DECIPHER ARTISTS JOE BOULDEN AND ROB BURNS TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK

THE BASIC PROCESSES EMPLOYED

What are the names of the processes required to create the final image? How many different processes were employed in all?

Rob Burns: There are nine, sometimes more processes. Here are the basics:

1. model concept
2. research of concept
3. planning model's construction, R&D of new techniques
4. building & mapping the model's parts, sorting out problems
5. test images of development
6. final detailing and adjusting, approval
7. final lighting and hi-res raytrace
8. Photoshop editing of image and compositing in background
9. place image into card frame
   
   

THE DIFFICULTY OF WORKING WITHOUT MODELS

Joe Boulden: The never before seen ships, The Punishing One and Mist Hunter, required the most work because I had to design them from scratch. There had never before been a picture, or even a drawing of them, and my only references were vague descriptions in the book 'Star Wars: Tales of The Bounty Hunters'.

THE TIME INVESTED IN CREATING ORIGINAL CARD IMAGES

Rob Burns: Three to five work days, stretched over the development of the set. Often the composition is changed and/or the model is re-lit for a different look, which adds to the process.

Joe Boulden: It takes about 20 hours of labor, and 48 hours of computer rendering time, to go from rough drafts to a finished illustration of a brand new ship!

THE EQUIPMENT USED TO ACHIEVE THE FINAL IMAGE

Rob Burns: We use Power macs with lots of RAM, high powered CPU's, Photoshop to do the surface maps (color, bump, transparency, glow, specular, etc.) 2D shapes, final image adjustment, and Strata Studio Pro to do the 3D modeling and raytracing.

THE KNOWLEDGE THE ARTISTS BRING TO THEIR WORK

Joe Boulden: I've been to advanced seminars in 3D modeling and animation, and invested about 15 years learning computer graphics. I'm also a photo-realist airbrush artist, which helps a lot.

THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROCESS OF MODELING A SHIP

Rob Burns: The real work is the detailing of the object (which isn't always a ship!), to give it a credible appearance.

Joe Boulden: This depends from model to model, but in the case of the Mist Hunter I went as far as creating an interior. I had to do a card for Zuckuss's snare rifle anyway, and thought that he would probably display it in his cockpit, kind of like a gun rack in the back of a Ford pick-up. So you get to see the Mist Hunter from inside and out.

THE ARTIST'S FAVORITE PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Rob Burns: ...I enjoy seeing a model come together, making it better than the last one I built. The best part is making the final composite work, so that the 3D elements blend with the film elements. That part takes a good deal of work too. The final orchestration of the elements is what ultimately makes or breaks the final image.

Joe Boulden: I love spending hours painting in little tiny details, and thinking through the logic of a ships design. As sophisticated as our audience gets it's always worth putting in those little extras.

AND FINALLY:

Joe Boulden: I enjoy seeing our art take on a life of its own. Lucasfilm stresses consistency, and approves every image. So from movie, to comic books, to CCG and back again, anything done in one medium influences, and is influenced by, the whole Star Wars universe.