In February 2019, director J.J. Abrams called Cut! for the last time during principal photography of the ninth chapter of the long-running Star Wars saga. Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker concludes the third trilogy in the series the trilogy that began with the Abrams-directed Episode VII The Force Awakens, released in December 2015. That film continued the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) while also introducing a new generation of heroes and villains, including Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), respectively.
Cinematographer Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC, SASC was behind the camera for both The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. Speaking with Panavision from his home on Kauai, Mindel clearly recalls Episode IX's last day, which took place on Stage 4 at Pinewood Studios, outside of London. Among other setups, the day's work included shots of Finn (John Boyega) as well as portions of a flashback involving Rey and her parents (Jodie Comer and Billy Howle).
No one wanted the day to end, Mindel recounts. It was an exciting day, but it was a sad day it was genuinely really emotional. Working on a couple of these movies with the same crew and cast made for a very cohesive family experience. Everyone was very close.
The conclusion of principal photography also brought one last gate check for the production's Panaflex Millennium XL2 cameras. The nine-film saga finished as it began, with 35mm film rolling through a Panavision camera fitted with Panavision anamorphic glass.
Production on the original Star Wars released in 1977 and subsequently given the longer title of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope commenced on the salt flats at Nefta, Tunisia. On Monday, March 22, 1976, writer-director George Lucas called Action! for the first time on Star Wars, and a Panaflex camera rolled to speed for a scene outside of Luke Skywalker's home on the desert planet Tatooine.
Cinematographer Gil Taylor, BSC had been tapped to shoot the original Star Wars. His camera package for the film included Panaflex No. 21, which had previously been used on such features as The Wind and the Lion, French Connection II, The Man Who Would Be King and The Secret Life of Plants. The filmmakers paired the cameras with C Series anamorphics.
After wrapping in Tunisia, the Star Wars production moved to the stages at EMI Studios-Elstree in Borehamwood, England, near London. That facility would also house the stages for the first sequel in the franchise, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, for which Lucas handed the directing reins to Irvin Kershner, with cinematographer Peter Suschitzky later to join the ranks of the ASC behind the camera.
Suschitzky had interviewed for the original Star Wars, so he joined the sequel already knowing producers George Lucas and Gary Kurtz. They were very keen that we should get the best possible result on the screen, the cinematographer shared. They said, What do you want to test? Which cameras do you want to test?' So I had total freedom to bring in any anamorphic system I wanted.
Suschitzky's final choice echoed Taylor's, giving Episode IV and V a continuity of Panavision C Series anamorphic glass. We used a combination of the PSR and Panaflex-X cameras, Suschitzky explained. Toward the end of the filming for the last two or three months we switched over to a normal Panaflex. We then used the Panaflex-X as a second camera.
The original trilogy concluded in 1983 with the release of Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which saw Richard Marquand assume the director's chair, with Alan Hume, BSC serving as cinematographer. Following that film's release, the movie saga was widely considered to be complete, but that changed in 1997, when Lucas released Special Edition versions of each film in the original trilogy, with updated effects, new shots and even new scenes.
The Special Editions served as a technological testing ground for the long-rumored prequel trilogy, which jumped back in time to tell the story of Luke Skywalker's father, Anakin. Episode I The Phantom Menace premiered in 1999, Episode II Attack of the Clones followed in 2002, and Episode III Revenge of the Sith concluded the trilogy in 2005. Behind the scenes, all three movies saw Lucas resume his place in the director's chair, with David Tattersall, BSC serving as cinematographer.
Lucas initially hoped to be able to shoot all three prequel features digitally, but the production schedule for The Phantom Menace proved to be just ahead of the technological curve. The movie went into production with a traditional photochemical process, but behind the scenes, the race was on to make Lucas' digitally captured dream a reality in time for Attack of the Clones.
Panavision said they were interested in making the lenses, Lucas explained. So we got them together with Sony and said, We want to be able to shoot Episode II with this [digital system]. That gives you about two and a half years. Can you get it done in time?' And they replied, Yup, we'll do it.' And they did.
Panavision's involvement in the project included Panavising Sony's nascent HDW-F900 2/3 high-definition digital video camera, developing a new range of cine-style accessories for the camera, and designing and building the Primo Digital series of lenses, which were specifically conceived to offer double the resolving power of 35mm-format optics so that the 2/3 HD image would hold up on cinema screens. This was a giant experiment for everybody, and nobody knew if it was going to work, Lucas reflected. Both companies really went out on a limb.
The risk brought reward, and Attack of the Clones became the first major theatrical release to have been captured entirely digitally with 24p HD cam
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
28/01/2026
As demand for more complex live sports coverage grows, Balkan broadcast specialist MVP has upgraded its flagship HD1 progressive OB truck with the installation ...
28/01/2026
Luxembourg, January 26, 2026 - SES S.A. ( SES or the Company ), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Fitch to...
28/01/2026
Stadtwerke Wolfhagen Modernize Customer Management with AEP.energysuite from Arv...
27/01/2026
Click for Japanese version
Tokyo, Japan - January 27, 2026 - Akamai Technolo...
27/01/2026
Today, Spotify is proud to support our partner Backline, an industry-leading men...
27/01/2026
With nearly 29 million monthly listeners and clear momentum on Spotify, Net n Ve...
27/01/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
27/01/2026
New agreement for uninterrupted UHF connectivity for Australian Defence Force through 2033, With Options Extending to 2041
Luxembourg, January 13, 2026 - Satel...
27/01/2026
Tuesday 27 January 2026
SNL UK creative team expands as Pauli Lovejoy, Annie Ha...
27/01/2026
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to support a dynamic programme of cultural events taking place across Ireland this February. From visual art, film, music, ...
26/01/2026
Music videos play a huge part in how fans connect with their favorite songs, but...
26/01/2026
Wuppertal January 26, 2026
Riedel and Media Tailor Deliver Unified Broadcast a...
26/01/2026
26 Jan 2026
VEON Unveils the New Beeline Uzbekistan Network Operations Center, ...
26/01/2026
Bookish is created by and stars Mark Gatiss
Images available HERE
Following th...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
New Sky Original Series explores Entertainment Juggernaut, The X Factor
Sky today confirmed it has greenlit a premium, definitive docum...
26/01/2026
Monday 26 January 2026
Sky confirms major investment to transform Livingston ca...
26/01/2026
Software for Stable Data Management and Lasting Business Success in Uncertain Ti...
26/01/2026
RT is today publishing a statistical summary of the Register of External Activities for the third quarter of 2025.
The RT Register of External Activities com...
24/01/2026
RT and Virgin Media Television kick off comprehensive free-to-air coverage of t...
23/01/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 29 July, 2025 - Yospace, the global leader in Dynamic A...
23/01/2026
Spotify's annual Best New Artist celebration honors the rising stars whose talent, creativity, and dedication have propelled them to the music industry'...
23/01/2026
Paramount is transforming its operations by unifying the media supply chains of their top brands into a scalable global pipeline.
This transformation enhances ...
23/01/2026
Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...
23/01/2026
Find out where Sare and Suze are now on RT One and RT Player Thursday 29 January at 10.15pm
Hit drama SisterS, created by, written by and starring real-life ...
23/01/2026
Friday 23 January 2026
Sky appoints Lisa Clark as Commissioning Executive for SNL UK
Lisa Clark headshot
PNG (468KB)
Lisa Clark joins Sky as Commissioning E...
23/01/2026
RT is delighted to announce that the RT and F s ireann / Screen Ireland supported short film Retirement Plan has been nominated for Best Animated Short at th...
22/01/2026
Last November, Ed Sheeran returned to his musical roots for an intimate, one-nig...
22/01/2026
Every delay costs. When a subtitle fails QC, even the smallest issue can mean missed deadlines, extra vendor costs, or frustrated teams. The new Accurate.Video ...
22/01/2026
Thursday 29 January 9:35pm on RT 2 and RT Player
The dating show returns with something old, something new and a dater you may already know
Thursday evenings...
22/01/2026
Rohde & Schwarz, Qualcomm, and Motorola demonstrate successful 5G Broadcast comp...
22/01/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
21/01/2026
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Backing Britain on the global stage: Sky becomes an o...
21/01/2026
Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Resul...
21/01/2026
Baselight v7 brings colourists and post-houses smarter mattes, faster workflows and deeper control
FilmLight, known for its detailed colour toolset and longsta...
21/01/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Jackie Fox as its new Washington Correspondent. Jackie is a multimedia journalist with RT News and has repor...
19/01/2026
Monday 19 January 2026
Sky News reinvents News at Ten for the modern audience with The Wrap
Sky News today announces The Wrap, a bold evolution of its 10pm ou...
19/01/2026
DPA Microphones is striking a new chord in piano miking with the debut of its DPK2015 Piano Stereo Kit, an out-of-the-box, plug-and-play miking solution that ta...
19/01/2026
DPA Microphones will present its 4099 CORE Instrument Microphone and redesigned...
19/01/2026
Trianel relies on Arvato Systems for future-proof data center operations
Moving to the cloud: Arvato Systems implements extensive IT migration project
Migrat...
19/01/2026
Celebrating 21 Years of the RT Choice Music Prize
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
Irish Album of the Year 2025 - Shortlist Announce...
18/01/2026
January 18 2026, 21:30 (PST) Dolby Cinema Arrives in Bengaluru: Dolby Laborator...
16/01/2026
The start of a new year brings fresh possibilities. Whether you're diving in with big goals or simply setting new intentions, audiobooks can bring inspirati...
16/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
15/01/2026
The SGL Carbon site in Bonn has a long tradition of training. For many years, young talent has been successfully trained here, regularly achieving excellent exa...
15/01/2026
The JEC Composites Innovation Awards annually honor the most innovative and ambi...
In February 2019, director J.J. Abrams called Cut! for the last time during principal photography of the ninth chapter of the long-running Star Wars saga. Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker concludes the third trilogy in the series the trilogy that began with the Abrams-directed Episode VII The Force Awakens, released in December 2015. That film continued the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) while also introducing a new generation of heroes and villains, including Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), respectively.
