Doug Chiang

Doug Chiang, an American illustrator and art director, has contributed his talents to several significant Star Wars projects. Born in Taiwan and brought up in Michigan, Doug Chiang became part of Industrial Light & Magic and was later handpicked by George Lucas to lead the art departments for both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Since 2021, he has risen to the position of vice president and executive creative director at Lucasfilm, where he is in charge of overseeing the design aspects of all new Star Wars franchise expansions, encompassing the sequel trilogy, anthology films, theme park attractions, games, and the television series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Biography

Doug Chiang's concept drawing "Podrace Crash"

Chiang resided in Taiwan until the age of approximately five, at which point he relocated with his family to Michigan in the United States. Chiang's parents communicated in a Taiwanese language mixed with some Mandarin; however, he and his siblings were encouraged to integrate into American society, learning English and ultimately losing their proficiency in Chinese language. Despite their efforts to assimilate into American culture, Chiang characterized his family as deeply culturally Chinese. Chiang spent his formative years in Detroit.

Chiang began drawing at the early age of four, and he recalls feeling dissatisfied with certain toys, which fueled his desire to imagine and create superior alternatives. By the time he reached high school, he was producing drawings of futuristic vehicles.

Although pursuing a career in art was discouraged, Chiang's interest in film was sparked after viewing 1977's Star Wars and Ray Harryhausen's The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. He found particular inspiration in the documentary The Making of Star Wars, which provided insight into film production. Chiang later enrolled at UCLA to further his education. During the summer months, he would spend his nights in the basement of his home constructing cardboard models of creatures and vehicles and filming them using stop-motion animation on 8 mm film.

In 1989, Chiang joined the ranks of Industrial Light & Magic. As a professional, he developed the habit of photographing unusual objects he encountered and cataloging them for future reference, such as machines that would later serve as inspiration for spaceship designs.

Following his work on Jumanji, he departed from ILM in 1995 to take on the role of Design Director for The Phantom Menace. He relocated from San Rafael to Skywalker Ranch to collaborate with George Lucas on his illustrations. Around this period, he also became involved in the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire multimedia project and the design of new spaceships.

Chiang made a return as Concept Design Supervisor for Attack of the Clones and as a concept artist for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. Currently, he holds a position as a member of the Intellectual Property Development Group.

Chiang took on the roles of production designer and co-producer for the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series. He was responsible for creating many of the original concepts for the Third Sister's lightsaber. When the prop makers were in the process of constructing the unique design, they considered Chiang's artistic vision, as well as director Deborah Chow's requirements for bringing the action sequences with the Third Sister to life. Chiang also provided input on the overall appearance of Hayden Christensen in his portrayal of Darth Vader while inside a bacta tank.

Drawings of KP-1 done by Doug Chiang and the art department over Camille Manet's drawing

Camille Manet, a French fan, was declared the grand prize winner of the Build My Droid contest for her design of the droid KP-1. Chiang was captivated by Manet's concept for KP-1. In March of 2021, Chiang, Chow, and other members of the crew convened virtually to discuss the potential role that KP-1 could play in the show. Chow proposed that the droid could be situated in the "pseudo rebel base" and serve some functional purpose. Chiang aimed to preserve all the essential elements of the concept while also incorporating practicality so that it could interact with the actors. Chiang and the art department collaborated on a drawing of KP-1, building upon Manet's original design. The droid's head, eye, and markings were modeled after an R2 series astromech droid. Manet engaged in a virtual meeting with Chiang, who added some finishing touches to KP-1 in preparation for filming.

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