The Filmumentaries Podcast

Episode 147: John Duncan

In this episode, I’m joined by model maker John Duncan, whose career spans nearly fifteen years at Industrial Light & Magic and includes work across Star Wars, Star Trek, Galaxy Quest, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matrix and more.

John talks about his early fascination with building miniatures as a kid, making models out of paper and cardboard, and how that instinct to just try things eventually led him into the film industry. What started as architectural model work and a stint in television quickly turned into a career at ILM, beginning in 1993, where he arrived for what was meant to be a two-week job and stayed for over a decade .We get into the realities of model making for film, learning to build for the camera rather than for close inspection, working under tight deadlines, and letting go of work when it needs to be modified or destroyed for the shot.

John also discusses his time as a concept model maker on the Star Wars prequels, working with Doug Chiang to create what he describes as “3D blueprints” for the wider production. These models helped bridge the gap between design, practical builds and digital assets, ensuring consistency across departments.There’s plenty here on specific projects too, including building the Enterprise-E for Star Trek: First Contact, working on the ships for Galaxy Quest, and contributing to the large-scale pirate ships in Pirates of the Caribbean. He also shares stories about unusual materials, problem-solving on the fly, and the collaborative nature of the ILM model shop.

We also talk about the shift from practical models to digital effects, where miniatures still have a place today, and why physical builds continue to resonate with filmmakers and audiences alike.John is thoughtful, practical, and clearly still passionate about the craft. This is a great insight into a side of filmmaking that often goes unnoticed, but is absolutely fundamental to how these films were made.

Topics covered
Growing up building models and early creative influences
First steps into the film industry via architectural models
Joining ILM in 1993 and working alongside industry legends
Building models for camera vs building for display
Working on Star Trek: First Contact and Galaxy Quest
Concept model making on the Star Wars prequels
Collaborating with Doug Chiang and George Lucas
The idea of “3D blueprints” in film production
Practical effects vs digital effects
Working on Pirates of the Caribbean
Materials, techniques and problem-solving in the model shop
Replica prop community and fan research
Why physical models still matter

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

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In this episode, I sit down with Don Bies – former Lucasfilm archivist and special effects artist at ILM – for a deep dive into his career and his time inside the Star Wars archive. Don takes me right back to his childhood in Chicago, where a viewing of the 1931 Frankenstein sparked a lifelong fascination with makeup effects and filmmaking . From experimenting with homemade prosthetics to building a full-size R2-D2, his early passion eventually led him to California. We talk about his first major break working on The Fly, where he contributed to several effects – many of which ended up on the cutting room floor, but gave him invaluable experience. From there, Don’s path into Lucasfilm begins, starting with operating R2-D2 on commercials alongside Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and even George Lucas. That connection ultimately led to him working on the Lucasfilm archives. This is where things get really interesting. Don describes what it was like stepping into a warehouse full of original Star Wars props, models and documents – much of it undocumented and at risk of being lost or discarded . He shares stories of discovering key items like Darth Vader’s helmet hidden in a crate, uncovering original manuscripts and audio recordings, and building one of the first digital catalogues of the collection. We also get into:
His role in early Lucasfilm exhibitions and the growth of the archive
Working at Skywalker Ranch and the unique creative environment there
The transition period between Return of the Jedi and the Special Editions
Wearing multiple costumes (including Boba Fett) during the Special Edition shoots
The reality of preserving film history inside a working production company
It’s a brilliant conversation that really captures a moment in time when Star Wars history could easily have been lost – and the people who helped save it.

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In this episode of The Filmumentaries Podcast, I’m joined by creature effects designer Alec Gillis, founder of Studio Gillis and co-founder of Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (ADI) alongside Tom Woodruff Jr.Alec has spent more than four decades helping bring some of cinema’s most memorable creatures to life.

After beginning his career working under the legendary Stan Winston, he went on to contribute to films including Aliens, Predator, Alien³, Tremors, Death Becomes Her, Starship Troopers and many more.In this conversation we talk about how a childhood encounter with Ray Harryhausen’s Jason and the Argonauts set him on this path, the early days building stop-motion creatures in his parents’ garage, working for Roger Corman alongside a young James Cameron, and what it was like joining Stan Winston Studio during one of the most exciting periods in creature effects history.

We also talk about the eight-week scramble to build the Predator, working with David Fincher on Alien³, forming ADI with Tom Woodruff Jr., and how practical creature effects continue to evolve in an industry now dominated by digital tools.

This interview was recorded remotely, but I recently had the chance to visit Alec in Los Angeles while filming interviews for our upcoming Joe Alves documentary, where we spoke in person about his work on Jaws 3-D.

Topics discussed

• Discovering movie magic through Ray Harryhausen
• Building stop-motion creatures as a kid
• Learning the craft during the Roger Corman years
• Meeting and working alongside James Cameron
• Life inside Stan Winston Studio
• Creating the Predator in just eight weeks
• The production of Alien³ and working with David Fincher
• Founding Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. with Tom Woodruff Jr.
• Practical effects in the digital era
• Mentoring the next generation of creature artistsSupport the PodcastIf you enjoy The Filmumentaries 

I hope you enjoy it.

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

In this episode, I chat with Academy Award-winning sound designer Randy Thom about his journey from college radio to shaping the soundscapes of some of cinema’s most iconic films.We discuss:
Growing up loving movies and discovering sound via college radio in Ohio
Making a cold call to Walter Murch and landing a job on Apocalypse Now
Early sound experiments at Skywalker Ranch
Recording effects for The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark
Collaborating with Robert Zemeckis and David Lynch
Why sound should be involved in pre-production
The evolution from analog to digital workflows
The creative and economic impact of AI on film sound
The philosophy behind “inventing” sonic space
Winning an Oscar for The Right Stuff
Winning a BAFTA for The Revenant
Randy also reflects on mentorship, collaboration at Skywalker Ranch, and why storytelling always matters more than authenticity.Listen now and take a deep dive into the craft of cinematic sound.

See below for all the links you might need!

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links

This is a short bonus episode with a very specific purpose. Patrick Tyndall and I are in the middle of a GoFundMe campaign to get us back to Los Angeles to finish filming Not Your Average Joe, our documentary about legendary production designer Joe Alves. This episode is me explaining where the project is at, what we’ve already achieved, and why this upcoming LA trip feels so important. We’ll be in Los Angeles from 22–28 February 2026, filming interviews and B-roll that cover some key chapters of Joe’s life and career, including:
Joe’s short but intense motor racing career, including racing alongside Dickie Smothers
The story of Joe introducing a major Hollywood actor to racing, setting them on a path to a serious motorsport career
An interview with Alec Gillis the effects artist who built the articulated sharks for Jaws 3
A conversation with Ann Dusenberry, who worked closely with Joe on Jaws 2
An interview with Dean Cundey, cinematographer on Escape from New York
Ongoing efforts to involve Steven Spielberg in the project
The documentary has only been shot over a relatively small number of days so far, all fitted around regular jobs and family life, but the material we’ve captured already has been incredible. This next trip is about joining the dots and getting the remaining pieces that will allow us to bring Joe’s story properly over the finish line. At the time of recording, the GoFundMe is sitting at around $1,000, and we need roughly $3,000 to make the trip work. Any contribution helps, but just as importantly, sharing the campaign on social media genuinely makes a difference. If you’ve ever enjoyed the podcast, the articles, or the behind-the-scenes conversations, this is me asking for a bit of help to make sure this story gets told. 

Donate here!

This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you’d like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning

Watch more on YouTube:
Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentaries

All my links