In this series, we’re highlighting world-class studios where artists trained by Ganz and Andrew have gone on to work.

Each post celebrates the incredible work these studios have created over the years, the same kind of productions our graduates now help bring to life.

Today: Industrial Light & Magic, showcasing their work on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in an extensive behind-the-scenes breakdown featuring contributions from ILM teams in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver, London, and Sydney.

The reel reveals how Leia’s farewell was built from deleted footage of Carrie Fisher shot years earlier. ILM extracted elements from The Force Awakens, altered costume and hairstyle, and placed the performance into new environments. As Visual Effects Supervisor Roger Guyett noted, the team focused on preserving Fisher’s face as the anchor of each shot while modifying everything around it.

ILM also created the Luke and Leia training flashback, using original Return of the Jedi dailies to generate the younger faces of both characters. Stand-ins performed the body motion, including Billie Lourd standing in for her mother as Leia during the sequence.

The breakdown highlights the seaside battle atop the ruins of the Death Star. ILM simulated up to 133,700,000 gallons of digital water for the duel, with each shot containing between 110,000 and 4.2 million gallons of simulated ocean. Practical water cannons on set were ultimately removed because they did not behave like real waves, and ILM replaced them with physically accurate water simulations.

The reel also covers Rey’s leap over Kylo Ren’s TIE Interceptor, performed by stunt double Katie McDonnell. ILM added the ship beneath her wire-assisted flip, creating the moment where Rey slices the craft and sends it crashing across the desert.

The full video captures ILM’s blend of models, miniatures, stunt work, digital imagery, archival elements, and simulation, all contributing to the film’s Oscar-nominated visual effects.