Drugs are bad; no matter what your opinions on the matter are, I really have to say that as a preface for what’s to follow. Most of them have highly addictive properties and have the potential to ruin lives. Having said that, many iconic creative types have long, well-documented histories of drug use in an effort to augment their artistic thinking. The galaxy far, far away represents one of the most highly imaginative and well-realized environments ever committed to film, and Return of the Jedi animator Phil Tippet crafted many of these sequences while under the influence of LSD.
According to a new report from Collectively Conscious, Return of the Jedi animator Phil Tippet recently explained to Vice that he indulged in LSD while working on the third installment of the Star Wars franchise:
I took LSD when I was working on Return of the Jedi, and it’s fine. It was, like, very calming. And so I decided to go back to work. When I walked into the blue-screen stage, it was like, ‘Ahhh.’ I took way too much.
He seems pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. Taking acid while working on Star Wars: Return of the Jedi apparently helped his creative process and calmed him during what must have been a fairly stressful production. His work on the third Star Wars film would eventually garner him an Oscar at the 1984 Academy Awards, so we’re sure he has no regrets.
Following his work on Return of the Jedi, Phil Tippet proceeded to work on numerous other iconic films such as Jurassic Park, Robocop, and Indiana Jones. Considering the outlandish nature of those films, something tells us he may have indulged a few more times during his career.
Check out the entire Vice clip below to take a closer look into the life of a Star Wars animator, and how their creative process works:
Numerous other creatives have indulged in myriad illicit drugs over the years in order to better conceptualize their work. Collectively Conscious reminds us that even Apple innovator Steve Jobs notoriously used LSD as a means to expand his consciousness and develop ideas that would eventually break new ground in the world of consumer electronics. It’s not for everyone, but apparently it works for a select few.
Look, we here at CinemaBlend won’t condone the consumption of illegal drugs, but based on this testimonial, we do have to say that LSD very likely helped create one of the most imaginative and iconic movies of all time. If Rian Johnson or anyone else involved in the production of Star Wars: Episode VIII decide to indulge in LSD at some point while making the film, then we’re in no position to stop them.
