Dave Barclay: Puppeteer for Yoda and Jabba the Hutt
Dave Barclay worked on both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, bringing two of the most iconic Star Wars characters ever to life. Beginning as a sculptor working with Stuart Freeborn, Mr. Barclay was then quickly ushered into the Henson world of puppets, controlling Yoda alongside Frank Oz. Returning to the galaxy to work as Jabba‘s right hand, Mr. Barclay has had a storied career in movies (including great work on Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?).
We go through as much as we can!
Hal Hickel: Academy Award-Winning VFX (K-2SO, Tarkin, Leia)
This episode’s guest, Hal Hickel, is an Animator Supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, working on everything from The Phantom Menace (Boss Nass and the Droidekas) and Attack of the Clones (the Droid Factory and Battle of Geonosis) to Rogue One, helping to pioneer the incredible effects that brought Tarkin, Leia and K-2SO to the big screen.
Mr. Hickel has had a fascinating career, from Toy Story to Iron Man to his award winning work on Davy Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean. And we talk about it all, don’t worry.
Nick Gillard: Stunt Coordinator for the Prequel Trilogy, Lightsaber Fights
It was a real treat talking to today’s guest: Nick Gillard, stunt coordinator for the Prequel Trilogy and father of the modern lightsaber technique. He is one of the unsung heroes of the making of these Star Wars movies.
Mr. Gillard was so humble and so gracious, literally pulling over during a long car ride to talk to Talking Bay 94. During our short conversation, we get into a lot, from the skill of Ray Park to the twelve minute uncut version of the Mustafar fight to some of the lost duels which were never even filmed.
Gary Whitta: Screenwriter of Rogue One
Today we are talking to one of the most prolific contributors to the saga we love: Gary Whitta. Responsible for crafting the story for Rogue One, as well as numerous Star Wars: Rebels episodes, we really talk about everything he’s worked on.
From his short story in From a Certain Point of View to his latest project, transforming The Last Jedi into a series for Marvel Comics, Mr. Whitta tells some incredible tales and gives some fantastic insight into the process of actually writing for Lucasfilm.
For more information about his latest projects (and I’m sure any updates for The Last Starfighter remake we discussed), check out his website: www.garywhitta.com
You can also follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/garywhitta
Mark Austin: Boba Fett in Docking Bay 94, Industrial Light & Magic
In today’s episode of Talking Bay 94, we’re talking to one of the visitors to the actual Docking Bay 94: Mark Austin, who donned the infamous Mandalorian armor for A New Hope: Special Edition.
We start at the very beginning: talking about how playing Boba Fett is a dream come true, as well as how he got his start at Industrial Light & Magic. From the day of filming to his thoughts on the rumored spin-off movie, we really had a great time talking with him.
If you want to follow Mr. Austin on social media, check him out at Instagram.com/BobaFettANHSE or Twitter.com/BobaFettANHSE
And if you want to watch the “No Disentigrations” series we discussed, check it out on the Boba Fett Fan Club: NoDisintegrations.TV
Thanks for tuning in and, until next Wednesday, may the Force be with us!
Timothy Zahn: Most Iconic Star Wars Author of All time
In this very special episode, live from San Diego Comic Con, we are continuing our series focusing on the writers of the saga, by talking to the greatest one of all time: Timothy Zahn, the incredible author behind the seminal Thrawn Trilogy, as well as the upcoming Thrawn: Alliances.
We, of course, start at the very beginning, detailing his influences and his first interaction with Lucasfilm. From his initial creation of the Chiss villain to his reaction to his reintroduction into canon, you will not want to miss this conversation. We even dive into his dream projects for the saga, which legitimately gave me goosebumps.
For more information and updates about the rest of Mr. Zahn’s tour schedule, promoting Thrawn: Allainces (including stops in Denver, Salt Lake City and Portland), check out the notes section on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TimothyZahn/
We would like to thank Tom from Interabang Books for helping set this up, as well as David from Random House for making it happen. It was legitimately a dream come true.
Alan Dean Foster: Writer of the First Star Wars Books Ever
In this episode we are kicking off our series focusing on the writers of the saga, by talking to Alan Dean Foster, the prolific author behind the very first Star Wars novel, as well as its classic follow-up, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye.
We go through his entire career, from first getting chosen to work on the earliest Expanded Universe works to returning to both the prequel and sequel trilogies. We even dive a little bit into one of his most-heralded works: the novelization for Alien.
For more information and updates about Mr. Foster’s latest projects and books, as well as the Episode 9 treatment we discussed, visit: AlanDeanFoster.com.
Garrick Hagon: Biggs Darklighter, Luke's Best Friend, in A New Hope
We wanted to release a fun bonus episode today, featuring our quick interview with a true Star Wars legend: Garrick Hagon. Playing Biggs Darklighter in the original movie, Mr. Hagon talks all about the famous Tunisia set, as well his first impressions of George Lucas and the Star Wars universe.
Also included in our conversation: his first time working with Sir Alex Guinness, as well as the camaraderie and friendships forged on the set of a galaxy far, far away.
For more information and updates about Mr. Hagon’s next appearances, check out GalacticProductionsEvents.com or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GalacticProds/
And, as mentioned at the end of the episode, we want to extend a very special thanks to Zachery McGinnis for helping put this interview together for us! It is much appreciated and, as evident in the episode, a real dream come true for me. (It’s Biggs!)
Dave and Lou Elsey: Revenge of the Sith's Makeup Effects Team
In this episode we are talking to Dave and Lou Elsey, the makeup effects team behind Revenge of the Sith, whose work was nominated for an Academy Award.
The Elsey’s talk about everything: from meeting Rick Baker to their early work on Farscape to, of course, getting the call from Rick McCallum to work on Episode 3. We go through it all: Palpatine’s transformation, Anakin’s burns and the reintroduction of Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca. We even get into the (in)famous Hyperspace Webcam and their Obi-Wan Kenobi mannequin.
For more information and updates about their latest project starring Rick Baker, with previous guest Don Bies, check out their website: KeeptheGaslightBurning.com.
And if you want to see some great gallery images of their incredible work, as well, head on over to their website, IgorStudios.com, for more.
Toby Philpott: Jabba the Hutt's Left Hand Man, Learning from Jim Henson
In this episode we are talking to Toby Philpott, one of the puppeteers for Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.
Mr. Philpott is full of incredible stories from Elstree Studios, including working with the rest of the Jabba team, as well as Carrie Fisher, Richard Marquand and more. From his early days working literally under Jim Henson’s wing to later work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Labyrinth and Little Shop of Horrors, we really dive into his fascinating career.
For more information and updates about Mr. Philpott’s upcoming appearances, check out his website (https://sites.google.com/site/jabbahutt2/home) or follow him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/tobyjabba).