When George Lucas set out to make Star Wars, little did he know he would end up revolutionizing an industry. This is the story of a team of creative geniuses who put the magic in the movies we love.
Granted unparalleled access, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan takes viewers on an adventure behind the curtains of Industrial Light & Magic, the special visual effects, animation and virtual production division of Lucasfilm. Learn what inspired some of the most legendary filmmakers in Hollywood history, and follow their stories from their…
Episode 1. "Gang of outsiders."
2022-07-27 · 60 min
The year is 1975, and George Lucas has a problem. There is no visual effects company in Hollywood capable of realizing the massive vision behind his new film “The Star Wars”. George and camera expert John Dykstra assemble an unlikely team…
Episode 2. "On the bucking bronco."
2022-07-27 · 54 min
When a near fatal wreck thwarts his boyhood dream of racing cars, George Lucas finds success as a filmmaker. He spends his own money on the special effects of an ambitious new “space opera”, but progress is painfully slow. With the help…
Episode 3. "Just think about it."
2022-07-27 · 64 min
After Star Wars, ILM moves north to a new facility—but not everyone is invited. As work begins on The Empire Strikes Back, the team faces unprecedented new challenges. Frustrated by the available tools, George creates a new division to…
Episode 4. "I think I found my people."
2022-07-27 · 64 min
A new partnership with Steven Spielberg results in the memorable effects of Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and more. Meanwhile, the computer graphics group scores its first digital breakthrough. As the 80s blockbuster era rolls in, ILM…
Episode 5. "Morfing."
2022-07-27 · 55 min
ILM enters the digital era as its revamped computer division faces its first big test with Willow. With a new team of rebels arriving at the company eager to push CG to its limits, James Cameron gives them a chance with The Abyss and…
Episode 6. "No more pretending you're dinosaurs."
2022-07-27 · 64 min
Stop-motion genius Phil Tippett feels like he’s gone extinct when CG unexpectedly takes center stage in Jurassic Park. The watershed moment convinces George Lucas to return to his long-planned Star Wars prequel trilogy and push the…
Season 2
3 episodes · 2025
Season 2 follows Lucasfilm's visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, as it enters its most challenging and revolutionary period: the dawn of digital. From creating the first fully realized CG character to solving the challenge of digital water, it is an era that finds ILM scaling new heights of innovation despite dramatic setbacks.
Episode 1. Are We Ready for This?
2025-04-18 · 60 min
After a decade away from Star Wars, George Lucas returns to ILM with a new impossible task.
Episode 2. There Must Be a Better Way
2025-04-18 · 63 min
As George Lucas tries to convince Hollywood to go digital, ILM takes on wind, water, and a CG Yoda.
Episode 3. There's No Going Back
2025-04-18 · 54 min
ILM is no longer the only game in town. To stay on top, they'll have to change the game yet again.