In the creature effects department protocol droids are pieced together.

Somehow I don't think this is what the puppet's hands are supposed to be used for.

   
A new kind of gun for speeders is being developed in the special effects department at Lesden Studios. In image 2 they test the new gun. From left to right:
Chris Newman (Assistant director), Tim Clayton (Documentary filmer), Geroge Lucas and Peter Hutchinson (Special effects supervisor).

   
A rare shot of what the inside of a prop engine looks like and in the second image they are testing the angle and lighting ideas with "sit-in"s for the real actors on a small prequel set.

   
"Squidhead", also known as a quarren in the creatureshop and on Tatooine with some other strange new creatures.

Nisha and Nifa Hindes are the same species as the famous dancer Oola; namely Twi'lek.

Known as Wicket the Ewok from ROTJ and the movie "Willow" among others, Warckick does several parts in the Phantom. Here he's a native from Tatooine.

You may remember him as Zod in Superman, or from "Pricilla, queen of the desert"... Terence Stamp, playing surpreme chancellor Valorum, with Lucas on the set.

   
Building a Coruscant city scene.

       
These are pictures from the sets in Tozeur, Tunisia. The Star Wars team packed up their gear and returned to Tunisia for the prequels. This time around though, they have more than one small street to work with.
City scenes, looking like the Special Edition Mos Eisley, and tents used as wardrobe in the desert, looking like something out of "Laurence of Arabia". My only question is; Where's Peter O'Toole?

   
Large cranes were used to lift cameras high up to get the right kind of panorama-shots needed to be able to enjoy the elaborate sets to the fullest. A lot of the sets however were destroyed in a sandstorm in the middle of production. Lucas took it as a good omen since the same thing happened to the set of A New Hope.

One of my favorites: Mumaw (hammer-head) is making a come-back in the prequels. Here a shot of him/her/it in the hot Tunisian desert.

   
Speaking of deserts... I'm sure Kenny Baker had an eerie feeling of deja-vu when he climbed back into R2-D2 for his 4th time around as the soul of R2-D2. Poor Kenny, had to hide under an umbrella to escape the desert sun. I'm sure he must have thought to himself at one time or another during the shoot: "Why am I doing this... again?" :-)
Indoors again, Kenny supervises the development of a remote-controlled R2.

Working on a Naboo palace doorway.

Anakin's mother Shmi Skywalker is played by Swedish (Yay!) actress Pernilla August, who won the best actress award at the Cannes Film festival in '92 for her performance in Ingmar Bergman's "Den goda viljan" (The Best Intentions).

   
Jake Lloyd's first actiongjob was with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1996 movie Jingle All the Way.
Threepio looks mighty funny in the second image without chestplates and other golden metal parts missing in this picture taken in Anakin's home.

Speaking of droids... this is one of the battledroids that one of the crewmembers is playing with. (Trying to get it to read the script.)

Here's Ewan McGregor at Leavesden Studios. Notice the green saber in his hand.
Also if you haven't already, I strongly suggest you check out the behind the scenes moviefiles in the Video section, where you get to see Ewan in full action. Apparently he takes his role very seriously, he broke several swords during saber-practice.

   
Here's Ewan practising with his saber. During port-production of the film it was discovered that Ewan made saber-noices in the duel scenes (how hasn't?). It had to be edited out.

   
Ewan - getting ready for some stunt work and having his making touched-up (even Jedi get glossy I guess). Ewan is by the way the nephew of Denis Lawson, who played Rebel pilot Wedge in the original trilogy.

Obi Wan-Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) teamed up.

   
Gonk!!! Yes, the ledgendary box is back and all is well with the world.

If you're looking for Prequel news and rumors, try the always exellent JediNet or Counting Down. Also I highly recommend picking up a copy of the "Star Wars - Behind the magic" and "Insider's Guide" CDs that has a great Episode 1 media.

Prequel Images
Images from the "Insider's Guide" CD

The Star Wars Insider's Guide CD follows in the footsteps of the "Making the magic" and "Behind the magic" CDs. These are a few of the goodies from the best behind the scenes of Episode 1 CD yet.
Click the thumbnails for a full-size view.

A small model of Theed, the capital of Naboo and the home of Queen Amidala.

       
The first 2 images were taken at the Reggia Palace in Italy which served as a double for the Naboo imperial palace. The last is one of the many smaller sets constructed in the US.

   
Models of beautiful buildings in Theed.

       
More models, this time with bluescreen where the river will be.

   
The Theed hangar in it's model shape and fully-sized set.

           
First the podrace spectator's platform set, and then 3 images of the racecourse models under construction.

           
Ray Park in training. You'll recognize Ray even without the make-up because of his shaved scull. :-)

   
Jawas and "Hammerheads" on the Tattoine and Senate sets.

   
These images of the sacred Gungan grove and the Jedi temple in Coruscant are early composites of concept-art production sketches and actual footage, before the computer generated images have been added in post-production.

   
Possible looks for Padmé. (Is the second one a warped version of Leia's ANH hairdo or am I crazy? ;-) )

   
The mischievous Jake Lloyd on the set.

   
Natalie Portman as Amidala and Padmé.

   
In the first image you can clearly see the man behind Threepio, the green against green technique this time. In the second image you'll see Jar-Jar as he appeared before the computer-wizards at ILM had done their job.

   
Two marvelous images of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon.

Prequel Images
The Making of Episode 1

The following images are from the book "The making of Episode 1". If you're interested in more facts and pictures of this kind I warmly recommend this book. Behind the scenes extravaganza!
Click the thumbnails for a full-sized view of the images.



   
The audience used parasols between takes to block out the sun and it looks like the old Cantina band is among them.

   
Sometimes a parasol wasn't enough and castmembers with masks on had to have cool air pumped into their costumes.

   
Lucas himself chips in and gets rid of some unwanted tracks in the sand and the Skywalkers on what will become their ride.

               
Making the new.. sorry, I meant older version of 3p0 was a complicated process. His arms and legs were guided by a man who stood right behind him. The puppeteer was dressed in a color that coould easily be edited out once the scene was done.

           
Making JarJar was equally complicated. The head on top of the actor was only there so that the others would know where to look, it too was edited out in post-production and replaced with those floppy ears and the moving head.

       
For more distant shots of the audience colored Q-Tips were used.

   
First we have Liam, Ray and Ewan in the middle of a fightscene. Notice the swords - before the glowing lasereffect has been put in. Next we have Ray "Darth Maul" Park hurled away with the help of hydrolics.

   
Poor Ray had to have his head shaved for his role as Darth Maul. The makeup was done by Paul Engelen seen in the second picture.

   
Two shots of Maul on the set.

   
Natalie Portman having her hair styled on the set and later talking to Ian McDiarmid who returned as senator Palpatine.

Judging by Liam's clothes in this picture you could almost think it was taken in '76 at the first Star Wars movie. Very spiffy Liam... not. ;-)

   
Peekaboo! A lovely shot of Kenny Baker inside R2D2 and Jake gives the old heap of scrap metal a hug.

Lucas directed the Phantom Menace just like he did ANH. In a recent inteview he said he didn't trust anyone else to do the job, nobody else knew the technique and story like he did. (Point taken George.) Here he's talking to Liam on the set.

       
Designer Doug Chiang and George Lucas supervices scenes involving models.

   
Inside the beautiful palace on Theed, Naboo and a familiar looking transport on Tattoine.

   
The sets on PM were only built as high as the actors and the rest was computer animated or matte painted in. Liam Neeson however is so tall that he cost the crew an extra $150,000 in production.

Prequel Images
PR Images

These are all images that were taken for PR purposes, for magazine articles, books or trailers. Great for detailed study of costumes or props. If you're interested in more images like these I recommend you pick up a copy of the "Star Wars Episode 1 Visual Dictionary". Great quality pics!
Click the thumbnails for a full-size view.

           
Amidala's costumes and make-up in detail.

Liam Neeson's Qui Gon costume. (Very Samurai indeed.)

       
Ray Park as Darth Maul.

   
Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi.

   
Padmé the handmaiden, the Queen's loyal servent.

This pilot, in his yellow-cab-like ship, has his own R2-unit.


More ships like the one above (The Royal Naboo Starfighter, N-1) reside in this hangar.


This is one of the Naboo Palace guards responsible for the Queens sequrity.

   
PanaKa, seen in picture 2 with R2, is head of sequrity for the Queen.


Senator Palpatine -still played by Ian McDiarmid.


One of the Tatooine street sets.

   
The beautiful Theed palace on Naboo. Flowers and marble everywhere, fit for a Queen.


Elaborate costumes worn by these two patrons to the Queen's palace.


Young Anakin's bedroom on Tatooine.
(For more details from the Skywalker home; visit starwars.com!)


Huge image of a confrontational Obi with sword.


The official Phantom Menace poster. No further introduction needed I think.


A HUGE image (almost half a MB) with some neat info about lighsabers and more.


Another HUGE image with short intoductions to the main characters and creatures in Star Wars.

   
Star Wars in the press.

Trailer B Images
This package of 22 images are from the second trailer.

Prequel Images
Production Sketches

Production scetches are an interesting way to see the development of the characters and the style of the movie. These are a few of the best I found in the "Making of Episode 1" book.
Click the thumbnails for a full-size view.


This is one funky hat. Kinda reminds me of... eh... better not say. You make your own guesses. ;-)

You have to admire the workmanship in these drawings. Some of the most talented artists in the world worked on this project. No doubt about it. This particular one has a very strong Art Deco/Jugend/Fantacy feel to it.

       
Playing with ideas for hairstyles. Just imagine... no boundries, no gravity and nobody around that will tell you it's too out there. Must be a stylist's dream come true.

       
Indulge me for a moment... Is it just me or doesn't the first image look just like Ray Fiennes? You know, the guy from the Avengers, The english patient etc. Was he considered for the role or am I missing something?
Doesn't the second one look just like Keifer Sutherland, or am I crazy? Thank Gawd the thrid one doesn't look like anyone in particular, or I would have thought I was going strange. ;-)