Making Yoda Real - from Hollywood's Master Storytellers

When "The Empire Strikes Back" was made, there was no CGI. Filmmakers like director Irvin Kershner had to create aliens using elaborate makeup, costumes and, for Yoda, puppetry. But Yoda had to come off as real or the story wouldn't work. How did that character's depiction evolve? Director Irvin Kershner explains.
The Great Stories Behind the Great Stories

[@jerryziegner]

When the Star Wars movies were made by true magicians who had such visions and knew how to entertain the masses. I miss that magical time.

[@equusamans]

"All art has to have limitations. And you have to work within the discipline of the resistance of that limitation." - Are you listening, K.K., J.J., G.L. and R.J.?

[@Music--ng8cd]

and the MCU

[@BarefootPeasant]

Yes! Limitations of the art have always forced my best creative outcomes!

[@kuunami]

I could listen this stuff all day.

[@qweqqweq2090]

"mine! mine! ... or I will help you not!". ..."r2, let him have it."

[@hafblkhafamazin6179]

Calls R2 "The Can"...HAHA!

[@sallybrown4947]

For the Jedi it's time to eat as well!

[@davidjoe3368]

Kershner was right on, there is no substitute when filming, for a real 3-dimensional object, versus a CG one! The 3-D object always looks best!

[@Valkonnen]

And using both sometimes is a way to forgo the limitations of a puppet, like in "Jurassic Park". Or you can use digital eyeblinks and enhance expression as on a character, rather than doing it all CGI. They got a ahead of themselves in the prequels. First they did a silicone Yoda which looked waxy and stupid. Then replaced him with a CGI Yoda in the first Prequel and for the two others. The way that they should have done it was to use the original yoda molds and make a new one, THEN enhance the facial expressions with CGI. They could have also gotten realistic walking shots with that puppet and green rods operating all of the movements which we now can make disappear. You don't have to go all the way to CGI or use the newest silicone materials and try to redesign him to look young.

[@davidjoe3368]

@@Valkonnen Your right about the original Yoda lol! That was the best they could come up with at the time. And if they had just done enhancements to the original puppet, like you said, it would have looked, much much better. Really, we can all give Mark Hamill all the credit for making the Yoda puppet seem real, he went along with it and so did audiences lol!

[@minicle426]

​@@Valkonnen It's because George was experimenting with how far digital technology could go. Just like he was doing with what was avaliable back in the 70s/80s.

[@peterparler3246]

He sounds like yoda

[@jnnx]

Wait til you hear Frank Oz. . .SON!

[@jenisia3600]

Fantastic