A Galactic home theater

When I went to Australia in the summer of 2003 to visit the set of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Lisa Steven and her husband Vic Wertz, who at the time were the editors of American magazine Star Wars Insider. After spending some time in their company, I had no doubt that they were both true Star Wars fans: as a result, they own an impressive collection of items connected to the saga, including all the arcade games dedicated to the franchise, for example. But that apparently wasn’t enough for them, and they took their journey into the Star Wars galaxy a step further…

And so, in their home just outside of Seattle, they built the dream of every fan: an incredible home theater that would make any devotee of the saga jealous! After all, if you love the Star Wars universe, why not live in it? And that’s exactly what they had in mind when they gave their home theater the appearance of a ship from the Empire. Once inside the house, access to this incredible room couldn’t be simpler: simply press a button to slide open a door, and you’d think you were in the cockpit of Queen Amidala’s spaceship, framed by two side windows that reveal the interstellar void! It looks magnificent. It has to be said that the couple didn’t call just any architect to design their Home Theater. They contacted Doug Chiang, a creative director and the lead film designer at the time of episodes 1 and 2 of the saga, and Disney/Lucasfilm’s productions since 2015: films, series, video games, theme parks…! I asked Vic Wertz a few questions to find out how he made his dream come true…

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How did you come up with the idea for this completely unique home theater?

A few years ago, in the early 1990s, Lisa and I realized that our Star Wars collection was beginning to take over our house. So we decided to build something bigger. I’ve long been a lover of home theater technology, so I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to create a somewhat “prestigious” theater, our shared interest in Star Wars making it much easier to choose the theme…

I’ve been a subscriber to several home theater magazines for years, so I’ve seen many concepts. Yet I’ve always had the feeling that most people don’t imagine anything truly extraordinary for their room, or that they have absolutely no idea how to make their dream come true. A certain imbalance between functionality and aesthetics is a mistake I’ve often seen. For my part, I was determined to make decisions that would not compromise either of these two aspects. I wanted great comfort, excellent sound and a functional space, all without compromising on the theme in the slightest.

I needed an imaginative decorator who could give it a real Star Wars look.

I began by using my knowledge of architectural design and acoustics to create a space that both looked and sounded good. I wanted a wedge-shaped room in a corner, allowing parallel surfaces to be almost entirely eliminated, which would then help solve the acoustic problems associated with standing waves. What’s more, the wedge shape creates an illusion that makes the screen appear wider and further away than it actually is. It was this shape that subsequently determined the concept of the entire house: we literally designed our home around the cinema! It was also at this point that I began assembling the teams who would help me build the room. I needed an imaginative decorator who could give it a real Star Wars look. I needed a team of people who could turn these ideas into reality, as well as professionals to advise me on acoustics and do the electrical installation.

What exactly is your background in architectural design and acoustics?

I studied architecture for four years in high school and two years at university. Initially, I wanted to become an architect, but my life took a different direction when I arrived at university. As for my acoustic knowledge, it’s entirely informal and can be credited to my years of enthusiasm for the subject: I’ve read tons of material on home theaters, auditoriums and recording studios.

Who designed this particular home theater?

My first choice, the man responsible for the design of Episodes I and II, Doug Chiang. I wanted to make sure I was working with THE right art director, and Doug was obviously right at the top of my list.

Why didn’t you choose Ralph McQuarrie or anyone else? What motivated your choice?

I said no one was better suited than Doug, that’s of course not entirely true, I could of course have chosen Ralph, Joe Johnston and a handful of others. As I knew that Ralph McQuarrie’s health hadn’t been the best recently and that he shouldn’t exert himself too much, I didn’t try to contact him. But the fact is, I love Doug’s work, so he was at the top of my list.

How did you get in touch with him?

I was well aware that I was really deluding myself, hoping that Doug would come up with a home theater for me. But I also knew that no one else was better suited to the job. Fortunately, I had a trump card: Lisa had once met Doug at Lucasfilm when she was working as Star Wars Brand Manager for Wizards of the Coast. I contacted Doug by email and was pleasantly surprised to see that he replied and showed interest. Unfortunately, he was working on the initial design for Episode II at the time, and wasn’t sure he had the time. We understood that he was very busy, and we really feared for a moment that he wouldn’t be able to make time for us. But I told him I’d wait as long as I could. It took almost a year, but just as I was beginning to think I was going to have to find another solution, Doug let me know he had a few free days, and he was finally able to devote himself to designing the decor.

When you asked Doug Chiang to work on your project, was he surprised, or was it just another job for him?

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it in his email! I doubt people address him so directly very often, but I think he was happy to do the job. He, too, is interested in home theater and for him, it was also an opportunity to learn a lot about the subject.

Once he had agreed to collaborate on the project, how did you go about working with him?

I gave Doug a floor plan of the room, actually just an empty space with markings for the seats. I then asked him to spend a day sketching out three concepts. For the first, I wanted something reminiscent of the classic trilogy, so I asked him what a movie theater on the Death Star might look like. I’d also been very impressed by Doug’s conceptual work on Queen Amidala’s environment, and his second concept was to be a cinema room that could be found on a Royal Spaceship. And because when I work with artists I like to give them as much freedom as possible to express themselves, I asked him to come up with a third concept of his own: he invented a room that I find reminiscent of the deck of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

What did you think of these concepts?

I thought they were all great. Any one of them would have made me happy. Doug sent me the three sketches very quickly and I spent a day or two in agony, having to choose one… In the end, I stuck to the idea of the classic trilogy and asked him to mix certain aspects of the two imperial concepts. Doug then took a few extra days to shoot create several different views of the room. This is how, after three exchanges of sketches and feedback with Doug, the final design was validated.

You say you’ve chosen the look of the classic trilogy, but for me, the home theater concept you’ve selected is more reminiscent of Queen Amidala’s ship…

To me, it looks more like the deck of a Star Destroyer. It’s a little darker than the photos suggest. When we look at the “Amidala” concept, we can see that it’s extremely different. The aesthetics of the dark side of the Force suited me best. The sleek, geometric architecture of the Empire’s ships lent itself well to a movie theater setting. Although I didn’t choose the Millennium Falcon design, I did make a small reference to the smuggler by placing Han Solo in carbonite as a decorative element at the top of the staircase. This collector’s item conceals the access door to the Blu-ray, DVD and even our old laser disc storerooms. It’s always nicer to store technical equipment and DVDs outside a home theater, which is why we planned two rooms on either side of the decor.

Who was responsible for the actual construction of the room?

For the blueprints, I chose Dillon Works in Mukilteo, Washington. Dillon Works was founded by former Disney designer Mike Dillon, and they regularly take on crazy projects such as casinos, cruise ships, shopping malls and theme parks. They took on the most difficult job in the whole project. I asked them to use these wonderful drawings to imagine something feasible, capable of transporting visitors to a galaxy far, far away… at least for a few hours! What’s more, they had to proceed according to the guidelines I was going to give them regarding the acoustic properties of the various room elements, whereas they hadn’t often had to take such factors into consideration in their previous projects. Over several weeks, they created sketches for each element.

As for me, I spent hours selecting textures, colors and finishes, and approving every little item. Finally, when I gave them the go-ahead, they set about building the room, which also took weeks. Dillon Work’s Brian Leonard followed the project’s entire evolution, from Doug Chiang’s design to the final touches made by his team. We had the opportunity to work with them when Lis and I were at Wizards of the Coast. They were the first company we contacted to create the architecture of the imperial vessel with perfect authenticity. As soon as they received Doug Chiang’s design, they continued to develop it, adapting it precisely to the geometry of the room, without altering the artistic intentions of his sketch.

The advantage of this decor is that they didn’t have to hide certain parts of the equipment, such as the screen and speakers, since they fit naturally into Doug’s concept. Most of the decor’s elements are made of MDF, compressed and glued wood powder, and colored with highly resistant car paint. Each panel had been pre-drawn on the MDF sheets to fit perfectly into the decor, like a piece of a complex jigsaw puzzle. Some of the ceiling’s 3D elements are made of thermoformed plastic. The starry sky, made up of thousands of optical fibers, was embedded in panels of black acoustic material to optimize the acoustic rendering of the equipment. Following the advice of Definitive Audio, other acoustic panels were installed elsewhere to absorb sound on walls that could create reverberation problems. It took a total of nine months of intensive work, from creating the structures to operating the sliding door motors, to complete this incredible projection room. To make sure everything went right, we watchedStar Wars over and over to make sure every detail, every color, every texture, every little accessory was absolutely perfect.

Did they also handle all the audio and video elements?

No, for acoustics and electronics, I chose Definitive Audio of Bellevue, Washington. At the time, they were able to buy the equipment I wanted and knew what it was used for in a home theater. Their task was to select and install the best audio and video equipment available to make this venue a movie lover’s delight. It was as if we’d created the control room for Darth Vader’s ship (laughs). This was a long-term task, which was spread out over a period of three years, but what helped us enormously was that we worked in a house that was being built and then finished, a process that lasted 30 months in total.

The acoustics specialist was consulted on an ongoing basis to ensure that the equipment used would deliver the best possible sound quality.

So we had all the time we needed to work on the design of this installation and to adjust everything we had to do inside the room. We had numerous problems to identify, such as adjusting the acoustics, managing the projector’s heat dissipation, the space allocated to the seats, the ideal location for each of the chairs… The acoustics specialist was consulted constantly to ensure that the equipment provided the best possible sound quality. It was also necessary to ensure that every element of the room, from the lighting to the materials used, was tested before installation. Then they set up the screen, wired the speakers, installed the seats, programmed the control system and made all the adjustments.

At the time, I bought a Meridian digital sound system complete with speakers, preamp and DVD player, a Stewart screen, a projector, and motorized seats reputed to be the most comfortable cinema chairs in the world, with Crestron remote controls, capable of controlling the room’s lighting and the film projection. Once finished, the room was great! Because I never neglected functionality, as well as aesthetics and acoustics, it’s now a place where people really want to spend time. The room is comfortable and everything is just as I’d hoped, both in terms of look and sound.

How many seats are there in your home theater?

There are ten. The seats are arranged in three rows, on different levels, and the distance between the projector and the screen is around 6m70. A small stage was placed in front of the screen, along with fiber optics in the two large dark panels that simulate the view into space.

Do the stars twinkle, or are they simply painted? Do they disappear when you watch a movie?

The stellar field is illuminated by fiber optics. Yes, it sparkles, with variations in brightness and color. I have several pre-programmed lighting modes: in film mode, the stars still shine, but very dimly.

Is it true that some doors open like in Star Wars, using a hydraulic system?

The doors open mechanically, not hydraulically. One of the most interesting things about Dillon Works is that, in many ways, they have to reinvent the wheel with every job they do. Indeed, they almost always take on projects they’ve never done before… and never will again! Yet they’re smart enough to integrate available technology as soon as they can. These doors are a perfect example, built on a mechanism commonly used for automatic doors in certain stores, although there’s nothing in their appearance to indicate this.

We thought about making them automatic, so that their opening would have been controlled by a pressure-sensitive plate on the floor, which would have been triggered when you approached from either side, but we decided that just because you’re near the door doesn’t mean you have to open it. Instead, we installed a small button, both inside and outside the room. We also integrated sensors to ensure that the door can’t close on anyone. Several people wondered if you could get stuck inside the hall if the power went out, but not to worry, the doors would open automatically.

You’ve also incorporated life-size mannequins of certain Star Wars characters. Can you tell us about them?

I installed four of our life-size characters in the cinema. We had planned to install one of them from the outset, Han Solo in carbonite. It comes from Illusive Concepts’ licensed replica… a reproduction whose quality didn’t entirely satisfy me. They’d done a good job on Solo himself, but the controls and monitors left a lot to be desired. Besides, this original replica wasn’t really square, it was much more trapezoidal. So Dillon Works extracted Han, built a new frame around it and repainted it. In the photos, you’ll also see C-3PO installed on the left of the screen. This is a Don Post licensed replica that was customized to match the droid from Episode II by Don Bies and ILM’s droid unit for a K-Mart competition (unfortunately, I didn’t win – I bought it second-hand). Since the photos were taken, I’ve added a Boba Fett from Don Post to the right of the screen. There’s nothing really special about it, it’s just my favorite life-size mannequin. Two life-size effigies of C-3PO and Boba Fett keep viewers company. This is only a small part of our collection, as we’ve dedicated another part of the house to a Star Wars museum spread over two floors and 278 square meters! It includes an original lightsaber used by Ewan McGregor in the film The Phantom Menace.

Does your home theater hold any other surprises? Like R2-D2’s bar or a hidden Mos Eisley cantina?

There’s a minibar with fridge and microwave, but it’s not hidden away, just recessed behind one of the entrances. Dillon Works created custom doors for the latter to match the overall theme, and also produced a personalized “EXIT” sign, lettered in Aurabesh (the Empire alphabet). The biggest surprise is the media library, hidden behind the Han Solo in carbonite. You may also notice a few black boxes in the middle row of armchairs. One of these contains a set of jacks with composite, S-video, component and RGB video connectors, and 1/8″ mini jack, RCA, optical and coaxial digital audio connectors, as well as an Ethernet device and power supply. So virtually any source, from a laptop to an iPod to an Xbox, can be easily connected to the system. Doug also had the clever idea of adding mirrors to the floor and ceiling of the entrance, the infinitely repeated reflections of which give the impression of crossing a footbridge spanning a dizzying depth… even though you’re standing on a 10cm riser! Being a bit crazy, I also recreated the Cantina bar from Star Wars on the second floor of my house.

How big is the room?

The main space of the room is about 6.7m from the back wall to the screen. The screen wall measures almost 4 meters, but the room is actually a little wider (it tapers at the end). Its height also varies, with an approximate average of 3.8 meters.

Can you give us the exact composition of your audio and video systems? Are they THX-certified?

When the room was created, most of the audio equipment came from Meridian, a top-quality British producer with a unique approach to digital audio. Most home theater equipment consists of source equipment connected to a processor, which first sends a digital signal to a receiver, which in turn sends an analog signal to the speakers. However, the Meridian equipment I’ve chosen keeps the signal digital all the way to the speakers, each of which includes several specially designed amplifiers that perfectly match each speaker driver. Meridian’s processor and disc player are both THX-certified. The high-definition projector is a DLP VX5C 3-chip unit from Runco: it resembles many of the projectors used by cinemas to show films in digital format, such as Attack of the Clones. The screen is a Stewart VeLux DeLux ST130, the seats are CinemaTech “Valentino”, the remote controls are Crestron, an HD TV Tivo from DirecTv, an Extron video game interface, an Extron RGB connector, a JVC S-VHS VCR, a Lexicon universal DVD player, Meridian audio and video cables, Meridian DVD player, Meridian preamp, Meridian center speaker, side and rear speakers and subwoofer, Pioneer laserdisc player, Runco DLP projector, Runco anamorphic lens, Sony satellite video tuner and Stewart Velux delux screen.

Did Doug Chiang ever see the final result? And if so, what did he think?

Doug has never seen it, but I was able to show him some photos at a comic book convention. I think he was a little surprised to see how accurately we were able to recreate his ideas. When I told him what I wanted, I told him not to worry about how to build this or that element, or even whether it could be built. As a result, I’m not sure that he thought we could even do it…

Would you like to change anything in your home theater today, either in terms of design or equipment? Would you like to add anything?

In fact, I regularly make a lot of changes. I asked Dillon Works to add some new mechanical-looking elements around the screen, to remain more true to Doug’s drawings. Originally, we left this wall blank because we didn’t really know what the final dimensions of the screen were going to be at the time of construction. Now that it’s all over, I’m very satisfied with what we’ve achieved. But I’m sure I’ll be modifying the equipment all the time! Fortunately, I’ve already planned for future technological developments, and the laser projector and different spaces will make it much easier to add or replace various elements…

What was the best DVD experience you ever had with Lisa in your home theater?

To be honest, at the time, our best experiences had nothing to do with DVDs. High-definition TV far outclasses DVD video, so that some HD broadcasts, such as the TV series CSI, are far more impressive than the best DVDs. But the pay-per-view movie channel HBO occasionally broadcasts Episode II in high definition, and it was very impressive at the time. Today, of course, we’ve switched to 4K Blu-ray.

Interview with Doug Chiang, designer of the Galactic home theater system

Hired by George Lucas to create the images for the Star Wars prequel, we owe him many iconic designs such as the Naboo Fighter, podracers, Coruscant, battle droids, clonetroopers, Grogu… the list goes on and on! Today, he is Senior Vice President & Executive Design Director at Lucasfilm, overseeing all current projects, from films and series to theme parks such as Galaxy’s Edge. As the design is not set in stone, and George Lucas hasn’t been involved since 2012, it’s up to Doug Chiang to decide on the aesthetic choices. With a small group of artists, he tries to respect the heritage as much as possible. Most of the time, these decisions are quite intuitive. It’s a continuous process, which requires him to be there from the beginning to the end of each project. One of the most important lessons he learned from working with George Lucas is that the Star Wars saga is 80% rooted in reality. What you see on screen comes from other cultures that exist or have existed on our good old planet Earth. When creating imaginary worlds, it’s not enough to invent everything, let your own ideas carry you along and do nothing else. It’s only the blending of these diverse, eclectic sources of inspiration, which sometimes have nothing to do with each other, that makes all the magic. To achieve this, Doug Chiang does a lot of research, so that his designs are inspired by centuries of heritage. I was lucky enough to catch up with Doug in Paris for lunch, and asked him a few questions about this home theater he designed several years ago.

How did you approach the home theater project?

I tried three different ideas, two Death Stars and one Naboo. For the sketches, I only focused on the main features, and not so much on the details, which ultimately helps define the personality of a project. I looked for basic shapes and directions. I didn’t include the speakers or the exact position of the seats in the sketches.

While these ideas may seem a little far-fetched, they follow the basic structure of the room. Their perspective is a little strange because I drew them using an impossible angle so I could show more things from a single point of view.

How did you approach designing a tribute to the Queen’s ship?

Here, Naboo influences are predominant. I borrowed some of the features of the Queen’s ship, as well as Padmé’s new apartments from Episode II. The overall look would have been clean, in soft pastel tones, with perhaps a few touches of brighter color here and there.

What about the design paying homage to the Death Star Bridge?

This concept was imagined with the Empire in mind, with its many dark, metallic surfaces, its more industrial feel… The result is a bit of a mix between the conference room from Episode IV and the Emperor’s throne room from Episode VI. I wanted to try a “look” reminiscent of the bridge of the Death Star or the command center. The false window adds to the atmosphere.

And last but not least, how about the design that pays homage to the Death Star Officers’ Lounge?

Here, I wanted to continue the Empire theme and create a sort of officers’ lounge. It’s on the upper floors of a command tower, and the false window gives it a more ‘open’ feel, while using the aesthetics of the Death Star.

Doug Chiang is an Oscar-winning artist, writer and set designer who began his career as a stop-motion animator for the TV series Pee Wee’s Playhouse. After attending film school at UCLA, he worked as a TV commercial director for the special effects company Rhythm and Hues before becoming creative director for George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic in 1991, for which he worked on Back to the Future Part 2, Abyss, Terminator 2, Forrest Gump… Chiang has won numerous awards, including an Oscar for Death Becomes Her in 1992, two British Academy Awards and two Clio Awards, a Theo Award, a VES Award, a Webby, a Genie Visionary Award and an Art Directors Guild Award, including two nominations for Best Production Design. He was nominated for an Emmy for The Mandalorian. As an author, he has written numerous books, including Robota, his graphic novel which he created and co-wrote with Hugo Award-winning Nebula author Orson Scott Card. His latest book, Mechanika, published in 2008, is now in its second edition. Chiang’s work has been exhibited around the world, including at the Brooklyn Museum, the Field Museum in Chicago, and national museums in Kyoto and Tokyo. In 1995, George Lucas chose Chiang to head Lucasfilm’s art department for the Star Wars prequels. Chiang left Lucasfilm in 2002 to set up IceBlink Studios, his 35-strong design studio. In 2006, Chiang joined forces with The Walt Disney Company and Robert Zemeckis to create ImageMovers Digital, a new digital cinema studio built around IceBlink Studios. As Executive Vice President, Chiang helped the company grow to over 550 employees and oversaw its day-to-day operations until 2011. He was also Robert Zemeckis’ production designer for ten years on films such as The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol. Chiang returned to Lucasfilm in 2013 and currently serves as Lucasfilm’s Senior Vice President and Executive Design Director. With over 25 years of Star Wars design expertise, he oversees the design of the Star Wars franchise, including films, theme parks, games and new media. He was Lucasfilm’s lead designer for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Walt Disney World’s Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel. He was production designer on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and also reunited with Zemeckis on Disney’s Pinocchio. Currently, Chiang is production designer for the live action series of Star Wars, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew and the forthcoming feature film The Mandalorian & Grogu, which begins shooting in 2024 and is scheduled for theatrical release on May 22, 2026.