Force Material: A Star Wars Podcast

Creature designer and sculptor Ivan Manzella discusses the influences and creative processes behind Babu Frik, Snoke and more!

Ivan Manzella is responsible for some of the cutest – and some of the most terrifying – creatures in a galaxy far, far away. He joins us to chat about how he got his start working for Jim Henson; how he came to design memorable creatures like Babu Frik, Snoke, Bor Gullet, Bistan, Lady Proxima, Grummgar, Rothgar Deng and more; and how Steven Spielberg saved Babu Frik's life!

For more of Ivan's art, visit krop.com/ivanmanzella.

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

 

We hit the beach for the Fourth of July weekend with Matt Taylor, JW Rinzler and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee to celebrate Jaws, the movie that changed everything!

Matt Taylor is a 15th generation resident of Martha's Vineyard, where Jaws was filmed, and the author of Memories from Martha's Vineyard, the definitive book about the making of Jaws.

JW Rinzler is the best-selling author of The Making of Star Wars, The Making of the Empire Strikes Back, The Making of Return of the Jedi, The Complete Making of Indiana Jones and more, as well as the upcoming All Up, a fictionalised history of the Space Age. He's also the author of The Jaws Blog, a detailed analysis of the film.

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is the star of Kim's Convenience and a two-time Canadian Screen Awards winner. He's also a big-time geek who rates Jaws as his favourite film of all time.

This week, this talented trio joins the show to dive deep into Jaws, and explain how it set the standard for all the blockbusters that would follow – including Star Wars.

Matt even brings in a special guest who actually worked on the film to share his stories, and explain what it was like to be in the water with Jaws! 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

Jake Lunt Davies – the concept artist behind the sequel trilogy's most iconic droids and creatures – talks creativity, inspiration and design. 

Jake Lunt Davies has worked on every Disney Star Wars film so far. This episode, we talk to Jake about: 

• The inspirations and creative processes behind all of his most iconic designs, including:
  • BB-8
  • Porgs
  • Caretakers
  • D-O
  • Rey's speeder
  • Rathtars
  • Kylo Ren's repaired helmet 
  • Constable Zuvio
  • The Aki-Aki
  • Boolio
  • The Eye of Webbish Bog
• How he came to work for Lucasfilm 
• How concepts evolve from page to screen  
• Stepping into the Snaggletooth suit for The Rise of Skywalker 
• His future in the Star Wars galaxy 
• And much more! 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

Benton Jew joins us to talk about storyboarding the Duel of the Fates in The Phantom Menace,illustrating The Glove of Darth Vader,and the martial arts films that influenced George Lucas!

Dave Filoni recently made headlines when he explained why the lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace is actually one of the most important scenes in all of Star Wars – and this week, the man who storyboarded that epic sequence joins us on the podcast.

A professional illustrator, storyboard artist and comic artist who spent 13 years at ILM, Benton brought his extensive knowledge of Hong Kong martial arts movies to his work on The Phantom Menace.

This episode, we talk to Benton about the art of storyboarding; the martial arts films that influenced The Phantom Menace; the unlikely Hong Kong stars who were considered for the role of Darth Maul; and his work on The Glove of Darth Vader – the illustrated novel that hooked me on Star Wars in the first place!

To see more of Benton's incredible work – which includes storyboards for Wonder Woman, Logan, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the upcoming live-action remake of Mulan and more – visit bentonjew.com and follow him on Instagram!

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

Lucasfilm Creative Art Manager Phil Szostak takes us inside the creative process of The Rise of Skywalker and the sequel trilogy!

Phil Szostak is one of the few people who was involved with the development of the sequel trilogy from the beginning to the end, both in his day job as Lucasfilm's Creative Art Manager, and in his role as the author of The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and his latest book, The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. 

The man responsible for documenting the making of the sequel trilogy joins us to talk about: 

• The designs that were too secretive to be included in The Art of The Rise of Skywalker
• Why sticking to a 'roadmap' can be a dangerous thing 
• The influence of George Lucas and Dave Filoni on the sequel trilogy
• The influence of Akira Kurosawa and Studio Ghibli on the Lucasfilm visualists 
• The hardest secret he's ever had to keep at Lucasfilm 
• Defining the visual aesthetic of Star Wars 
• His favourite fan theories 
• And much more! 

The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, published by Abrams Books, is available now wherever books are sold.

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

On the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, we look back at Leigh Brackett's wild first draft of the film!

The Empire Strikes Back was the first Star Wars film for screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who later returned for The Force Awakens and Solo. But before Kasdan came onboard, George Lucas hired the legendary Leigh Brackett (The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Long Goodbye) to write the first draft of the film, which she completed just one month before she died of cancer in 1978.

This week, we discuss Brackett's draft of the film, which differs in some major ways from the film that made it to the screen.

Are you ready for an epic adventure with Clone Lando, Class Tourist Han Solo, Luke Skywalker's Ghost Dad, psychedelic battles on the astral plane, and an awkward dinner with Darth Vader? Then strap yourself in for Leigh Brackett's The Empire Strikes Back!

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

The Oscar winner behind Star Wars' most iconic weapons and sets joins us to talk about making cinema history and getting his hands dirty with George Lucas.

As the Academy Award-winning Set Decorator of Star Wars, Christian helped turn George Lucas' dreams into reality, and defined the grimy 'used future' aesthetic that made the galaxy far, far away feel so authentic.

Christian went on to earn another Oscar nomination as the Art Director of Alien, before directing the second unit on Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace and carving out a career as a director in his own right. 

The industry legend joins us to talk about: 

• Making the first lightsaber 
• Building Han Solo's blaster 
• Giving Chewbacca his bowcaster 
• Bringing the Millennium Falcon's cockpit to life
• Taste-testing Blue Milk 
• Shovelling salt and supergluing props with George Lucas 
• Woodworking with Harrison Ford 
• Directing the cult classic Black Angel and the notoriously ill-fated Battlefield Earth 
• His upcoming Star Wars documentary, Galaxy Built on Hope 
• And much more! 

For more of Roger Christian's incredible life story, you can read his memoir, Cinema Alchemist. 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

LucasArts legend Jon Knoles joins us on Star Wars Day to share secrets from the making of Shadows of the Empire, Episode I Racer, Revenge of the Sith and more!

Today, Jon Knoles is a Design Director at Turn 10 Studios, where he works on the popular Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon games. But in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, he was the resident Star Wars guru at LucasArts. 

He worked on a huge array of classic titles, including the Super Star Wars series, Dark Forces, Rebel Assault II, X-Wing and TIE Fighter, and led the development of blockbuster games like Shadows of the Empire, Episode I Racer and Bounty Hunter.  

Knoles joins us for a very special May the 4th episode of Force Material to discuss all things LucasArts and Lucasfilm, including: 

• The creation of Dash Rendar and the origin of his infamous shoulder pads 
• The epic Darth Vader game that George Lucas rejected 
• The unlikely inspiration for the physics of podracing 
• How the Revenge of the Sith video game inspired an iconic Revenge of the Sith scene
• The original plan for Shadows of the Empire to star Boba Fett 
• Why Han Solo is a “boring video game character” 
• How Shadows of the Empire almost shipped without its signature moment 
• The dread he felt before the release of The Phantom Menace 
• Designing the worlds of Episode I Racer
• The influence of Lone Wolf & Cub on Jango & Boba Fett
• The legacy of yesterday’s LucasArts on today’s Lucasfilm
• And much more! 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

Best-selling author and former Lucasfilm Executive Editor JW Rinzler joins us to talk about working with George Lucas, leaving Lucasfilm, his thoughts on the Disney era and more! 

JW Rinzler worked closely with George Lucas for 15 years, on classic behind-the-scenes books like The Making of Star Wars, The Making of Empire Strikes Back, The Making of Return of the Jedi, The Making of Revenge of the Sith, The Complete Making of Indiana Jones and more, as well as the best-selling graphic novel The Star Wars and two episodes of The Clone Wars.

Outside of George Lucas himself, Rinzler has had more of an influence on Force Material than anyone else, and he’s long been a dream guest of the podcast. We were thrilled to talk to him about a wide range of topics, including: 

• The making of The Making of Star Wars 
• The creative process of George Lucas  
• How the Disney sale changed Lucasfilm, and why he eventually left the company 
• The cancellation of The Making of The Force Awakens 
• Delving into the history of the Space Age for his upcoming debut novel, All Up 

JW Rinzler’s All Up will be released on July 14, with The Making of Aliens set to follow on September 1. For more on the man and his books, visit jwrinzler.com. 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.

Kim's Convenience star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee joins us to talk about visiting the set of The Mandalorian, holding Baby Yoda, making his own Star Wars costumes, the power of Rose Tico and much, much more!

Paul is a two-time Canadian Screen Awards winner and a Toronto Theatre Critics Award winner. As well as starring as Mr Kim in the hilarious Kim's Convenience, Paul is a major Star Wars fan, and even builds his own props and costumes.

He joins us this episode to talk about his Star Wars fandom, the importance of representation, his on-screen son Simu Liu's transformation into a Marvel superhero, and what's next for Mr Kim! 

Force Material is a podcast exploring the secrets and source material of Star Wars with hosts Rohan Williams and Baz McAlister. Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Stitcher, PlayerFM and Castro; stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and support the show by browsing our range of shirts, hoodies, kids apparel, mugs and more at TeePublic.