What to see at Skywalker Ranch?

[hyperdyne]

So, looks like my dream comes true! I will be going to Skywalker Ranch and Skywalker Sound here very soon to deliver a prop I made that will reside there.

For anyone else who has been there, what's on the NOT to miss list? I already have the archives in mind - in fact I was sent some very cool recent pics of items that I never thought still existed! :thumbsup

Anyway, anyone has any ideas feel free to share. I've never been in the area so I'm looking for good places to stay, eats, etc.

Thanks, Jim

 

[joelgoodson]

a pic of the Howard the duck costume!

 

[moffeaton]

Eat in the main building - it's good food.
Archives are awesome, yeah. You been given access? Don't expect Dina or Layla to know the minutiae of the artifacts though - and be sure to get pics of the Hoth Ion Cannon if you can - it'll make you a god in the studio scale forum

Swim in Ewok Lake

Get some wine from the vineyards

Smile wryly at the docent who instructs you to not take photos of the props in the main building, even though half of them are MR replicas.

Maybe you'll see Rinzler working on the ROTJ book he's currently researching!

 

[TylerHam]

Hey - So I have been to the ranch a bunch of times, and some of the dont miss stuff is:

Get a tour of the ORIGINAL ranch building - Its amazing.. The new one is "cool" but the original is like being in a southern mansion or something

Check out the large art deco theater they have there.

As far as the archives - Is that already part of what you have been told you can see? Because they are VERY particular about who goes in there - Even most employees cant - So if you have permission, then you are super lucky and you should really soak it all in while you are in there!

Other than that, there are various props around and George's movie poster collection is framed on the walls all over - which is also very cool!

Check out Lake Ewok and stop by the company store on your way out!

Shoot me a PM if you want to know anything else!

 

[Jedifyfe]

...eh....not much. It's all CG these days.


Have fun!

 

[GINO]

Definitely take a moment to check out the death star model from rotj.
Absolutely breathtaking and it is one piece that you can only see if you've actually been to the ranch (ie it will never go on tour).


.

 

[ChaseKiefer]

Man that's awesome. Please take pictures of everything and please share with some of our fellow members who haven't been there.

 

[ghostryder]

There's a fireplace nook in the Inn across from the firehouse that has to be one of my favorite places on the planet. You can't really go wrong, anywhere on the property is pretty incredible. The theater in Skywalker Sound is pretty great - probably one of the best sounding systems in the world... and of course don't forget the gift shop.

 

[CessnaDriver]

If there is a one in 1000 chance to get pics of what's left of Red 5 from ANH, well lots of folks would like that. LOL

 

[asemblyrequired]

Yes the Ion cannon and Cantwell tie . Then we will rename this place " Hyperdyne's studio scale section"

-james

 

[HAL9000]

Check out the wildlife...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaXtJ6H0cQU&NR=1

 

[Pwrsrce]

That's awesome Jim...Congrats to you.

I hope you get to see the archives, as that was the one place I couldn't get into. At the time that I went, it was locked down pretty tight.

The Stag Theater is pretty sweet, as is most of the Skywalker Sound building. You will enjoy that for sure.

Jason

 

[hyperdyne]

Cool thanks for the input guys. I will be delivering a prop to Skywalker Sound, and I am excited since after all I am a sound guy deep down.

I will check on the archives. Seeing as my host strolls through the archives whenever he wants, I figured it wouldnt be a problem. He just sent me pics of a prop he found in the archives that I thought was long destroyed....

 

[ChaseKiefer]

Well now you have to show these pictures of this mystery prop.

 

[CessnaDriver]

If it does come up by some miracle of the force.... remember Red 5 was repainted as Red 3 I think? someone can correct me on that but it won't have five wing stripes anymore.

Anyways, if lore is true, only the wings remain so I could see them being overlooked as nothing important.

 

[vtswordfish]

Congrats on the trip out there. Curious as to what prop you have heading out to Skywalker Sound? I have one of your Front Logic displays in my R2, love your stuff! I'd love to visit the ranch sometime, but probably not happening in the near future.

 

[T2SF]

Please please steal the life size Tik-Tok from Return to Oz. There are only 2 in the world. One from the movie and one from the original molds in a private collection. The skywalker sound building has a small atrium garden with Tik-Tok just posed there, frozen in time. If you wind him up he will surely be grateful and escape with you But if you can take a bunch of measurements I'd love that. Height, diameter of hat, face, neck, belly, feet. Bolt sizes, eyeball sizes, hand/arm lengths, close up pics of hands/arms/fingers, face, mustache, nose, keys. Try winding him up, I'm curious what happens I think his arms are poseable. I'll make a small donation to your effort. Thanks, Chris

 

[moffeaton]

Tik-Tok? Really? To each his own, I guess... after all, there is a forum full of guys who wanna see the Ion Cannon in high res. :lol

Jim - yeah, it's Red 5's wings, armature, cockpit, and the wiring harness. They painted over one stripe on each wing, to make it Red 4 at some point. I have a photo survey taken about three years ago... a shame the fuselage is gone.

 

[SpyderDan]

Definitely take a moment to check out the death star model from rotj.
Absolutely breathtaking and it is one piece that you can only see if you've actually been to the ranch (ie it will never go on tour).


.

Seconded.

I was lucky enough to see it the one time it was on tour, at the Yerba Buena exhibition in 1995. Incredible model!

 

[hyperdyne]

Where would I find Red 4? My source tells me the archives are full of shelves with items on them - a bewildering amount sort of like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I am just honored enough to be bringing my prop there, everything else will be icing on the cake for sure!

In any event, things looks very positive about experiencing the archives so I am pretty psyched there. :thumbsup Hopefully its not like going to a national museum in DC where you get information overload in no time.

I can say more on the prop I am delivering there when the time is right! :love