As the new docuseries, Light & Magic shows, Star Wars has always been at the forefront of technological advancements in filmmaking. The impacts on George Lucas’ original trilogy were revolutionary, as was the prequels’ switch to digital production. The Mandalorian,
The Book Of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all made extensive use of the “Volume,” an ultra-HD video wall that provides in-camera effects and immersive digital environments for actors to work with.
This tradition has more recently been carried on by innovative production techniques. It has been extensively used on every Star Wars Disney+ series up until this point and is also known as StageCraft.
The landscapes in the upcoming Rogue One prequel series Andor, which follows Diego Luna’s rebel Cassian Andor during the five years leading up to that film’s release, are primarily practical. That required erecting enormous sets at Pinewood, travelling abroad to conduct on-location filming, and completely abandoning the video wall. “Yes, we are traditional,”
Tony Gilroy, creator of the series and a former Rogue One member, giggles in the Empire’s major new Andor story, which will appear in the upcoming House Of The Dragon issue. “Stagecraft was not used at all by us.” It’s a decision that seems destined to give the Star Wars galaxy which is set at a time when it’s very dark and dangerous even rougher and earthiness in a series that’s all about capturing that texture. For Andor’s ensemble, the impression was the complete opposite of menacing and dark.
Regarding the realistic production, Luna comments, “As an actor, it’s beautiful.” “Everything is automated. You’re dealing with actual objects. The series’ Maarva, played by Fiona Shaw, delighted in the realism as well. She explains, “The dwelling of my character is made out of pieces of antique spaceships. “I used to walk outside and merely gaze at it.
Breathtaking.” The only drawback? Sometimes, shooting with wide-open views required some lengthy, arduous walks. We had to climb a mountain for hours to set up one shot in Pitlochry, Scotland,” recalls Luna. “Great effort. Rally risky to get there. There is nothing but sky, trees, rivers, and lakes around you. Amazing! As though on a different planet. Be prepared for Andor to increase the sense of the Star Wars galaxy’s size.
The forthcoming House Of The Dragon issue, on sale Thursday, August 4, and available for pre-order here, contains the complete Empire story on Andor. Disney+ will begin streaming Andor on September 21.
