Richard Edlund (left) and Gary Kurtz (right) film the Millennium Falcon using the Dykstraflex during production of STAR WARS, 1977, American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dykstraflex image 1

Dykstraflex Image 1

Unidentified crew member with the Dykstraflex filming a scene with the trench of the Death Star during production of STAR WARS, 1977, American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dykstraflex Image 2

Illustration of the Dykstraflex filming an X-wing starfighter model for STAR WARS, Joe Johnston, 1977, American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dykstraflex Drawing

Schematic illustration of the Dykstraflex’s camera head, STAR WARS, 1977, American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dykstraflex Diagram 1

Schematic illustration of the Dykstraflex’s camera, STAR WARS, 1977, American Society of Cinematographers collection, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Dykstraflex Diagram 2

Stories of Cinema begins in the Spielberg Family Gallery (which is free and open to the public, located in the museum’s Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby), with an immersive, multichannel media installation that travels from the very beginnings of film to the groundbreaking movies of today.

Spielberg Family Gallery, Stories of Cinema 1, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Photo by Joshua White, JWPictures/©Academy Museum Foundation