Colin Cantwell, concept designer of so many iconic Star Wars vehicles initially wanted to be an architect. He was accepted to study at Taliesin and Taliesin West by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright…

Production Designer Rick Carter on using collage; “It's all just about the process of visualizing. It's not so much a recreation, but a meditation on how I'm feeling at that moment and then what does that lead to…” Some of his early work for Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Baraka (1992). Directed/Cinematography by Ron Fricke. Roger Ebert wrote, “If man sends another Voyager to the distant stars and it can carry only one film on board, that film might be Baraka."

Matte paintings by Rocco Gioffre for Gremlins (1984).

Ralph McQuarrie's 1994 Lucasfilm Christmas Card of Jawas enjoying some holiday gift giving.

Early Babu Frik concept art by Luke Fisher for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).

Krypto the Superdog’s first appearance in March, 1955.

Pre-production resin prototype Jetsam Fix-It model by the Industrial Light & Magic workshop for Batteries Not Included (1987).

Happy Birthday, Steven Spielberg!

Layout design of a view of Yubaba’s Bathhouse for Spirited Away [千と千尋の神隠し] (2001).

Tik-Tok from Return to Oz (1985). Three versions were built of the rotund, wind-up robot for the film by Lyle Conway. Production designer Norman Reynolds based the design on John Neill’s original illustrations for Ozma of Oz (1907) by L. Frank Baum.

Le Château des Pyrénées (1959) by René Magritte and 天空の城ラピュタ [Laputa: Castle in the Sky] (1986) by Hayao Miyazaki.

A panel from The Repairmen (1996) by Mœbius.

Set development by Rodolfo Damaggio for Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017).

Cinematographer Dean Cundey chats with the @ilmvfx.bsky.social Lighter Darker Podcast: youtu.be/BZP4NVdfzo4?...

Concept art by Matt Allsopp for an unmade reboot of The Last Starfighter (1984).

Model maker John Duncan’s resin cast N-1 Starfighter maquette based on Doug Chiang’s design for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Chiang presented this model to George Lucas for approval (see video below), while others were used as the basis of CG and physical models.

Early A-Wing development sketches by Ralph McQuarrie for Return of the Jedi (1983).

Spacesuit and thruster pack design by Jack Johnson for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

With only 9 months remaining of the original 21 allocated on the film, Douglas Trumbull took over as director of visual effects on Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Nearly 500 effects shots were to be done, more than any film made at the time. Here’s a brief thread…

Concept art by John DeCuir for Cleopatra (1963).

Michael Pangrazio's matte painting of Camp Khitomer for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).

Space helmet and sunshield concept design by Harry Lange for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Ralph McQuarrie’s initial cover concept for the novelization of Star Wars (Ballantine, 1976).

The Apple II Plus and the Apple III, 1981.

Cockpit background art by Mitsuki Nakamura for Crusher Joe (1983).

Skeleton Crew (2024) adds another great kitchen to the Star Wars universe!

Concept art by Production Designer Tony Masters for Dune (1984).

Drawing by Daniel McGarry exploring the balance between organic and mechanical elements for the Simulants of The Creator (2023).

Super fine detail on the Tyrell Building’s rooftop Spinner bays for Blade Runner (1982). Beautiful miniature work by Douglas Trumbull's Entertainment Effects Group.

Verner Panton’s Fantasy Landscape, Visiona II. Cologne Furniture Fair, 1970.

“Carlo Rambaldi was E.T.'s Geppetto.” - Steven Spielberg

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). Some of the matte paintings by legendary matte artist Peter Ellenshaw. One of the first feature-length films to be shot in CinemaScope, it meant the paintings had to be quite large and shot from a distance due to the shallow depth of field.

Vehicle concept sketches by Doug Chiang for the Trade Federation Droid Army of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

Hand painted animation backgrounds by Nelvana Ltd for The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978). “Lucas had requested that Nelvana design the show in the style of French artist Jean Moebius Giraud,” says Animation Director John Celestri.

Scratch built prototype for Darth Vader’s Super Star Destroyer, The Executor. Built by Lorne Peterson as a proof-of-concept for the approval of George Lucas during pre-production on The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Compare also with Syd Mead’s concept art for Yamato 2520 (1994-1996) and Mead’s 1988 cover art for the Los Angeles Times Magazine’s article L.A. 2013- a speculative look at the future of the city.

Some of the built environment of The Roddenberry Archive’s Star Trek universe so far…

What do you mean, a taxi cab?! I thought we were flying! Back to the Future Part II (1989) is 35!

Some of Costume Designer Joanna Johnston’s nearly 150 original costumes for the colorful clothing of 2015 Hill Valley in Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Digital matte painting by Yanick Dusseault for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Ralph McQuarrie’s poster design for the Space: Fantasy & Reality art expo held at the Maturango Museum in October 1986.

1976 USS Cygnus concepts by Robert T. McCall for The Black Hole (1979). At this point, the script had intended that the ship be called the Centaurus.

I’ve been waiting for this one! John Bell!

Costume Designer John Mollo’s sketchbook drawings for the belts, buckles and bandoliers of Star Wars (1977).

Katsuhiro Otomo has said that Syd Mead’s design for the Light Cycles of Tron (1982) was the design starting point for Kaneda’s bike in Akira. I have no evidence to support a link to Luigi Colani’s 1973 Frog motorcycle design study but there is a striking resemblance.

Photographic transparency and design drawings for the central panel of the Visitor Center Mural by paleontologist and artist Doug Henderson for Jurassic Park (1993)🦖

One of Syd Mead’s matte painting concepts for Blade Runner (1982). Once the plates were shot, Mead painted over enlarged prints. These were then accurately reproduced as full scale mattes.

80s dashboards.