UK – DVD Review – Nov. 2006 – Pirate Kings
Title: Pirate Kings
Author: unknown
Publication: UK – DVD Review
Issue: November 2006
The thing that that greets you at the entrance to Industrial Light & Magic’s San Francisco HQ is Yoda. The wrinkly turquoise goblin stands on top of a fountain, wizened old hands resting on a cane, and he looks so realistic you half expect him to greet you with a sage “Help you, l will”, like some friendly Jedi receptionist.
Yoda, of course, started life as a puppet then went CGI, so it might seem odd to label a statue of him as ‘realistic’. But then that’s exactly what ILM does best — making the impossible seem possible, the incredible seem credible, little green men seem wise and worldly. It’s no wonder everyone you encounter on this imposing complex – built on the site of a former veterans’ hospital in The Presidio National Park – beams with pride about the quality of lLM’s work.
There’s a calm-before-the-storm atmosphere about the place. ILM has a regular staff of up to 800, which soars to 1,500 when it‘s at a creative peak, but today it seems half empty. “We’re quiet at the moment.” explains marketing and communications director Miles Perkins. Then he flashes a wide screen Californian smile and adds: “But we’re just about to start on Pirates 3…”