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3.23.01
Homing Beacon #31 sheds light on Episode II vehicles and vessels!
Today the latest Homing Beacon has been delivered and we get some great insight into the vehicles and vessels of Episode II.
After two weeks of studying the intricacies of Star Wars technology at Skywalker Ranch, artists Hans Jenssen and Richard Chasemore returned to England to begin cutting apart the amazing vehicles and vessels of Episode II. Their astoundingly detailed work showing exploded views of the mechanisms and innards of vehicles and locations has previously been seen in the Incredible Cross-Section series of books published by Dorling Kindersley.
To ensure accuracy, Jenssen and Chasemore went to the source of these designs. In the Episode II Art Department, the artists examined the concept art, concept models and animatics of the new vessels.
"We watch the animatics of scenes that directly affect where a missile might be fired from on a ship or where something might blow up from, for example," explains Chasemore. "In one scene, some shots tear through the floor of a vessel and bring it down. We need to look at it and see if there's some crucial piece of equipment that was taken out."
"We've had meetings with [Design Director] Doug Chiang, and the Animatics team has been very accessible to us. They've shown us a lot," says Jenssen.
Having illustrated designs from the classic trilogy and The Phantom Menace both artists have an appreciation for the evolution of Star Wars technology. "The designs have definitely moved on," explains Chasemore. "They're advanced compared to Episode I and they're sort of backwardly-compatible with the first films."
"Some of the ships are looking very much like those in A New Hope," says Jenssen. "There are also some totally alien technologies to look forward to."
Of the new designs, both artists cite one in particular as their favorite. A bold piece of military engineering, this vehicle is well equipped at air and ground support. However, only one of the artists will get to work on it.
"I was the lucky one that got it," says Jenssen. "It's the coolest looking ship. It's just covered in guns. Everywhere you look, there's a gun. It's just awesomely beweaponed."
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