10 Under The Radar Talents Who Made Cinema Awesome

5. Ralph McQuarrie, (Concept Artist)

Concept artists are essential on just about every film, but they take on a much larger role in the genres of fantasy and sci-fi, where one of the most important steps to making a good film is creating an immersive world. One of the best and most influential concept artists was Ralph McQuarrie, whose work with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg changed the way an entire generation approached and imagined science fiction. While George Lucas gave him broad outlines of what he wanted, in many ways the entire visual look of the film is a result of McQuarrie's imagination. He was the main creative force for the design of Darth Vader(it was his idea to give him a breathing apparatus), C-3P0, and RD-D2, while also making vast contributions to the design of the spaceships and planets. In addition to Star Wars, McQuarrie went on work with Spielberg to design much of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T, before going on to work on the original Battlestar Galactica TV series. Lucas and Spielberg have both expressed their gratitude and appreciation for McQuarrie's immense contributions to their films, and his ideas and drawings have provided a template which almost all modern sci-fi has emulated.