Today is the 59th birthday of the extremely talented Doug Chiang. Happy Birthday to a great artist who influences modern design!

So get ready for the #DougChiangDay !

“I’ve been enamored with film for as long as I can remember, and also with art. But I wanted to combine art with film. I wanted to do something else with art and make it move.”

Sketch & painting at 13/15 years old + still from his short "Mental Block" (1984) when he was at UCLA:

Mid-80s, Doug was an illustrator (and art director) for UCLA student newpaper Daily Bruin.

In 1987, he worked as an animator on this Pee-wee's Playhouse scene. Then he spend the end of this decade at Rhythm & Hues (VFX) Studios.

He will soon join the legendary ILM VFX studio, where he will become visual effects art/creative director: Ghost, Terminator 2, Death Becomes Her (Oscar & Bafta!), Forrest Gump (Bafta), the Mask, Jumanji...

In 1995, he began his Star Wars adventure. Without knowing that he will become an essential part of the license.

While working with George Lucas on The Phantom Menace (1999), he participated in the visual creation of the multimedia project Shadows of the Empire (1996).

The Outrider, art by Doug Chiang.

"I took what I thought was unique about the Millenium Falcon, which is this kind of an asymmetrical cockpit that is basically a sphere with two prongs on it, and played around with different variations on that theme."

Note: his Shadows of the Empire design were created first for SW Special Edition (1997). But the game was released before.

Then Doug Chiang was Design director, leader of the Lucasfilm art department (as...now), for The Phantom Menace (1999)...

...GORGEOUS Phantom Menace...

...MAGNIFICENT Naboo...

...you know, just fantastic, iconic work by Doug Chiang...

...then, Design director for Attack of the Clones (2002).

Attack of the Clones (2002): Art by Doug Chiang

Then he left George Lucas to work as production designer for Robert Zemeckis' ImageMovers (The Polar Express. Beowulf, A Christmas Carol + Monster House & Mars Needs Moms).

He worked on War of the Worlds (2005) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) too but here is a pic with true stars (Ray Harryhausen, Doug Chiang. Ralph McQuarrie).

Next, Robota but my fridge just broke so... later.

Resurrection of my fridge, I can continue to share Doug Chiang's talent.

So in 2003, Doug created with Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) Robota, an illustrated book introducing a new mysterious exotic planet in the solar system. It's splendid.

"Robota is beautiful. While reading I would find myself dreaming about seeing all this up on the big screen." Ralph McQuarrie

Other artists have worked on this project (or the revised 2016 edition), including Emmanuel Shiu @_darrenbacon & Eddie Del Rio

Wonderful book:

There was even a trailer:

And a few shorts:

A few years ago, they even tried to make a Robota game, but the crowdfunding campaign failed.

This account is not the place to go to talk about Robota in detail, I'll do that later and begin a return to Star Wars.

Because after the takeover of Lucasfilm by Disney, Doug Chiang returns in the galaxy far away in 2013 and offers us some magnificent artworks.

The Force Awakens (2015): Art by Doug Chiang

Of course, some of his TFA ideas were used way later.

(This one, created with Ian McCaig)

In 2016, he was co-production designer on Rogue One.

Rogue One (2016): Art by Doug Chiang

The quest for the U-wing (a design ultimately nailed by Ryan Church).

Doug Chiang did an amazing job for Rogue One, but no wonder, right?

Doug Chiang is then Head of Design, overseeing the wonderful art department of Lucasfilm. He is also Lucasfilm’s Vice President and Executive Creative Director.

Then...

...The Mandalorian.

Doug Chiang heads an incredible dream team of artists who feed the first live-action SW series.

Finally, don't miss this short thread from one of Doug's close collaborators: https://twitter.com/PhilSzostak/status/1117604091176214528

Bonus

The Phantom Menace (1999): The road to the N-1 Starfighter, art by Doug Chiang

Making of the N-1, by Doug Chiang:

I summed up Doug's career so as to NOT make again a thread of 250+ tweets (but 40+ anyway XD). For example, he created his own studio to work with Zemeckis, which was then bought out. But it can also be an opportunity to write something more detailed later.

See you!

If this Mandalorian artwork by John Park & Doug Chiang isn't perfect for closing this thread...

Happy birthday again, Doug!