I am Colin Cantwell - Death Star Creator, Star Wars ship designer; CBS's lead analyst for the 1st Moon Landing; Collaborator on 2001 A Space Odyssey, War Games & Buck Rodgers; Author, Inventor, and 84 year old maxi-nerd AMA

I have one more question - would you be open to attending the largest gathering of sci-fi model builders, at Wonderfest in Louisville Kentucky, in early June? It will be a celebration of everything, but also a specific showcase of the Star Wars 40th anniversary.

I think I speak for all the fellas when I say we would love to have you attend and show you what we have made, inspired by your designs!

Send me your email and we can talk.

As lead designer of the Death Star, do you ever worry about potential Rebel Alliance assassins?

All the time!!

Wow, your résumé is crazy! What was it like working with Stanley Kubrick?

Way beyond crazy. Way into genius territory 24/7

Hi! So, did the trench run finale actually come about because of your design?! Did you meet Carrie Fisher?

I did not meet Carrie. The trench was my idea... thereby the action scenes

Hi, just wanted to ask a small question about the Star Destroyers. Did you include any turrets on the model, or did you omit them because they were too small to put on such a large ship? I can't help but notice in the movies that the lasers come out of seemingly nowhere on the ships.

You are very perceptive.

Did you ever think Star Wars would get as big as it is today?

I knew that the opening scenes had to be exceptionally successful, but little did I foresee the outcome.

Hello Mr. Cantwell, I know these are probably going to be too specific and a little focused, but can I ask some model related questions, as it might help a small gang of builders replicate your builds? My first question is, what inspired you to use 5 dram pill bottles on so many of the Star Wars designs? They pop up in almost every build you made. Were they readily available/cylindrical shapes?

You bet... they were readily available, a drawer full!!.

What do you think about the large influx of CGI use in recent films? Do you think there's some level of authenticity that can't be achieved with digital renders as opposed to physical miniature props?

CGI has come a long way. Hands on for me is my kind of fun. But I was a pioneer in CGI as well.

Thanks for doing an AMA. So I just want to know, what ship you designed changed the most from the first idea to the final model? Oh and what do you think about the newer ships in the SW franchise that are based on your ideas?

The Millennium Falcon was originally designed in a lizzard shape. We learned that another film had created a similar design, so it was immediately modified into its final form.

Hi Colin, hope you get to this. If you've seen Rouge one the Death Star is a big part again. Do you think the team did a good job at portraying the intensity of what you were going for with your initial creation of it? Also, was it originally designed to run off Kyber crystal?

I think they did a good job with the Death Star. The plans were secret.

Do you find it difficult to create artwork that looks unique for each different project you work on?

Also your "sign up here to enter" link doesnt work

No, my mind is always ready to hunt for something new instead of repeating. We'll fix the link in a few minutes.. Thanks for the heads up

Hi Colin! Thank you for doing this. Were you approached by Disney to work on the new films?

Not by Disney

I have seen pictures of the Y-Wing you made with a WWII fighter cockpit for a canopy, which was later changed to the squared styrene one that it has now, and which was painted by McQuarrie. Did you often meet with George Lucas while building the models, and how often were you asked to modify or change a build?

I met with him to ask mostly about the role of the ship storywise. A lot to begin with and less frequently as time went on. He seldom made suggestions on design changes.

Hi, impressive resume! What were your inspirations behind the various Star Wars designs? Did Lucas already have an idea in mind for each, did he just say something like "Go talk to McQuarrie and ask to see his paintings", or did he let you come up with whatever you wanted to come up with?

Some had individual inspirations, too long to go into detail for all of them. All were from my mind.

Ooh, hello Sir, congratulations and thank you for your amazing work! I'd love to see you team up with Dr Michio Kaku - what a dream team that would be! Have you got a ticket for a commercial space flight? Who'd be your dream team to go to space with?

i did significant flying while lying in bed with tuberculosis as a child. No ticket yet, but Stephen Hawiking would be a REAL TRIP.

Hey, Colin, thanks for doing another AMA! The last one was really interesting! My husband and I are both huge Star Wars fans, and we both have our different favorite ships (mine being the TIE Fighter). Do you have a favorite? Or is it impossible to choose because they're your creations?

Looking back on it, the ones that created the most important scenes won out. May both of you create favorites that light up your audiences.

Was the design of the Imperial Star Destroyer (triangle) directly affected by the need to provide an impact in the opening scene? Thank you!

Edit: Imperial Star Destroyer since I am a dummy.

Very strongly. That opening series of scenes had to work for the film to succeed.

Has anyone ever said you look like a white Snoop Dogg?

Now, somone has.

Why are the TIE Fighters so different from the various rebel craft?

I wanted them each to be evil and "instantly" identified on the screen.

Was there ever any discussion about the death star's propulsion? Watching the old and most recent film, I thought it might be the most cavalier thing of all to not acknowledge what it would take to move an object of that size and shape through space. So was that ever discussed in relation to it's appearance?

Not by me. I thought it more mysterious without detailed explaination.

Do you have an idea how the Core Fires series is going to pan out or are you just making it up as you go along? And how far have you got with the sequel?

CoreFires Two is complete and will be out before the end of 2017.

Hi Colin,

I currently work for NASA and I was wondering, with Mars on the horizon do you think that traveling to Mars will be covered in the news outlets as much as the Moon landings?

If you had the chance, would you like to cover the Mars landing?

Hopefully it would be more accurate than the cover image of National Geographic which swapped the lowest terrains with the highest. Yes I would like to cover the Mars landing.

Mr. Cantwell, I've never heard about Kubrick wanting a conference table discussion scene for the opening of 2001. Could you talk a little bit about why he wanted it and how and why you persuaded him to go in a different direction? Thanks for doing this AMA.

The conference room scene he proposed while the audience was being seated was a real drag. To me, far more important to begin and then at the end, to feel the majesty of the story.

Hello Colin, which current real life technology are you most excited about?

Biologic co-evolution and advancing intelligence.

So having worked with NASA during the broadcast of the first moon landing; what exactly were you doing during that time, and what are your feelings about those people among us who say it was a staged event? (I for one know we landed on the moon, but I have met others who swear we didn't)

I was sitting behind Walter Cronkite and known as the "Hal 9000 Computer". During his broadcast I was listening to NASA and feeding Walter the information he was broadcasting on live TV.
As far as skeptics, give me their names and I'll sell them the London Bridge.

What are your thoughts on Elon Musk?

He's an amazing visionary

As a young adult trying to make it in the film industry in LA, where should I start and what should I avoid? Thank you!

Sorry. I started in architecture and NASA projects. I really don't know what it would take to get into the film industry today.

What was your favorite part about working on Star Wars?

The creativity of working with Lucas

One thing that really disappointed me about the newest Star Wars movie is that the Star Destroyers were simply too clean. They looked like plastic models instead of battleships that had been in use.

After you came up with your designs, were you in charge of painting them or did others do the finishing detail work?

Thanks for making my childhood a much richer experience!

I painted the original ship, then others took over for the final model

Thanks for all your great work.

What specific shots did you work on in 2001? (A description in words or DVD or Blu-ray timings are fine.)

How much guidance did Kubrick give you, how much did he explain or describe what he wanted? Did he give you general or specific instructions? Did he look at your work in progress and say "No, try again--experiment, surprise me" or "No, I will tell you exactly what I want it to look like ..."?

I designed the opening one minute and many of the space scenes. I worked very closely with Stanley. We met nightly to discuss different scenes and the special effects. He would give me guidance during space dailies.

and the rest of the music except the "Blue Danube"

We also have noticed (to the dismay of our wallets) that you used multiples of kits in single builds, or even scattered across designs over all. For example, you used at least 8 Revell Gemini/Mercury kits. So at the time, were these inexpensive enough that you just purchased stacks of the same kit because you knew it would provide you with multiple pieces for pattern replication in your designs, or did you purchase single sprues from the kit makers as ILM some times did (for the same reason - guaranteed multiples of similar pieces)?

I dismembered kits, storing the best parts in a six foot high and 8 foot wide wall of drawers. From thereon it was as the spirit moved me. I shopped in poorer sections of town where the boxes were already opened, and then I purchased the kits with the best parts. THE FIRST TIME THE SALES LADY ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO OPEN A STORE.

In light of Carrie Fishers passing, do you have a personal memory oft her?

She was an important part of the film, but I never had the opportunity to meet her. Very sad that she is gone.

How did you land these awesome jobs? Talk about a dream come true.

Based on the work I had previously done, many of these jobs were referred to me by others.

Incredible, thank you for all you've done Mr. Cantwell. It must be so great seeing your creations still used in movies and marketed everywhere.

Questions:

What is your take on the direction NASA is going with mars? What was the general feeling around the country after the reporting of the moon landing? That would've been amazing to experience.

I await more and more progress by NASA relevant to human co-evolution.
I was smack dab in the middle but still on earth. Everyone was pretty excited.

There is a design you created that has the pill bottles as engines in a large "X" configuration in the rear, and two long threaded rods that terminate in a tank chassis that serves as the "head" of the ship. Is this the original prototype for the "Princesses Ship" and NOT a second "Pirate Ship" model? (The Pirate Ship has two large model kit motors at the rear for engines, and the plastic cup for a cockpit. )

https://www.flickr.com/photos/roboterkampf/3733665618/in/photolist-6FRWTk-6FRWui-6FRX16-6FRWLP-6FW2FG-6FRWnF-6FW2dw-6FRWEK-6FRWAv-6FW2Y9-6FRVy2-6FRX6Z-6FRVWK-6FVZx5-6FW1H9-6FVYLm-6FW1nS-6FW1xA-6FVYpA-6FRRr2/

I'm not exactly sure to which ship you are referring. Where did you see this?

Thanks for the AMA! Huge fan. How do you feel the modern Star Wars movies i.e. The force awakens and Rogue 1 compare with the original trilogy? Thanks!

I really enjoyed seeing the new story tellng in both.

Hey! We are friends on Facebook and I saw that you would be doing an AMA. My question is this: how many revisions did the original ships go through before they came up with the end product that we all saw in the movies?

One in most cases for the original movie.

Hi Colin, I understand the millennium falcon design was a collaborative effort- what parts of the ship we're your concepts? I've always thought the dish was your idea but was interested if any thing else was.

The turret survived the re-invention of the millennium falcon from my original lizzard design.

What inspired your design for the Death Star?

The Death Star was a sphere because objects needed to be able to fly around it and attack it from all sides. When the two plastic hemispheres arrived, I had to invent a way to use them without revealing their equitorial flaws.. Hence the trench.

Hello Colin! Did you have any involvement with Rouge One? If not, have you seen it, and what did you think about the new starships designed for the movie?

No I was not involved, but enjoyed the ships a lot.

What's your favorite small scale project? Any smaller movie collaborations your particularly proud of?

My last architectural design submitted to Frank Lloyd Wright before he died. Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

What was the most used model kit while kitbashing the ships together?

I had 200 drawers of kit parts, and most of my decisions were spur of the moment.

Hello Mr. Cantwell! You designed so many of the iconic images of our time. But have you ever looked back at something you designed and wished, despite its popularity, that you had done it differently?

Well ... hardly ever

Do you still have those two large wonderful models that Jason Debord showed in his interviews with you? It was fascinating to see them, as they seem to be spiritual cousins to the Star Wars models you designed. We see many of the same parts used (the large howitzer used on your Sandcrawler for example). Do you also have any "raw parts" left or did those all sell at auction?

And did you take any reference photos of the models that have not come to light yet? There are many parts that have been knocked off over the past 40 years (like the "skis" and "pitot tubes" on the Skyhopper) and it is always thrilling to see what is missing.

Sorry, everything was sold at auction. I don't have any photos of any of my models, but lots of memories.

Hi Mr. Cantwell, thank you for providing our childhoods with amazing space ships and dreams of space travel! I was wondering, what was your reaction was to the Spacex landing of the Model 9 booster rocket and what do you think is our next step is in taking the first person to Mars?

I was pleased to learn of the landing and I'll leave the next Mars steps to the experts

why did the original tapes of the moon landing end up in a dusty box under someone's desk...how come nobody saw these items as important historical documentation?

Believe me, I'm not the one to ask

Hello, Mr. Cantwell! Thank you so much for doing this AMA. I'm here with a friend of mine, and we're both huge Star Wars fans. I have a question for you, if you have the time!

I've heard that there was some footage found of the original movies that was then used in Rogue One. Was any of your work used in that footage, or in any other form in Rogue One?

It's super neat to see you here: I'm someone who has amateur interest in prop making and set design, and I'm enjoying getting to know your influence in the Star Wars we all know!

There may have been footage, but I was not aware of it.

How do you feel about Carrie Fisher, 'Princess Leia', passing away?

Sure sorry to hear that. She will always be appreciated.

As a manufacturing/design engineer myself, how do I get into the movie/tv industry? What job positions should I look for?

I did it by focusing on special effects.

Do you have something to say to moon landing deniers to shut them up for good?

If you're unfamiliar, they claim that astronauts only went to space and back. They claim moon landing was filmed on earth. And they claim that photos taken show proof of earthlike conditions.

You don't have to adress all of the above, but please let me know how being the CBS lead analyst for the moon landing makes you confident that it did happen.

I was practically there. It would be pretty hard to fake the Apollo 11 lift off with millions watching. The fake landing story was started by a friend of mine as a joke. It grew from there.

Have you heard about pc game 'Star Citizen'? it's made by Chris Roberts who is maker of Wing Commander series. What do you think of its ship design?

Sorry, I have not seen this.

Hello Mr. Cantwell thank you for your contributions to cinematic history as well as modern technology. Coincidentally, I am currently browsing Reddit while watching 2001: A Space Odyssey, and stumbled upon your AMA.

Here's my question: in space movies like Alien, the ships are cramped and dark which sets the tone of the film. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, it's the opposite, all white and clean, despite HAL basically murdering most of the crew, also very unsettling.

How much care do you put into designing the interior of spaceships as opposed to the exterior in relation to the tone the scenes convey? Was the Death Star and Star Destroyers mostly black and grey because they represented the villain or for movie military reasons?

In Star Wars, next to none because those scenes had to have evil people and scared good people doing their thing. In 2001 the interiors were designed to work as sets with all their special requirements. I did not design any sets.

What's your favourite starship design?

The Firebird in my book CoreFires

Mr. Cantwell, have you been ispired for the Star Destroyer design shape, by a slice of pizza, do not you?

No, but several layers of carefully nested re-sized pizza

Do you regret building such an obvious design flaw into the first Death Star?

Did they replace you when they made the second Death Star?

No regrets, but they did hire someone else for the second Death Star.. Ha

How does the battleship destroyer's docking bay stay open while keeping the bay pressurized and oxygenized?

They close the ports, enter the docking bay, fill the bay with air, open the ports

there is a mini Transamerica piramid somewhere in one of the miniature models, my friend's don't believe me. Can you confirm if one is /isn't there?

NO, SHOCKING!!

In 2001 A Space Odyssey, were there any compromises in design for the shuttle into orbit or Discovery One, or were you and Stanley Kubrick happy with what was created?

We were happy

Hi there, 2 questions? 1. Did you really not think the rebels wouldn't find the port that you shoot missiles into causing the death star to explode or is it something you completely missed while designing it? 2. In your opinion, is there even a remote possibility that the moon landing was faked?

Without the port, what would the movie be? See about about Moon landing.

Gettings, I have two questions:

1. Why did Kubrick want to start 2001 with a conference table discussion, what was it going to be about?

2. What was the most challenging thing you had to design for a movie?

To fill time while people were seating themselves.

The 3D elevations of the first Mars landing areas by reconstructing the sun angles and topography for freely moving close-up cameras. This was for the San Diego Space Museum Omnimax in which I managed the very first film project.

Hey there! Thanks for doing an AMA. I have always wondered what you think of ship designs in modern sci-fi films, and why you think they aren't generally anywhere near as iconic as those in Star Wars, 2001 etc. (which happens to be your work)? What could ship designers now change to make sure they have more creative designs, and why do you think designs are so bland nowadays?

I haven't seen many of the newer films, so I'm a bad example