John Dykstra's motion control camera work in 1971.

Before Star Wars John Dykstra worked for the Institute for Regional and Urban Development working with a very early version of the motion control camera, a forerunner to the Dykstraflex. Note, the camera in this video is not the Dyktraflex. Motion control simulator cameras had been in use during the 60's for NASA's Mercuri, Gemini & Apollo programs. If not for these science engineers there "may not" have been cameras that would transform the way audiences experience the unimaginable.

The Dykstraflex is a motion picture camera system named after its primary developer John Dykstra. Additionally Alvah J. Miller and Jerry Jeffress were instrumental in the systems critical components.
Developed in 1976 the Dykstraflex was specifically designed for complex special effects shots in Star Wars using old VistaVision cameras created in the late 1950's by engineers at the studio of Paramount Pictures (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VistaVision). This allowed a high resolution image which is important in the creation of numerous layers in the final composite of a SFX shot.

The all-digitally controlled system allowed for 7 axes of motion: roll, pan, tilt, swing, boom, traverse, track, lens focus, motor drive, shutter control, and their duplication in multiple takes, all possible with hand wire wrapped TTL chips among many of it's components. John Dykstra's development of the DykstraFleX camera earned him, Al Miller and Jerry Jeffress Academy Awards in 1978.

Dykstra on SW (1977) had disagreements on how to go about achieving the FX work & a lot of time & money had been wasted with very little achieved. Keep in mind this new technology had never been used to this extent during or before 1976. Eventually Dykstra resigned or was fired by Lucas who was forced to take charge at first, then assigned Dennis Muren & Richard Edlund to finish an incredible 90%+ of the FX in less than a year that is now legend.

Видео John Dykstra's motion control camera work in 1971. канала ThunderZandor