Sequel Trilogy, etc. making ofs. Some documentaries do of course cover several eras of Star Wars, so it’s fine if The Phantom Menace or The Force Awakens, etc. pop up in the video provided the focus is on one or more of the Original Trilogy films.
- The videos linked to in this thread should focus on the making of one or more of the Original three Star Wars films. Old TV programs that deal with multiple films can be shared provided Star Wars is present in some fashion (though preferably the main focus). Other types of BTS material like bloopers, deleted scenes, etc. also qualify. Non BTS footage like contemporary news reports, interviews, award shows, etc. which still relate to the original three Star Wars films also qualify. Videos dealing exclusively with specific Star Wars related individuals, or Star Wars as a phenomenon (especially if made much later) should not be posted here (see section below).
If you’d like to share links to more general Star Wars documentaries not focused on the history of specific Original Trilogy movies, or that don’t fit the criteria above, I’ve also made a thread for General Star Wars Documentaries. If you want to share links to documentaries or making-ofs specifically about the Prequel Trilogy, Sequel Trilogy, TV series, cartoons, etc. then there’s the Beyond the OT Documentaries/Making-Ofs thread for that as well. And if you have some non Star Wars making-of documentaries you’d like to share you can do so in the Making-Of Documentaries thread in the Off Topic section.
For a more in-depth list of where to find all Star Wars documentaries, making-ofs, etc. and where to find them there is Rodney-2187’s Guide to Star Wars Documentaries and Special Features thread.
An In-Progress INDEX… (click on ‘Expand’ to see the Index)
1 • The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by Michel Parbot (scroll down)
2 • BBC’s The Risk Business (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)
3 • Walter Cronkite’s “Universe” Visits ILM 1980
4 • The Galaxy Britain Built: Droids, Darth Vader, and Lightsabers
5 • The Making of Star Wars …as told by C-3PO and R2-D2
6 • Star Wars At The BBC
7 • Horizon - How to Film the Impossible
8 • Behind the Scenes of Star Wars: The Original Trilogy ILM Special Effects Makers
9 • SP FX: Special Effects - The Empire Strikes Back (hosted by Mark Hamill)
10 • Star Wars: Music by John Williams
11 to 14 • Star Wars Begins : Building Empire : Returning To Jedi : More Filmumentaries & Shorts
15 • From ‘Star Wars’ to ‘Jedi’: The Making of a Saga
16 • From Star Wars to Star Wars - The Story of Industrial Light and Magic
17 • When Star Wars Ruled the World
18 • Star Wars: The Magic and the Mystery
19 • Classic Creatures: Return Of The Jedi
20 • Empire Of Dreams
21 • Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel
22 • Star Wars: Episode IV sound design explained by Ben Burtt
23 • Sound Advice - An Interview With Ben Burtt (and scroll down)
24 • How Star Wars was Saved in the Edit
25 • Brian Linehan’s City Lights - 1980 Interview with Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford
26 • Clapperboard: The Empire Strikes Back Special
27 • ILM - Creating the Impossible
28 • Leonard Maltin interviews with George Lucas (from 1995 ‘Faces’ VHS Box Set)
29 • Making of Return of the Jedi (playlist)
30 • Mark Hamill interviewed on set of Star Wars (1976)
31 • Industrial Light & Magic - Traditional Matte Paintings
32 • Star Wars A Conversation With The Masters - ESB 30 Years Later
33 • Standby…Lights! Camera! Action! (hosted by Leonard Nimoy)
34 • Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford & Carrie Fisher interview outtakes from Michel Parbot’s The Making of TESB
35 • Elstree 1976
36 • Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition - Behind the Scenes (1997)
37 • The Force Returns – Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition - 1997 Sci-SFi Channel Special
38 • Oprah - Star Wars Special Editions
39 • Star Wars: An MTV Movie Special (1997)
40 • Star Wars - Access Hollywood Special (1997)
41 • Anatomy Of A Dewback
42 • MidAmeriCon (1976) Worldcon - Star Wars Q&A
43 • Lucasfilm Archive Tour 1993
44 • Special Effects - 1984 documentary
45 • Star Wars at the 1978 Oscars
46 • The Empire Strikes Back at the 1981 Oscars
47 • Return of the Jedi at the 1984 Oscars
48 • Star Wars Special Editions Press kit B-Roll
49 • Star Wars: Making Magic CD-ROM
50 • Age of the Image: Star Wars - Return of the Jedi Matte Painting clip
51 • Star Wars 1984 US TV Premiere Featurette (hosted by Mark Hamill)
52 • Star Wars: The Making of the Myth - 1999 Sky Movies TV Special (hosted by Anthony Daniels)
53 • Sense of Scale - Extended Star Wars Miniature Effects Segment
54 • Return of the Jedi audience reactions from 1983
55 • Misc. NBC Star Wars News Coverage 1977-1983
56 • The Definitive History of Star Wars (2015)
57 • Bobbie Wygant Interviews Irvin Kershner and Gary Kurtz for Empire Strikes Back 1980
58 • Carrie Fisher interviews George Lucas (2002)
59 • All Original Trilogy Deleted Scenes
60 • Star Wars: A New Hope Bloopers & Outtakes
61 • Star Wars Archives Fly-Through Featurette
62 • Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: Behind the Scenes
63 • Celebrating 40 Years of Empire: The Legacy
64 • Propstore interview with Howard Kazanjian
65 • Propstore Original Trilogy Prop Auction highlights and item spotlights (list of all OT videos as of Dec. 2020)
66 • Galactic Innovations: Star Wars & Rogue One
67 • Robert Watts - A Life in Film (by Jamie Benning)
68 • Spécial Cinéma (1977) - French/Swiss TV interview with Gary Kurtz, Harrison Ford & Carrie Fisher
68 • Making of the Computer Graphics for Star Wars (A New Hope)
^ This Index was added as the thread grew to help navigate through the various Documentaries, Making-Ofs, Promos, etc.
NOTE: If one of the videos should be deleted from YouTube/Vimeo/etc. please PM ZkinandBonez so that the link can either be replaced or labelled as defunct. Alternatively PM one of the mods.
I figured I’d start with a very straight forward documentary:
Michel Parbot’s “The Making of The Empire Strikes Back”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeB-uXGGaEU&list=PLYn2a0e2FVIKni_wHXR5CJYBnnnYH7mIB&index=3&t - from the Adywan revisited YouTube channel (58 mins long).