When "Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith" is released on May 19, audiences will see the first movie shot exclusively using Fujinon E Series digital cinema-style lenses, which brought added production efficiencies to filmmaker George Lucas and his crew (a crew that already had a track record in digital cinematography in earlier "Star Wars" ventures, prior to this latest series-ending project).
This final of six Star Wars movies (which began 30 years ago when "digital" only used to refer to wrist watches or certain alarm clocks that flipped over those large numbers) used the Fujinon HAe3x5 (5-15 mm) and HAe10x10 (10-100mm) E Series zooms, along with its E Series prime lenses (with 9 fixed focal-length lenses on the set). For the first time, Fujinon lenses were used on the entire production, including principal live-action photography.
Earlier versions of Fujinon lenses were used primarily only for special effects on the 2002 "Star Wars" film--the first major live-action production shot entirely by digital methods. On that movie ("Attack of the Clones"), Fujinon lenses were used for motion control, miniatures, green-screen and pick-up shots. For the new "Sith" film now its its final post stage, the Lucas crew said they were able to reduced lens changes by more than 50 percent, which made the production more efficient.
Oh, and what's a Sith? Answer.com informs us that the Sith was a humanoid race enslaved by a group of warrior priests who followed the dark side of the Force and serve as evil counterparts to the Jedi. The dark Jedi became known as "Sith Lords" who often adopted names that were preceded by the name "Darth." But you probably already knew that.
