The Star Wars prequels have shot around the world, with Australia becoming the home base for principal photography for both Episodes II and III. Throughout the years, a crew from JAK Productions has maintained a London office at the famous Elstree Studios, as much of the behind-the-scenes talent calls the UK their home.
"I think a lot of people are surprised by how much work generates from here," says Polly Leach, a Production Coordinator in the London Office. "There's a very firm stronghold of the Lucasfilm and Star Wars empire in England."
Crucial pre-production and planning stages occur in London for each episode, long before shooting actually began. Many of the key team members are JAK veterans, dating all the way back to The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. "The Production Art Department and Costume Department were pretty busy over there, at the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003," says Leach. "Gavin Bocquet had a whole Art Department set up at Elstree Studios, with a lot of models and speeders for George to approve. Likewise, Trisha Biggar does a lot of her fabric buying in London, and she was buying non-stop to prepare for Episode III."
With half a world dividing the preproduction and production headquarters, coordinators on both ends needed to work closely to ensure that everything -- and everyone -- arrived in Sydney and returned to London intact. Heading up the Production Office in Sydney was Virginia Murray, Production Coordinator. Leach stayed at Elstree, until the end of the shoot, when she flew over to Sydney to coordinate the return trip.
"I get the feeling that George Lucas and Rick McCallum are terribly fond of the United Kingdom, and it is so nice that Rick keeps a base here," says Leach. One of her main functions during her stay in Sydney was to serve as Asset Supervisor, collating all the information about three movies' worth of props, costumes, vehicles and more. "I helped Rick find a home for them, for the things he doesn't need for pick-ups."
The Production Office in Syndey coordinated the inclusion of a starwars.com presence on the set -- in the form of daily from-the-set updates and a live webcam. Plans are in the works to try to bring the same Hyperspace access to the brief stint of additional photography in the UK this August.