logo Sign In

Info: The Making of The Empire Strikes Back (Michel Parbot)

Author
Date
Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

I am wondering if anyone has ever heard about another making of documentary about the empire strikes back. I have never come across any information about this program on the internet. As far as I know it was never released in any form.

The program was called “the making of the empire strikes back” and was made by Michel Parbot who also made SFPX: the empire strikes back. The only original copy that I know of resides in the private collection of Gary Kurtz. I own a third generation copy of this copy on video and I have tranferred it to DVD. At this time I am preparing a website about this program so I am looking for any information that I can get on this rare gem.

The program itself contains a lot of footage that I have never seen anywhere else. There are interviews with the cast in their costumes and it has a different emphasis than the SPFX program. This is much more about the shooting itself, a lot of finse stuff and a lot of Elstree Studio stuff. Any help is much appreciated.

As a taster to the website, a few screenshots from the program:

http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/001.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/002.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/003.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/004.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/005.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/006.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/007.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/008.jpg

humanity is a flawed creation.........
www.StarWarsArchives.com
www.StarWarsArchives.com/forums
www.StarWarsArchives.com/moviesforum
Author
Time
Post link
I expect that Jambe will come in here and tell you he wished he had a copy of this for Building Empire. It is a shame that since it's release there have been a few things unearthed. However, it's better to have these gems later rather than never. I'm intrigued about this one.

To contact me outside the forum, for trades and such my email address is my OT.com username @gmail.com

Author
Time
Post link
I'm very curious about this Darth Neo!
Please keep us all informed! Do you have any idea how you're going to distribute this?
Author
Time
Post link
Originally posted by: Faustus
I'm very curious about this Darth Neo!
Please keep us all informed! Do you have any idea how you're going to distribute this?


My words exactly! How long is this documentary?
Those screenshots look sweet.

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

Author
Time
Post link
Yes, I know I'd love to have a copy of this as well. I've never heard of this program before.
Author
Time
Post link
Same as everyone else, I would really like to see this

"The Empire can't stop us now..now its our turn" -Luke-

Author
Time
Post link
Are these screenshots from your copy? If so, they look pretty clean. This is like finding the Holy Grail just lying around in a shoebox. Hard to believe that no info about this has come out before and makes you wonder what other treasures are lying about in the Lucasfilm archives. And dig Kurtz's funky beard! I want to see this for sure!
Author
Time
Post link
This is a copy from my personal DVD for use on my PSP. So the original DVD screen is much bigger (it also has much more noise). Haven't done any work on it so this is how the VHS copy looks.

The program runs for 0:56:09 minutes... This comes directly from the personal archive of Gary Kurtz so it never aired anywhere, and was never made public.

As of this point I'm only looking for more information for the website about this program. The thing is that I only received a copy of it because I promised not to make a public copy of it. The reasons behind this I do not know, but I guess it's about rights and legal stuff.

I did not however promise not to tell people about it so that's why I'm making this website. I also have been showing it to people on conventions and such. The only thing I can do is ask the person who gave this to me permission to make a fancopy, but my main concern now is to make this website.

I'm only looking for more info on this for the website, because I reckon there are much more knowledgable people out there than me. The website will not be just about this program, but also on all the other rare gems and photographs that are out there. Any help is very much appreciated.

http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/009.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/010.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/011.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/012.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/013.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/014.jpg
humanity is a flawed creation.........
www.StarWarsArchives.com
www.StarWarsArchives.com/forums
www.StarWarsArchives.com/moviesforum
Author
Time
Post link
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344288/combined


It looks like it *was* broadcast, which means there should be a BetaCAM tape out there somewhere....

or you could get this guy to go back to his mother's place.

User Comments:

5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
respect to the master, the pioneer, 15 February 2005
10/10
Author: kmwells from U.S. Virgin Islands

Look i saw this as a kid and still have the VCR of it at my mom's. At the time it was major kick ass. I remember it being state of the art, cutting edge special effects. It may seem cheesy now, but that is only because old school special effects like this paved the way. Give respect!!! George Lucas was brave enough and idealistic enough to gather the proper folks together to bring his dream into a reality. How many of us have the balls to do this today? All of the old school stuff on this video will show you the ingenuity of creativity in a time before most of us knew it. before digital imagery, anyhow. should view this SPFX and learn about where it all started for THX, Lucasfilm, and Skywalker studios.
Author
Time
Post link
This has aired before. I have seen it. I had it on tape when I was a kid. I started a thread a looooong time ago asking if anyone else knew of it, but it is long gone. I had convinced myself that I was thinking SPFX, however, I remembered footage that is NOT in SPFX and now after seeing those screen shots, I know I have seen it. I'm not crazy after all! This must be shared!


OK Darth Mallwalker has helped me out... the thread can be see here
Author
Time
Post link
I hope someone, Darth Neo or another person on here, has and can share this, otherwise we are all going to feel the Star Wars equivalent of blue you-know-whats.

Still, thanks Neo for the heads up on this and I can't wait to check out the website. Gary Kurtz is the unsung hero of the original trilogy in my opinion.
Author
Time
Post link
Holy guacamole!!!! What the hell is this!? I have never seen it before but it's clear that some of the footage was re-used in SPFX and Temps X. Yes, I really wished I had this when I was doing 'Building Empire'. A true understatement!

How did I miss this one?

It would be great to get hold of this and I would love to show Mr Kurtz a copy of 'BE'. Neo, I understand if you don't want copies of this doco being released if you have been asked not to.

Regardless, I am excited about this one! I really thought I had found everything. Great to find out that I was wrong.

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Post link
So how do we get Mr. Davdar in touch with Mr. Kurtz? I'm sure BE would be something Kurtz (and Kersh) would enjoy very much.
Author
Time
Post link
Hi 20th Century Mark,

it appears you are right
This is driving me crazy. I remember a specific scene showing how they filmed the first AT-AT being taken down using a four foot model. I don't remember seeing that in SPFX.
I have checked the program and there is a section about the fall of the first AT-AT.

Here are some more screenshots including that specific section. If anyone knows more on whether it actually aired, I would love to know (also would have less problems with it being shared).

Greetz,

Darth Neo

http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/020.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/015.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/019.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/016.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/017.jpg
http://www.ctsforum.nl/SWimages/018.jpg
humanity is a flawed creation.........
www.StarWarsArchives.com
www.StarWarsArchives.com/forums
www.StarWarsArchives.com/moviesforum
Author
Time
Post link
Yes! I knew it. Those screen shots are bringing the whole thing back. I would kill to see this again! If I only still had it.
Author
Time
Post link
As far as I knew Michel Parbot was a camera operator on SPFX (but I knew of him as Michael). I didn't realise that all of this B-roll was used in another doco!

He is listed as "image: Michel PARBOT" on the credits of "Temps X". "Image" presumably meaning camera?
http://www.zen67493.zen.co.uk/parbot2.jpg

I wonder if Mr. Parbot is still around. His last project entry on IMDB was in 1992. It appears that Sygma also made a behind the scenes doco for 'Moonraker', called "007 in Rio".

UPDATE: Found this mention with regards to the origin of R2's name:
"...so he tried to shorten his work by not calling for "Reel Two, Dialogue Two", but for "R2-D2". This version was narrated in the Making of The Empire Strikes Back. When the Annotated Screenplays came out however, Lucas personally corrected this story and said that all names in the movies were selected just to have phonetically pleasing and easy-to-speak names."
---------------------
UPDATE: Also found this

"Irvin Kershner, from The Making of the Empire Strikes Back documentary:

"Science fiction has certain qualities that you have to respect. All kinds of scientific jargon. We've eliminated all scientific jargon. There's almost none. Just a touch, like salt and pepper. It's not a science-fiction movie.""

As far as I can remember these are not lines from SPFX. Neo are these mentioned in your "Making of"?
--------------------
UPDATE: Is this a mention of it's airing., or is it a reference to SPFX?

"I also taped "The Making of the Empire Strikes Back" off the same PBS station around the same time. It's amazing. They are safe and sound in the archive."
--------------------
UPDATE: It hasn't been shown on the BBC in the UK. Well it isn't listed in their database anywhere.

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Post link
If it can be concluded that it was aired can we try to share the program ASAP?

"The Empire can't stop us now..now its our turn" -Luke-

Author
Time
Post link
Yes, in the first few minutes or so Irvin Kershner makes a whole point about star wars not being a science fiction film but a fairy tale. The point being that in science fiction you can't just go to a planet. You could have a different atmosphere different grafity. In a faity tale you don't have to deal with that. You just have to believe....

I'll try to get a short clip up from that part.

All the rest is for my website :-)

Just one thing puzzles me. If it has aired before, how come there is almost no one out there that knows it or has any definitive information about it?

Greetz,

Darth Neo
humanity is a flawed creation.........
www.StarWarsArchives.com
www.StarWarsArchives.com/forums
www.StarWarsArchives.com/moviesforum
Author
Time
Post link
It is concluded. I saw it. I had it on tape. I am now 100% positive it aired in Canada.
Author
Time
Post link
I have updated some of my findings on page 1 of this thread.

It does indeed look like it aired. Maybe just the once.

I would love to get hold of this! Neo, do you have a copy of 'Building Empire' by the way?

JD

Creator of Star Wars Begins, Building Empire and Returning to Jedi
Follow me on twitter @jamieSWB. Please support me at - http://www.patreon.com/jamiebenning/

Author
Time
Post link
Hi jambedavdar,

Quick research I must say. Yes I have "Building Empire". I am downloading "Returning to Jedi" as we speak. I am looking forward to it.
I am also always on the lookout for special stuff.

I have uploaded a small clip from the program on the Sci-Fi VS Fairy Tales stuff. Hope you like it.

Special Clip: the making of the empire strikes back

Going to bed now (the Netherlands). Thanks for your input.

Greetz,

Darth Neo

p.s. I also have "the making of the ewok adventure" made by Warwick Davis and Eric Walker on set of The Caravan of Courage. More on that on the website. Keeping you posted.......
humanity is a flawed creation.........
www.StarWarsArchives.com
www.StarWarsArchives.com/forums
www.StarWarsArchives.com/moviesforum