Talks

Doug Chiang at VIEW 2025

Doug Chiang, the Academy Award-winning artist, author, and production designer, began his career as a stop motion animator on the TV series Pee Wee’s Playhouse. After attending UCLA Film School, he worked as a commercial TV Director for Rhythm and Hues before becoming Creative Director for George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic in 1991. Chiang has earned numerous awards including an Academy Award, two British Academy Awards, two Clio Awards, a Theo Award, a VES Award, a Webby, The Genie Visionary Award, and an Art Directors Guild Award, including two nominations for best production design. He was nominated for an Emmy for The Mandalorian.

As an author he has written many books including Robota, his acclaimed illustrated novel that he created and co-wrote with Nebula and Hugo winning author Orson Scott Card. His latest book Mechanika, published in 2008, is in its second edition. Chiang’s artwork has been exhibited worldwide in the Brooklyn Museum, Chicago’s Field Museum, and the Kyoto and Tokyo National museums among others.

In 1995, George Lucas selected Chiang to serve as Head of the Lucasfilm art department for the Star Wars prequel films. Chiang left Lucasfilm in 2002 to form IceBlink Studios, his 35-person design studio.

In 2006, Chiang partnered with the Walt Disney Company and Robert Zemeckis to form ImageMovers Digital, a new digital film studio built around IceBlink Studios. As Executive Vice President, Chiang grew the company to a core staff of more than 550 employees and oversaw its daily operations until 2011. Additionally, he served as Robert Zemeckis’ Production Designer for ten years on films such as The Polar Express, Beowulf, and Disney’s A Christmas Carol.

Chiang returned to Lucasfilm in 2013 and currently serves as Lucasfilm’s Vice President and Executive Creative Director. With over 25 years of Star Wars design expertise, he oversees designs for the Star Wars franchise including films, theme parks, games, and new media. He was Lucasfilm’s principal designer for Disney World Resort’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. He served as Production Designer on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and most recently reunited with Zemeckis on Disney’s Pinocchio. Currently, Chiang also serves as Production Designer for the Star Wars live- action series, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. Additionally, he has received two honorary doctorate degrees from the College of Creative Studies and the Academy of Art University.