Tribute to Vance Lorenzini

We just learned that Vance Lorenzini passed away at the age of 74 on June 4, 2025.

Co-owner of Daydream Productions with Sandy Dhuyvetter, back in 1978, Vance collaborated on three of the costumes for “The Empire Strikes Back” and one helmet used in “Return of the Jedi.” (Some in the cosplay community swap out the “Empire” ones to say the Pre-Pro 2 costume and helmet plus the Promo 1 and Promo 2 costumes, but there’s consensus on the “Jedi” helmet, which was part of the Promo 1 set.) Everything arrived to their Los Gatos, California based shop from England in the all-white “prototype” form, all featuring the iconic dent.

We reached out to Sandy to share the news and she had this to share with us:

Vance and I met over 50 years ago as Art Teachers in El Rancho School District in Pico Rivera, California. We were passionate artists and quickly fell head over heels for each other. We planned our escape from teaching and together we transformed into professionals as we forged our way to the Bay Area. We called our newly hatched and our first business, Daydream Productions. Our portfolio was rich in that we were both active artists, even while teaching.

Our energy complimented each other as we schlepped our work and found the entertainment sector was alive and active in the Bay Area. We started working almost immediately. The first year, we painted almost a hundred windows during the Christmas season. We silk screened T-shirts and sold them out of our car at festivals. We were hungry and loved creating.

Our first project for Lucasfilm was More American Graffiti working on set props, poster, race car logos and whatever other visual that might be needed. Our second job was creating the final 3 costumes for the original Boba Fett in 1978.

By the end of the project, we both understood our paths might not cross but they were blossoming.

Vance’s career launched as he went on the road with film crews to offer creating and artistic direction. He ended back in Los Angeles area where he continued his career. I went on to discover that the multi-media aspect to film was exploding and started a Bay Area firm called The Electronic Pen.

Vance was quick to laugh and always creative in thought. He was a shining light that always made laugh and made me realize life was good. I know he inspired many.

I am so sorry to hear of his death. My deepest condolences to his family.

— Sandy Dhuyvetter

Sandy Dhuyvetter with 3 Boba Fett Helmets

Known more so for his production designer credits across five decades, Vance was “a creative force behind the scenes, [producing] and [designing] more than 5,000 television commercials and 2,800 music videos, along with several feature films and television projects. His exceptional artistry and innovation earned him numerous awards and widespread recognition throughout the industry,” notes his family’s memorial fund page, spearheaded by Vance’s sons, Joshua and Christian Lorenzini. There’a also a page on Legacy.com with a guest book.

Some of his non-Star Wars work included working with filmmakers like David Fincher and Michael Bay; brands like Porsche and Nike; and musicians like Katy Perry and Mariah Carey. See his Wikipedia and IMDb pages for more. Don’t miss his Instagram page too for more visuals through 2021.

Marcus Nispel, a colleague shared this on Facebook: “[He] introduced me to the concept of quality. Vance used that word all the time. He taught me that quality is not just important in what we put in front of the camera… but that it matters in all aspects of life: In what we eat, how we live, friends, music, health… in everything. … Vance Lorenzini was and always will be the epitome of excellence… he has left us with a body of work and a work-ethic that one can only hope to aspire to.”

Sandy Dhuyvetter with Vance Lorenzini, circa 1977. Photo courtesy of Sandy for our post here.

Helmet nod to Rachel G. for emailing us to let the larger community know.