Whether he likes it or not, Jony Ive's design sensibilities have infected science fiction. I guess this became abundantly clear when Will Smith and Alex Proyas' I Robot came along with a lead droid who looked like he'd just shipped from Apple headquarters in Cupertino. Perhaps the most direct influence, however, will be seen in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as I've actually had a few words with JJ Abrams about light saber design. The New Yorker have a new profile on Ive which reveal him to be a friend of Abrams, and which recounts a little about their Star Wars chats. At first they quote Abrams as saying Ive gave him some "very specific" design tips, but later, there's Ive's side of the story and he goes so far as to say "I thought it would be interesting if it were less precise, and just a little bit more spitty... more analog and more primitive, and I think, in that way, somehow more ominous." There is something primitive about the crossguard sabre we see in the Force Awakens trailer, and if we have Ive to thank for that - arguably the most striking sight, almost certainly the most striking sound - in that promo, then hats off to the man. Star Wars has always been rich with interesting design ideas... well, I say always, it seemed to take a few decades off. But that's how it started, thanks to Ralph McQuarrie and his peers and colleagues, and once again, this seems to be how the series will go on. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will open on December 18th.
Brendon Connelly has been a film writer since the early 90s, with time on the staff of Orbit Magazine, Slashfilm, Bleeding Cool, Den of Geek and many more. He's a long time teacher of film studies and practical filmmaking classes, and has directed music videos, commercials, short films and more. His favourite film is Terry Gilliam's Brazil, his favourite food is pancakes or crepes, and he tries to live his life by the teachings of Kermit the Frog.
