Light & Magic
By Stephanie Morgan,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mesmerizing deep dive into history, innovations at ILM.
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Light & Magic
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What's the Story?
Showcasing the professionals behind Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the special effects division of LucasFilm, LIGHT & MAGIC takes us back in time as they create the effects for some of the biggest and most successful films of the last half century.
Is It Any Good?
Young children may lose patience with the incredible amount of detail in this epic new docuseries, but older kids, adults, and Star Wars fans of all ages will be entranced. Brought to us by Lawrence Kasdan (writer of The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) through extensive interviews with George Lucas and the rest of the people responsible for everything that movie special effects are today, Light & Magic looks at the history and innovation of the industry in a way no one else could. Interviews with the biggest directors of the past 60 years, classic footage of the early bonding days of Lucas, Coppola, and Spielberg, and mind-blowing stories on how some of film's most iconic sets and effects came to be are all a part of this treasure trove of film history. Packed with stories of boot-strapping creativity spanning from Star Wars' earliest days to the arrival of Jurassic Park and its revolutionary CGI, the series is a love story to innovation, perseverance, and teamwork that the whole family will love. The only thing it's missing is a thoughtful look at what it took for women and people of color to break in to positions of power in a decidedly White and male industry.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how much movie special effects have changed over the years and how much patience was required when doing things the old way. Which effects seemed the hardest to achieve and why? How did computers change everything?
How do the people on the ILM team display curiosity? Why is that essential to the work that they do?
How did the ILM team encourage teamwork from the very beginning? How did each member having multiple skills help?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 27, 2022
- Cast: George Lucas
- Network: Disney+
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: STEM
- Character Strengths: Curiosity , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: September 30, 2022
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