The set design and stagecraft in the Star Wars saga is interesting and different than other films. The films use both real sets and digital ones. Though the first three Star Wars films used digital effects to create the fictional aspects of the story, the later ones used CGI to a bigger extent. Yet still shooting in real locations on Earth. For example the palace on Naboo Anakin and Padme visit on the lake gets shot on the lake Lago di Como. Parts of the city Theed were filmed in Spain and in Italy.
The sets George Lucas had his art department first build, in 1977, were all set on alien planets on a “galaxy far, far, away.” With a wide range of alien planets the creators had to use a variety of locations on Earth for each planet. For example Tatooine was filmed in Tunisia. The set of Mos Espa, the Tatooine town from episode I and II, is still in the desert. However because it is in such a hostile changing environment eventually the set will become completely covered by sand. Compared with some digital sets in Episodes II and III that used CGI for the alien buildings in places like Mt Etna for Mustafar and China and Thailand for Kashyyyk.
The sets George Lucas had his art department first build, in 1977, were all set on alien planets on a “galaxy far, far, away.” With a wide range of alien planets the creators had to use a variety of locations on Earth for each planet. For example Tatooine was filmed in Tunisia. The set of Mos Espa, the Tatooine town from episode I and II, is still in the desert. However because it is in such a hostile changing environment eventually the set will become completely covered by sand. Compared with some digital sets in Episodes II and III that used CGI for the alien buildings in places like Mt Etna for Mustafar and China and Thailand for Kashyyyk.