Here’s how Maz Kanata and other digital effects came to life in The Force Awakens

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Before anyone had see a frame of The Force Awakens, director J.J. Abrams was receiving plaudits for returning the series to the models, puppets, and other practical effects that George Lucas perfected in his original Star Wars trilogy, then abandoned in his CGI-heavy prequels. But in a bit of audience sleight-of-hand craftier than any plot twist, it turns out nearly every shot of the film involved digital effects. The difference is, the technology has improved in the years since Revenge Of The Sith so that the director was able to capture the look and feel of Lucas’ ship models and desert landscapes using CGI.