Dykstraflex Motion Control Camera - digital graphic artwork (Print)

Print of original digital artwork.

This is a graphic of the MOTION CONTROL system developed and used to film the space battles in ‘STAR WARS’. JOHN DYKSTRA supervsied the visual effects and developed this revolutionary system. The camera is attached to a series of motors that enable it to tilt and rotate via computer control. The precision engineering allowed for a given movement to be carried out with long exposures allowing incredible depth of field on the miniature spaceships. These movements could also be reproduced over and over again allowing each element - spaceship, engine glows - to be perfected. Controlling the camera with this amount of fidelity allowed for a level of finesse and control in creating dynamic movement. Repeating that same motion allowed for multiple spaceships to be choreographed within a shot. The rest, as they say, is history.

This graphic celebrates this vital part of movie and special effects history.