Landspeeder

Landspeeders are fictional antigravity craft used through the "Star Wars" movies and Star Wars Expanded Universe. They are depicted both in civilian and military capacities, and several versions have been merchandised as toys and models.

Origin and design

Landspeeders first appear in "". Two of them -- Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) XP-34 and a V-35 -- were fitted around cars; Skywalker's landspeeder was built around a small sports car manufactured by Ogle Design.cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/community/fanclub/mag/news20071204.html|title=Star Wars Insider #98 Excerpt: Roger Christian|accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=Lucasfilm|date-2007-12-04] One of the major challenges the production crew faced was disguising the wheels to create the illusion that the craft was hovering.cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/xp34landspeeder/?id=bts|title=Star Wars Databank: X-34 Landspeeder (Behind the Scenes)|publisher=Starwars.com|accessdate=2007-08-26] [cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/v35landspeeder/?id=bts|title=V-35 landspeeder (Behind the Scenes)|publisher=Lucasfilm|accessdate=2007-10-14|work=Star Wars Databank] For certain shots, they shot from camera angles that masked the wheels; for long-distance shots, they used reflective material, gelatin on the camera lens, and shadow effects. A small blur could be seen under the speeder, which George Lucas called "The Force Spot" (stated in Special Edition Tape). Production designer Roger Christian used an angled mirror and a broom attached to the vehicle's underside to create, at certain angles, the illusion that the craft was hovering and kicking up dust. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas used digital technology to enhance the landspeeder effects in the Special Edition of "A New Hope". Industrial Light and Magic's (ILM) Doug Chiang design the Naboo Flash speeder with a "race car look" while the Gian speeder's appearance is ILM's response to Lucas' request that the Naboo troops have "a pick-up truck with guns." [cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/flashspeeder/|title=Gian speeder|publisher=Lucasfilm|accessdate=2007-10-14|work=Star Wars Databank] [cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/databank/vehicle/gianspeeder/?id=bts|title=Flash speeder|publisher=Lucasfilm|accessdate=2007-10-14|work=Star Wars Databank]

Depiction

Expanded Universe material describes speeders as using a "repulsorlift" that allows them to travel above a world's surface; a key differentiating point between landspeeders and airspeeders is the altitude the repulsorlift allows the craft to reach.cite book|title=Star Wars Roleplaying Game|edition=Second Edition, Expanded & Revised|publisher=West End Games|year=1996|isbn=0874314356] In "A New Hope", Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammil) sells his landspeeder in order to pay Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to take him, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) to Alderaan. Naboo security forces use landspeeders in their attempt to retake the capital city of Theed in ', and various speeders appear in ' and "". Speeders are playable-controllable craft in a variety of LucasArts titles.

Cultural impact

References

External links

* http://www.reallandspeeder.com
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