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In a new video released by ILM on our YouTube channel, join Visual Effects Supervisor, Richard Bluff, as he shares a peek behind the curtain of the effects of The Mandalorian: Season 2, winner of 7 Emmy® Awards including Special Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, Cinematography, Prosthetic Makeup, Stunt Coordination, Stunt Performance, and Music Composition.

For its sophomore outing, Lucasfilm’s hit Disney+ series built upon the groundbreaking technical and artistic achievements accomplished during season one, combining traditional methodologies, with ever-advancing new technologies. The team also increased the physical size of the ILM StageCraft™ LED Volume which would again be used for over half of all scenes. This season also marked the debut of ILM’s state-of-the-art real-time cinema render engine called, Helios. The high-resolution, high-fidelity engine was used for all final pixel rendering displayed on the LED screens and offers unmatched performance for the types of complex scenes prevalent in today’s episodic and feature film production.

Practical creature effects have been a vital part of the aesthetic and charm of the Star Wars universe since 1977, and for season two, the effects team realized over 100 puppeteered creatures, droids, and animatronic masks, which included the beloved Tatooine Bantha, realized as a ten-foot-high puppeteered rideable creature. 

Practical miniatures and motion control photography were used once again for scale model ships, as well as miniature set extensions built for use in ILM’s StageCraft LED volume. Stop-motion animation was also utilized for the Scrap Walker at the Karthon Chop Fields. The greater Krayt dragon on Tatooine was realized as a six-hundred-foot computer-generated creature that would swim shark-like through the sand environment by way of a liquefaction effect, wherein the sand would behave like water. 

We would like to acknowledge the care and dedication that the team here at ILM put into the show, along with our partners at Legacy Effects, Hybride, Image Engine, Important Looking Pirates, Ghost VFX, Lola, Stereo D, Tippett Studios, Base FX, Raynault, Virtuous, and Yannix. 

We hope you enjoy this look inside The Mandalorian: Season 2.

The Jedi Academy is a unified, global, 12-week junior talent paid internship and trainee program at Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and ILMxLAB created for students and graduates. The program is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to learn in a dynamic and creative production environment, focused on developing the next generation of diverse talent across art, public relations, and technology. 

After playing Vader Immortal, I knew that I wanted to help make those kinds of games and tell those kinds of stories,” said Gary Walker, intern at ILMxLAB. “So if you want to do something, go for it. Ask how you can get there because there are people willing to help you if you’re willing to go out and you’re willing to do it.”

Jedi Academy interns are able to gain valuable, real-world experience through hands-on training and mentorship across day-to-day production work. Trainees also gain valuable skills through intensive classes and immersive learning modules taught by industry experts from a variety of disciplines. The trainees are exposed to fundamental artistic concepts as well as key business skills that support their transition into the industry. 

“Coming into this I was very interested in a lot of things; VR, animation, video production, film production,” said Jared Tan, Video Production Intern at Lucasfilm. “And now coming out of the internship, I know what skills I need to polish so hopefully one day I can come back here to work and help this ecosystem of filmmakers and creative people at this amazing company.”

Lucasfilm is committed to improving the diversity of our studios, and programs like our Jedi Academy help us provide opportunities to a broad range of applicants at the start of their careers. The experience is perhaps best described by Alexandria Frank, Studio Talent Group Intern at Lucasfilm, “Just the sheer intention and passion that comes with everyone working here, it radiates through everything.”

The most recent Jedi Academy interns for ILM focused on virtual production and the company’s StageCraft technology, an ever-growing part of the company’s business. The company is preparing to launch another Jedi Academy focused on the San Francisco and Vancouver studios soon.

Would you like to Join the Force? Keep your eyes peeled on our Careers page for when we announce our next Jedi Academy.


The Television Academy announced its winners for the 73rd Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® Awards over the weekend, celebrating a diverse group of talent from across television. ILM’s creative teams were honored with an award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie for The Mandalorian, alongside nominations for their contributions on The Boys, WandaVision, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.  This is the second year in a row that the hit Lucasfilm series has received the Emmy Award for Special Visual Effects, a testament to the groundbreaking work that the show is known for.

Animation Supervisor Hal Hickel, VFX Producer Abbigail Keller, VFX Supervisor Joseph Kasparian (Hybride), and Environments Supervisor Enrico Damm in attendance at the 73rd Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® Awards.

The visual effects team representing this win, included: Joe Bauer, Richard Bluff, Abbigail Keller, Hal Hickel, Roy K. Cancino, John Knoll, Enrico Damm, John Rosengrant, and Joseph Kasparian. Special recognition is also in order for ILM Producer Stacy Bissell, ILM Animation Supervisor Paul Kavanagh, and the entire StageCraft team for their incredible contributions.

Richard Bluff, Visual Effects Supervisor on The Mandalorian, added, “I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the visual effects team to congratulate all the artists, production, and the technical support staff who contributed to the Visual and Special Effects on season two of The Mandalorian. We continue to be in awe of the spectacular work and the effortless partnerships we enjoy with all of our vendor partners. The time and effort invested in the visuals by ILM, Hybride, Image Engine, Important Looking Pirates, Ghost VFX, Lola, Stereo D, Tippett Studios, Base FX, Raynault, Virtuous, and Yannix has been exceptional and this recognition is fully deserved. Everyone associated with the show couldn’t be happier or more grateful for what we all achieved together.”

In addition, The Mandalorian was also recognized with Emmys in the following categories: Sound Mixing, Cinematography, Prosthetic Makeup, Stunt Coordination, Stunt Performance, and Music Composition.

The 73rd Emmy Awards will be hosted by Cedric the Entertainer at  L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Executive Producers Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart and Director Hamish Hamilton have been selected to helm the show for production companies Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment. Highlights from the 73rd Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 18 (8:00 PM ET/PT) on FXX. The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, Sept. 19 (5:00-8:00 PM, PST) on the CBS Television Network, and as well as streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.

The Television Academy announced its nominations for the 73rd annual Emmy® Awards today recognizing a wealth of innovative storytelling, exceptional new programs, and a robust and diverse group of talent nominees. ILM is honored to have contributed to 4 of the 5 nominated shows in the Special Visual Effects category and is named on the nominations of 3 of them. ILM’s creative teams were recognized on the nominations for The Boys, The Mandalorian, and WandaVision. Additionally, the studio contributed work to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Richard Bluff, Visual Effects Supervisor for The Mandalorian noted, “despite the unprecedented global pandemic Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni knew it was important to bring Season 2 of The Mandalorian to Disney+ on time to help give a lift to our expectant and loyal Star Wars fans,” adding, “to achieve this and ultimately be rewarded with a Visual Effects Emmy Nomination is a testament to the talent and leadership at Industrial Light & Magic and our vendor partners worldwide who continue to astound us with their exceptional artistry and dedication. We want to congratulate all those visual effects companies and every individual artist, production member, and support staff who stayed with us on this journey and delivered a remarkable series.”

Rob Bredow, ILM SVP, Chief Creative Officer noted, “I’d like to recognize the entire crews of The Mandalorian, The Boys, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Their hard work, creativity, and flawless execution did not go unnoticed and it’s truly rewarding to see the Academy recognize these projects.”

ILM was awarded the 2020 Emmy Award for Special Visual Effects for its groundbreaking effects and virtual production work on the first season of the hit Lucasfilm series, The Mandalorian.

 The 73rd Emmy Awards will be hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. Executive Producers Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart and Director Hamish Hamilton have been selected to helm the show for production companies Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment. The Emmys will be broadcast on Sunday, Sept. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/5:00-8:00 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. The 2021 Creative Arts Awards will be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 18 (8:00 PM ET/PT) on FXX.