10 Best Star Wars Documentaries
2. The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Whether you love, hate, or fall somewhere in the middle on The Phantom Menace, The Beginning is an utterly transfixing look at the hugely anticipated sequel's creation.
Even with the enormous secrecy surrounding production, this doc follows George Lucas and the closest members of his inner circle through basically every aspect of development with an astonishing degree of freedom.
The doc benefits immensely from the fact that The Phantom Menace marks such a ground-breaking inflection point for Hollywood blockbusters as a whole, with Lucas returning to helm a film straddled firmly between practical artistry and cutting-edge digital filmmaking.
Despite being included as a special feature on The Phantom Menace's DVD release, The Beginning impressively refuses to shy away from the frustrations felt by not only Lucas but those working with him during the pressure cooker environment of arguably the single most anticipated film of all time.
Watching editor Ben Burtt grit his teeth as he discusses Lucas' desire to digitally fuse different takes together is a perfect summation of the double-edged sword that is modern digital film production.