
One of the techniques Dykstra’s team used is now commonly known as kitbashing: they took small pieces from dozens of model kits and applied them to their scale miniatures in ways that made them look unrecognizable to all but the most eagle-eyed.

Star Wars was a hit on the scale of the Star Destroyer itself, and the movie landscape – not to mention visual effects – would never be quite the same again. This was a film with a scope that audiences hadn’t seen before.

It worked, too: when the Star Destroyer made its grand appearance in Star Wars‘ opening shot in 1977, it set the tone for the entire movie: this wasn’t just another low-budget sci-fi B-picture. May the 4th be with you! Save up to $350 on POWERbot Star Wars™ Limited Edition – Darth Vader™ with promo code ‘P5SOQD5GS’ Those spiky outcroppings, which hint at all kinds of mysterious scientific applications, are in reality tiny pieces of plastic, cunningly applied to the model to suggest a ship of unfeasible size.

As the craft’s multiple engines rumble into view, we can only guess at its size.Įxcept, of course, the Star Destroyer isn’t really a colossal military ship, but a scale miniature, one of the dozens expertly crafted by a team of artists and builders at Industrial Light and Magic. It’s an Imperial Star Destroyer, its surface spiky with an incalculable number of spiky outcroppings. The spaceship roars overhead, a huge bulk pale against the inky depths of space.
