We are John Dykstra (VFX for original Star Wars) and daughter Chloe Dykstra (host/game reviewer). AUA!

John - where did the sound R2-D2 makes come from?

Chloe - are you and Chris Hardwick still friendly?

Chloe: I CAN ANSWER BOTH THESE QUESTIONS. Sorry to usurp, Dad. I was totally just at Skywalker Ranch and met Ben Burtt and actually watched him play the R2D2 sounds on this crazy ass old synthesizer... And it was so specific, all the knobs and dealies, that there was a sign saying "DON'T TOUCH THE SETTINGS, THEY ARE CRUCIAL."

Actually, the other question... Well, maybe I can't really answer that one.

:(

Chloe: Things heal with time. :) (I hope.)

Chloe - I saw you at a comedy show in Seattle this past december and you were one of my favorite parts of the show :) Do you have any future plans doing stand up?

Dad: There you go, do stand-up. That's an opportunity.

Chloe: Ahh! You're very sweet. Haha, I'd love to but I just don't know if I'm down for stand-up. To me, it almost feels like getting naked on stage and hoping people give you a thumbs up. It's one of the only things at which, if you fail, you have to continue failing for 10-15 minutes in front of a bunch of people... Which is super intimidating. Who knows, though, maybe I'll give it a shot someday?

John: How has the evolution of computer effects and CGI changed what you do/have done with movies? Also, well done avoiding Spiderman 3!

Dad: Okay. I get to spend a lot more time thinking about how the images impact the story. Before, a significant portion of my work involved inventing devices and processes. So, the advent of the computer is a sword that cuts two ways. It was more fun back then, because we got to ride motorcycles and airplanes, but it's more creative now because we're not limited by the physics of the real world.

Having said that, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.

Chloe: What do you mean?

Dad: Well, because filmmakers use computers to create images of action that don't actually fit in with our world's physics.

Chloe: Examples? Like in an action movie?

Dad: Oh god. It's like... Cutting my own throat... Because I worked on a movie with a 600 foot monster with a tail that would be actually supersonic at the tip. And I made a guy jump off a 100 ft building and land on his feet without turning into a puddle of blood and bone.

The key to it is cheating in a way that doesn't make the viewer aware of the cheat.

Hi Mr. Dykstra and Chloe, thank you so much for doing this AMA! I hope you return to do more.

While this doesn't pertain to your work in the film industry per se, what film(s) inspired you growing up (say from 0-18 years old)? And what films in the past ten years have you really enjoyed?

I read that Joe Johnston is inside this concept art Vader costume from a 1976 ILM Halloween party? Can you recall? Also, how out of hand and wild did those parties get? Be honest...

Annnnnnd, here are 140 images I put together from the OT modeling days. That's it!

Thanks again!

Dad: 0-18? That's tough. The movie I most remember in regards to how it relates to me being in the film business was 2001. That inspired me.

Chloe: Kubrick is my all-time favorite.

Dad: And one of the films in the past ten years is, oddly enough, Boyhood. And visual effects-wise, I thought Gravity and Apes were both great.

Chloe: Now, parties. Talk.

Dad: Yeah, that's Joe. We had... Wild parties.

Chloe: More please.

Mom: At a time when everyone was having wild parties. There were drugs all over Hollywo-

Dad: OH COME ON.

Chloe: (10 minutes of trying to convince Dad to talk)

Dad: Fine. There was no air conditioning on the stages and with the lights they would get to be 120 degrees. We had a hot tub in the parking lot and at some point in the afternoon, there would be a gathering in the hot tub (or the hot/cold tub). And we had an escape slide from a 727.

Chloe: Oh my god. Where did you get that?

Dad: I don't know. Surplus? But... We'd put a little oil on it and run some water down it and it made one hell of a slip'n'slide. ...and it was used at a couple of the parties, too.

Chloe: Your eyebrow game is always on point! Now for a questions, how many conventions do you attend a year? What is your favorite cosplay that you have done?

John: What has been your favorite project aside from Starwars that you have worked on?

Chloe: Thank you! :D How many cons? God, between 12-20, sometimes more. I stopped counting. Favorite cosplay- probably Poison Ivy. I loved that it was different than most of the Ivys you see walking around cons.

Dad: Spiderman 2. I liked Doc Ock.

Mom: And your daughter was in the train scene.

Chloe: What was your more challenging Cosplay costume?

John: How has the continuous evolving of effects changed the way you approach a project?

Chloe: Fuck Poison Ivy. She was the coolest and also the biggest pain in the ass. If I didn't have the help of Grant Imahara, that costume would have fallen apart in minutes of wear. We had to design an entire back piece that would stay tight to the crook of my back and support an entire army of animatronic flowers... All in a week. Not an easy cosplay.

Dad: You spend much more time trying to understand how an image affects the story than how to actually make the image.

For John: Two questions, first, in which movie did you have the most fun working on? Second, What is one famous prop/effect you wish you had created?

For Chloe: Which cosplay would you make if you had no restrictions on budget or time?

PS. You both rock!

Dad: I had the most fun on Star Wars, chalk that up to being young and dumb. Hmm... Prop or effect?

Chloe: What about, like Bullet time?

Dad: Yeah, Bullet time was pretty groundbreaking.

Chloe: For cosplay- Definitely a Big Sister. But that's a super tough one to get the proportions right. A girl can dream.

Dad + Chloe: Thanks!

John - You are amazing and I absolutely love your work. Similar to other questions below: When practical effects are replaced by CG in older films I have mixed feelings. I do not mind so long as a version of the film as originally released is preserved for historical context, as a kind-of record/time capsule. As a fan, some of us find it disturbing that (for example) original versions of "Star Wars" are not being preserved. As the actual artist how do you feel about it? Are we making too much of a big deal about it?

Chloe - I enjoyed the Doctor Who dating show you had at Gallifrey One a few years ago. If only that could be a regular show (and sign me up!). You were posting photos from Salem, MA the other week. How did you enjoy the state that I currently live in and that insane town?

John: As I said before, it's George's movie; he can do what he wants to with it. I think, if you consider the film an artistic object, the analogy would to go back and replace the original materials in a painting with new materials. The limitation of the materials are an important part of the artists' expression, and changing the materials, I think, diminishes the statement.

Chloe: I would love love love to do a cosplay dating show. It still seems slightly niche for TV, but maybe some day I'll make it happen. I LOVE Salem and have considered moving there some day when I want to settle down and raise a family- it's the closest you can get to real magic.

What were the original light sabers made out of?

Dad: It was a wooden dowel on a drill motor with strips of front projection material along its length.

You wanna know what front projection material is?

Chloe: Yeah.

Dad: It's retro-reflective screen and it's the reflective material that you see on stop signs and sportswear.

John, I love you! You changed my life with Star Wars! I sat through Star Wars for the first time with my mouth hanging open.You really made a difference for movies back then. I doubt today's kids get that same reaction because they are used to great special effects but back in the 70's it was revolutionary. Thanks for the breakthoughs you made and all the wonderful movies! What do you think will be the next big thing in movies?

Dad: Sensory expansion. As in higher frame refresh rates, higher resolution and better 3D. Doug Trumbull is doing a version of this called MAGI. Check out Doug's "Brainstorm" for an even more advanced entertainment medium. The one thing that will remain the primary attraction of any entertainment is the story and it's ability to create empathy in the audience...

For John: How does the original VFX crew feel about the digitally replaced fx shots in New Hope? Do they see it as just an evolution of the industry or the equivalent of colorizing black & white films?

Chloe: Dad, be honest.

Dad: Y'know, I don't think they improved the movie, but it was George's movie and he can do what he wants to. I want to change that- They did make the composites better. The addition characters in scenes didn't increase the value of the story.

Chloe: I just watched the original theatrical version (Harmy's?) and it was so much more enjoyable for me than the special edition.

John: I guess the additional characters and scenes of the movie- they felt like, uhh, unneeded embellishment.

Chloe: Did Han shoot first?

John: Hahaha, I'll never tell.

Growing up, I knew my dad went work in a suit. That was about it. I had to ask him what he did for a living (which was way less exciting than the SCUBA classes he taught at night).

When did you share what you did for a living with your children, Mr. Dykstra?

Chloe, when did you remember finding out about what he did?

Dad: I dunno. [He's getting distracted by the dogs right now.]

Chloe: I think it was more like, I remember when I realized that my most of my friends' dads had office/desk jobs. I guess it wasn't that uncommon, though; I live in LA so a lot of kids had parents in the industry.

When I realized it was super cool was when he took me to the set of Batman and Robin. Dumb movie, fucking amazing set. You'll never understand the magic of a set as much as you do seeing it through the eyes of a kid. Damn.

John: Have you visited the set from the new movie (star wars 7) or have been asked to contribute in any way?

Chloe: Wil you be making any more Cool Story Chlos? I'd love to hear updates on your life and I can't always watch your PNP nights.haha

Dad: No, no I haven't worked on any of the Star Wars films except the first one.

Chloe: Because Lucas can be a total butt.

Dad: No, don't say that, he's not a butt. I wanted to stay in LA.

Chloe: As for Cool Story Chlos, in the middle of making a bunch of them right now! Also, P and P nights are gonna get even better- we're gonna start doing live shows in LA. :D

who put those plastic models together for the death star? did you get a deal from Testor's or Revell?

Dad: No, we bought seconds- Kits that had been returned because parts were missing or damaged. We bought them by the pound.

Chloe: Who made the Death Star?

Dad: Oh, that was Grant McCune's model shop. He and his model-makers added a lot to the basic designs as they applied the detail.

Chloe: When/how did you learn to sew? I'm barely getting into cosplay and have done so basically through modifying existing articles of clothing, but i reaallllllyyyyy want to learn how to sew.

Chloe: I'm still learning. Sewing is incredibly intimidating- which is why I prefer to stick to cosplays with more props and simple outfits, haha. Check Youtube tutorials- they're lifesavers.

hi thanks for doing the ama. for the scene with the theater burning down in inglorious basterds, did it really get out of hand ?

Roth claimed that they "almost got incinerated", during the theater fire scene, as they projected the fire would burn at 400 °C (750 °F), but it instead burned at 1200 °C (2000 °F).

and for chloe: what's your favorite video game of all time?

Dad: Well, Eli was in there during a different part of the scene and I actually think they got what the stunt people refer to as "sunburn". It was at 400 °C or 1200 °C, it was WAY too hot. The set was in an old cement factory, and it was below zero outside, and incredibly hot inside. But it was in control; we had an army of mechanical effects guys and back-up fire department controlling the fire.

Chloe: ZELDA. Also Left 4 Dead. And Bioshock. And Borderlands. That's never an easy question to answer.

Chloe: Would you ever be interested in working in game development? How about voice over? (This is just a curiosity, I don't have any offers sadly)

John: How was the transition from tranditional VFX to computer graphics like? Were you fairly comfortable with computers before they became such a ubiquitous tool?

Chloe: YES. I'd love to do all these things. Everything about the development of a game fascinates me- the writing, the modeling, the acting. I would love to be a part of any of these.

Dad: At the end of the film era, I became frustrated with the limitations of optical (film) composites. So, I started directing commercials.

Chloe: Like Pillsbury commercials?

Dad: Yes. And because the resolution of video was so much lower than film, it was the first area where computer-generated images were commercially viable. The big change came when we were able to put film into the digital environment and get film back out of the digital environment. It reduced the generational losses significantly.

John: Are you in any of these (click me) pictures? Did you work on any of these models, if yes, which ones?

Chloe: Ever been to Germany?

Dad: Nope- that's David Beasley. But I didn't stick a lot of parts on models.

Chloe: NOT YET. But I would love to.

Did you like 'Jodorowsky's Dune'?

Dad: I loved it.

John, is there any passion project that you would've liked to see get made but didn't?

Thank you both for doing this AMA.

Dad: Yes, there is- a project called "The Stars My Destination".

Chloe: What's it about?

Dad: It's Count of Monte Cristo in a future world.

Chloe: What year was this happening?

Dad: This was 20 years ago.

[deleted]

Chloe: Hah, I think you're asking me that? I wouldn't call myself that by any stretch. HOWEVER, what's cool about being slightly more of a public figure than I was is that people approach ME for projects. I love that so much- collaborations are my favorite part of my weird, amorphous job.

Dad: Reworking a film. Wow. I don't know, that's tough.

Mom: Battlestar Galactica would not have been made. [My mom worked on this show as well.]

Dad: I'll tell you what- Battlestar would never have been released as a movie.

John - Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica probably cover the most iconic starships on screen. What were your favorite starships to work with? Are there any movie or tv starships you haven't worked with that you'd like to?

Chloe - Big fan of HoC. While waiting for the next season (there will be a next, right?) any new costumes from recent movies or video games that you're working on?

Chloe: SERENITY. Sorry.

Dad: Umm... I guess the most fun were the Star Wars models. Too many spaceships. I loved the spaceships in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I also liked the designs for the spaceships in Jodorowsky's Dune pitch. You're getting whipped cream everywhere.

Mom: This is why you need a new computer every two years.

Chloe: Shh. It's fine.

How do you say your last name? Are there any projects (either one of you) that you turned down that you regretted?

Chloe: Dyke-stra. Yes. It's unfortunate. And no, nothing that I turned down, but I was super close to playing Emma Stone's part in Superbad. I COULD HAVE BEEN EMMA STONE, GUYS. I was probably just slightly too awkward/unattractive for the part.

Dad: I think I created a mental block against all the projects I wished I'd worked on that turned out great. Nothing I can think of at the moment.

John - what has been your favorite movie to work on and why? Have you kept any of the props from any of your films?

Dad: My favorite movie was Star Wars because it was just a bunch of friends getting-

Chloe: Fucked up?

Dad: No, just a bunch of friends working closely together. Although we did blow up a lot of stuff.

Chloe: Did you keep any stuff from the movies?

Dad: Nah.

Both - Given Chloe's passion for cosplay have you ever gone the father daughter combo of Vader and Leia?

Oh Chloe also just wanted to say I absolutely love the "Black Sheep" video you made. Loved the song ever since I saw Scott Pilgrim and your video made it even better. Though how was it to film it?

Chloe: DAD PLEASE PLEASE YOU'RE SO TALL IT'D BE PERFECT

Dad: No.

Chloe: As for the other question- it was incredibly fun, and gave me reasons to visit places. However, it feels pretty silly to film yourself in public. You kind of have to get over embarrassment real quick when you're dancing in the aisle of an airplane (which I have done twice).

Chloe, love you on Heroes of Cosplay and follow a lot of your stuff now. You seem to have gotten really close with Holly after Heroes, having her on your hilarious Pizza and Porn stream, among other things. Was her assisting you on Heroes the first time you really interacted with her, or was that staged in some way? Do you get to hang out with her often and if so, is it mainly "talking shop" or is the cosplay stuff just a portion of your friendship?

What's your preferred gaming system? If primarily console, have you tried some of the more in-depth PC games like Dota 2, Starcraft, and League of Legends? The first and last tend to be featured a lot with cosplayers. Has your dad played any video games or shown any interest in doing a cosplay with you? :D

Finally, there was some drama earlier this year about how people felt like Heroes of Cosplay was ruining certain events. Do you feel like a good solution might be to have the "Heroes" go as exhibition-only cosplayers to avoid any further issues, or are people just being ridiculous about the whole thing?

Chloe: I love Holly so dearly, as well as Jessica. We had definitely hung out before, but never really worked together on a cosplay. We still all hang out regularly, and I consider them some of my closest friends.

I always considered XBox my preferred gaming system, but lately have been making the switch to PC. I hate mouses and keyboard though, just because I'm so used to the controller (I think I'm just being stubborn). I love LoL- I just need some cool people to play with. My pops and I used to bond over Zelda, and I got a triforce tattoo because of it. I also just recently took him through the first Portal.

I can't tell people their feelings are wrong, but I do know we all did the best we could to not mess with the flow of things. A lot of people in the con world are generally uncomfortable with change and ready to get upset over things (especially a reality television show). A lot of problems con-attendees had were actually the result of the way cons were organized. We really didn't change up too much in the way of the competitions- all that really changed was upping the production value of the competition.

By the end of the show, the cast were pretty raw after trying to do damage control with angry cosplayers (most of which weren't even present at the time of filming)

What do you think will be the next big leap forward in the world of visual effects, and do you see practical effects becoming more popular than just CG again?

Thanks for doing this AMA, I've been interested in visual effects for most of my life, and your contributions to the field are incredible.

Dad: Well, okay, the contemporary audiences have developed a taste for very complex camera moves and composition. It would be very hard to do truly traditional non-computer-generated effects with that same level of complexity. I think there is room for a combination of miniatures and practical effects and digital enhancement and composite.

Chloe: What about the niche audiences that love the practical effects in movies like Star Trek, Star Wars, Labyrinth, Time Bandits, etc? Do you think there's a chance for blockbuster to be made with entirely practical effects?

Dad: I doubt that it's likely than any major film will be made exclusively with entirely practical effects.

Chloe: Maybe with Kickstarter/Indiegogo and the kind of platform the internet provides new filmmakers, we'll see something like that someday.

Dad: I think there's going to be a move towards wringing the last artistry out of miniatures, but the digital equivalent is getting to be so good that there's no reason to avoid it.

Chloe: I disagree. I definitely sense the weight of models (and think at this point I prefer them) to the 3D models. There's definitely an artistry to 3D modeling but it sort of lacks a spacial quality that the miniatures have.

Dad: The big difference between miniatures and CG is in things like flying aircraft... Miniatures still do that really well. And maybe even better. The big problem is the artist that sits at the computer, who hasn't flown an airplane, or even a miniature of an airplane, has to take all of his reality cues from the written page.

Chloe: Or Youtube tutorials.

Dad: There's nothing more informative than actually doing the thing that you're representing in a film. So this is advice to CG artists: Get out more.

Chloe: Hahahahaha

For John: What is it like being part of an industry that has changed so much over the years? What do you miss about the way VFX were done 30 years ago vs the way they are done today? What is still the same?

Dad: It was much more physical.

Chloe: It had more weight on screen, right?

Dad: No, you had to put a camera on a track, on a motorcycle, on an airplane, on a balloon, and actually take pictures of the subjects... As opposed to now, where you build it one pixel at a time in a computer. It was a lot more fun back then.

Chloe: what's the most fun project you've ever worked on?

Chloe: Oh man. I can't even... I mean, I guess one of the most fun times I had was probably on this show I did called Pen and Paper and Laser Guns. It's not out yet, but the trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXrQNHHRLtY

Battlefield Earth 2: would you do it if the price were right? I'm assuming both a film and game here.

Mom: Battlefield Earth? The John Travolta movie?

Dad: No thanks.

John - If you could make one of your VFX ideas real, what would it be? E.g. light saber, land speeder, tri-corder, etc.

Dad: Lightsaber. That'd be great. [This was said with a great deal of sincerity and a chuckle.]

John - What was/were the toughest thing(s) to work on for Inglorious Basterds? How much fun was it? If you have seen Nolan's Batman Trilogy what are some things that you would have liked to have done when you worked on Batman?

Dad: The toughest thing for Inglourious Basterds was how cold it was in Berlin.

Chloe: Also the lack of dogs?

Dad: Oh yeah, the local dogs were very teutonic. Not many dog licks.

Chloe: We're a very dog-centric family.

Dad: The other part that was hard was making a projector bright enough to balance against the brightness of the fire in the theatre.

Chloe: How did you do it?

Dad: Multiple projectors.

Chloe: What about Batman?

Dad: I want a Batcycle.

John - did you get to keep any cool shit from the movies that you made? Was there something that you worked on that was particularly challenging for some reason, but still ended up looking amazing in the final movie that you're particularly proud of?

Dad: I didn't keep any of the bits and pieces from the movies. A movie that I'm actually quite proud of was Stuart Little.

Chloe: Interesting.

Dad: Because I thought that CG character and his integration into the real world were really well done.

Mr. Dykstra, what do you think of groups like the 501st and Rebel Legion? Is it cool to see fans dressing up in relatively expensive costumes from movies you worked on?

Dad: Whatever floats your boat.

Chloe: DAD. Do you know what the 501st do?

Dad: They're Stormtroopers that do what?

Chloe: They do a ton of charity work.

Dad: OH YEAH. They're cosplayers that do good. They're cool.

chloe: have you forgiven jordan mechner for handing wil the win yet?

Chloe: That son of a bitch.

To John Dykstra: What was Darth Vader's armor made of? How many did you make for the movies?

Also, what do jawas look like underneath the robes?

To Chloe: Have you thought of making cosplay tutorial videos for your channel? I've always wanted to dress up for conventions but I have no idea where even to start making a costume.

Dad: PLASTIC. We didn't make 'em here. They were made in London.

Chloe: And the Jawas?

Dad: Small people.

Chloe: I wish I had more input on cosplay- I'm constantly a student and don't really feel like I have a whole lot to teach in regards to costume-making. However, I've considered doing easy tutorials for newbies. Maybe I'll give that some more thought.

John: Butts? Chloe: Butts?

Dad: ...Butts? What? I don't get it.

Chloe: butts back and forth forever

Chloe: How old were you when you "realized" your dad was a famous guy? What was it that clicked?

Chloe: I think when you're a kid, everything you're raised in just becomes default. It's not like my dad was paparazzi'd (like some of my friend's dads- LA is a strange place)- I'd compare it more to being the daughter of a very well-respected professor. My dad is just really good at what he does.

Chloe: You rock, Don't ever stop doing what you do. Are you planning any Borderlands Pre Sequel cosplay in the future?

I would love to do Athena once I get some time to sit my ass down and make some more costumes!

John: FallDownGoBoom? Chloe: Moooooooo

Dad: Hey Megan!

Chloe: BOBO

Practical FX had a lot more mystery to them, and when done well present a lot of reality. CG tends to look like a video game, and the characters don't have the same weight. Do you miss the time when 'How'd they do that?!' wasn't always answered with 'Computers'? What can/is done to marry the two so that CG augments and doesn't overtake effects?

Chloe: YES THANK YOU.

Dad: Sure, I miss it. It's just a well-created illusion. It's always been that and always will be that. It's a balance of spectacle and reality. It's kind of hard to specify.

Chloe: I want more puppets.

For John: Has anyone come up to you and ask for help on the new films?

For Chloe: Uhm....my social awkwardness is kicking in. Hi?

Dad: Not yet.

Chloe: Sup.

Do you remember the incredibly handsome Schultzy in The Painted Forest? Man that guy was good looking right? and those fart takes?- Amazing.

Chloe: That movie was truly underrated.

Seriously, a timeless classic. Oh no, an apple... UH OH A BOOK ON APPLES... IT'S A CONSPIRACY

oh my god

John: What are your thoughts of the amount of work leaving California, chasing tax incentives in other countries? What do you think will ultimately happen with the industry?

Chloe: What do you plan on cosplaying as for comic-con next year? Who was your favorite character to cosplay as and what got you into cosplaying?

The Dykstras: Keep on keepin' on!

Chloe: Dad's getting sick of Canada.

Dad: They're way too nice. I mean, it's just... It's just economics. It's already impacted the traditional workforce in Los Angeles. Is California capable of a competitive tax subsidy that actually could regrow the industry here in LA?

Chloe: I miss seeing my local mall/favorite restaurant/high school in movies.

Cosplay- I have no idea what I'm cosplaying as. I think I'm gonna focus less on cosplay and more on writing/games/web content this year, so it'll probably be a last minute decision. As for favorite character, it was definitely Gaige. She's so full of personality, they had to give her a robot to contain the overflow. I think getting into cosplay was a slow burn, starting off with painfully accurate Halloween costumes.

Do you particularly like seeing traditional/miniature VFX in modern movies? (ex. LotR trilogy)

John: Sure. I think it's great. Especially when miniatures are used and composited digitally.

Chloe: It's a nice marriage?

John: Yeah.

Hello, John : How was working with Quentin tarentino?
Were you ever asked to do a special effect that eventually was not possible to do ? What is the most challenging project you ever tackled? Thank you both for the AMA

Dad: Working with Quentin is really fun. He loves making movies and it shows. A special effect that was eventually not possible to do... I think that the Jodorowsky Project was probably not practical to do at that time.