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The original "Praxis" optical printer used in 1976 and 1977 at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to composite every visual effects shot in Star Wars: A New Hope. Robert Blalack, whose company name was Praxis, was an integral part of the VFX team for the groundbreaking film and earned an Academy Award® for his contributions. As part of his deal, Blalack rented his personal optical printer to the facility; ILM proceeded to invest heavily in improving, or "hot rodding," the printer to achieve the effects. Beyond the equipment, Blalack solved the critical problem of organizing the VistaVision compositing workflow that was incredibly challenging in the pre-digital age.

Blalack acquired the Praxis printer before Star Wars. When he finished on the film, he retained the printer and subsequently used it on numerous other projects, including Blues Brothers, Airplane!, RoboCop, and more. Blalack can be seen operating his optical printer two minutes into David Berry's 5757, a behind-the-scenes "home movie" shot at ILM during production on A New Hope: https://vimeo.com/5494280.

This printer consists of a camera, two projectors, and a lamp housing, which allow various film elements to be composited into a single shot. While some components have been upgraded or modified in the time since Star Wars (such as the lamp housing), much of it remains original and in good overall condition, though the printer is currently non-optical. Also included are the original wooden magazine, an electronic control panel believed to post-date Star Wars (though other wiring elements are no longer present), and various other small components. The printer's base is a converted lathe bed, as the printer had to be rock-solid so as to not vibrate during precision compositing work.

The original Star Wars changed filmmaking forever, and this printer was a core and pivotal tool in the work accomplished at Industrial Light & Magic. The historic Praxis printer and the work of Robert Blalack are well-known to visual effects aficionados and represent the major leap forward in technology and process achieved at ILM. Dimensions: 148" x 68" x 30" (376 cm x 173 cm x 76.5 cm)

Contains electronics and mechanical components; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Special shipping required; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: $50,000 - 100,000

View all lots from STAR WARS: EPISODE IV - A NEW HOPE (1977)

View all lots from STAR WARS - ALL ITEMS