<p>Although it looks like a slit-scan effect similar to the Tom Baker era Dr. Who titles, in this case, the effect was very simply made with mylar - a reflective plastic.  Due to time and budget constraints, there wasn't much they could do, so they made a tunnel out of mylar and flew the camera through it.  They apparently had a lot of mylar left from making the reflective background behind the starfield.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T00:58:53.253Z
Welcome! Paraphrasing: surplus is the parent of special effects.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-02T03:35:04.007Z
Thanks for the answer!! If you update it with a source, I'll mark it as the accepted answer.
user339676
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-04T14:31:02.667Z
2018-10-04T14:31:02.667Z
Steve Dix
<p>In <em>Star Wars: <strong>A New Hope</em></strong>, right <strong>before</strong> the Millennium Falcon exits hyperspace, we see a "tunnel" through which the ship is traveling:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Z2HcQ.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z2HcQ.gif" alt="The Millennium Falcon in hyperspace"></a></p>

<p>How did ILM create this effect in 1976?</p>

<hr>

<p><strong>NOTE:</strong> I am <em>not</em> referring to the "<em>stretching star lines</em>" effect shown when a ship enters or exits hyperspace as detailed by John Dykstra in a <a href="https://ia800606.us.archive.org/11/items/Fantasy_Film_Journal_01_Winter_1977-78/Fantasy_Film_Journal_01_Winter_1977-78.pdf#page=11" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1978 interview with the Fantasy Film Journal</a>. I am specifically referring to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGp_5gOww0E?start=0&amp;end=3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">blue tunnel</a> effect seen while the ship is still in hyperspace.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-12T09:20:13.927Z
Nice question. However, the quality of the gif is hell. Can you provide one frame in *good quality* at least?
p2or
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-04-16T21:35:40.463Z
I'm not entirely sure if this method was used in this particular shot, but you might wanna have a look at the slit-scan method https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slit-scan_photography
yann
<editing><filming><special-effects>
How did ILM create the hyperspace tunnel effect?
user339676
# How did ILM create the hyperspace tunnel effect?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-04-11)

In *Star Wars: **A New Hope***, right **before** the Millennium Falcon exits hyperspace, we see a "tunnel" through which the ship is traveling:

[![The Millennium Falcon in hyperspace](https://i.sstatic.net/Z2HcQ.gif)](https://i.sstatic.net/Z2HcQ.gif)

How did ILM create this effect in 1976?

---

**NOTE:** I am *not* referring to the "*stretching star lines*" effect shown when a ship enters or exits hyperspace as detailed by John Dykstra in a [1978 interview with the Fantasy Film Journal](https://ia800606.us.archive.org/11/items/Fantasy_Film_Journal_01_Winter_1977-78/Fantasy_Film_Journal_01_Winter_1977-78.pdf#page=11). I am specifically referring to the [blue tunnel](https://www.youtube.com/embed/JGp_5gOww0E?start=0&end=3) effect seen while the ship is still in hyperspace.

**Tags:** editing, filming, special-effects

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Nice question. However, the quality of the gif is hell. Can you provide one frame in *good quality* at least?  
> **username_2**: I'm not entirely sure if this method was used in this particular shot, but you might wanna have a look at the slit-scan method https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slit-scan_photography  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-04. Score: 3

Although it looks like a slit-scan effect similar to the Tom Baker era Dr. Who titles, in this case, the effect was very simply made with mylar - a reflective plastic. Due to time and budget constraints, there wasn't much they could do, so they made a tunnel out of mylar and flew the camera through it. They apparently had a lot of mylar left from making the reflective background behind the starfield.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Welcome! Paraphrasing: surplus is the parent of special effects.  
> **username_0**: Thanks for the answer!! If you update it with a source, I'll mark it as the accepted answer.  

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