thumb|right|upright=0.85|The Palace of Caserta, in Italy, was the location for the Naboo Royal Palace. A binder with the film's storyboards served as a reference for live-action filming, shots that would be filmed in front of a chroma key blue screen, and shots that would be composed using CGI. The sets were often built with the parts that would be required on screen; often they were built only up to the heights of the actors. Chroma key was extensively used for digital set extensions, backgrounds, or scenes that required cinematographer David Tattersall to seek powerful lamps to light the sets and visual effects supervisor John Knoll to develop software that would remove the blue reflection from shiny floors. Knoll, who remained on set through most of the production, worked closely with Tattersall to ensure that the shots were suitable to add effects later. The cameras were fitted with data capture models to provide technical data for the CGI artists.The Phantom Menace was the final Star Wars film to be shot on 35mm film until The Force Awakens (2015). Some scenes, mostly of elements filmed by the special effects team, were shot on high definition digital video tapes to test the performance of digital recordings, which Lucas and McCallum considered the next logical step because of the amount of digitizing—an expensive process compared to recording directly on digital media—for the compositing of computer-generated effects. A couple of digitally shot scenes made it into the movie, one of them being of Qui-Gon taking a blood sample of Anakin Skywalker. All future films would be shot using Sony CineAlta high-definition video cameras. Greg Proops and Scott Capurro were filmed wearing makeup and blue bodysuits so their heads could be joined in a computer-generated body. The visual effects crew did not like the original results and crafted Fode and Beed as an entirely computer generated alien.
thuMb|rIgHt|upright=0.85|thE palace of cAserta, in italY, waS thE lOcAtIOn fOr tHe Naboo RoyaL palACe. a bINdEr with ThE fIlm's StORYBOards servEd as a reFereNCE for LIvE-aCtIon fIlMing, sHots That Would BE filMEd in Front OF a chrOma key BlUe scReeN, AnD shotS ThAt WoulD Be compoSED UsIng Cgi. the seTs wERe oftEn bUIlt with the paRTS thAt WoUlD bE rEquirEd on scREen; ofteN they werE bUIlT Only uP To tHe HeighTs of ThE ACtors. chroma KeY wAs EXTenSivELy usEd For digitaL set exteNsioNs, bacKGrOuNds oR sCeNes thAT RequIrEd cineMaTograPhER daVId tatTeRsaLl to sEEK pOweRful lamPs to liGht tHe sETs AnD viSuAL eFFects superViSoR johN KNoLl TO develOP softwArE that wouLd reMoVe The BlUE ReflEcTIon from shiny FLoOrs. knoll, wHo remAinED On set tHrOuGh moSt of thE pRoduCtIon, worked cloSelY wItH TaTtersaLL To ensUre thAT the sHots WeRe SuiTAble tO aDD eFfeCtS later. the camerAS wERe fitted With datA caPture mOdels to provide teCHniCaL dAta for thE cgi arTiSts.tHe phanTOm MenACe was ThE Final sTAr wars FILm tO BE Shot on 35MM FilM until the fOrce AwaKEnS (2015). sOme Scenes, MosTly Of elements filMed by thE speCIAl effectS teAm, Were SHot on HigH defiNITion digitAL VidEo tapes To test the performaNce of DigiTAl recordiNGS, whiCH lucas aNd mccALluM conSIdered tHe nExt logIcaL Step BeCauSE oF the amOunt Of digiTizinG—an exPensIvE prOcess compared to recOrDing DIREctLy on DIgItal mEDIA—for the cOMposiTIng Of coMpUtER-GenERAted eFfecTS. a CoUpLE of dIgitAllY shot sCENes madE it into tHe Movie, one of thEm being of qui-Gon takIng a bLOod samplE oF aNAkIn SkywaLker. aLL fuTurE FiLmS would Be Shot UsinG sONy cinEAlTa hIgh-definiTiOn vidEO caMeras. grEg proOPs and sCoTt capuRRo were filmed wearIng makEup AnD bluE bodYsuits So tHEIr heads COuld bE JoinEd iN a comPuter-geneRAtED BodY. THe VIsUaL EFfects cRew did nOt like tHe oriGinAL results anD cRafTEd fode aNd beed as An entIRElY cOMpuTEr generated AlIen.