Summary
Filming Star Wars prequels was challenging for actors due to heavy CGI, forcing actors to interact with imaginary elements on set.
The quality of CGI in the prequel trilogy should be judged based on the technology available at the time, not by today’s standards.
Audience criticism of the prequel CGI may stem from overall dislike of the prequels, but it is important to appreciate the effort put into the special effects.
Ewan McGregor recalled the worst moment he ever had on a Star Wars set in an awesome viral video, and it happened while filming Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Portraying a younger version of the popular Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy was no easy task. Given how beloved Alec Guinness’ version of Obi-Wan was, McGregor had big shoes to fill. He did an excellent job of capturing the wit, strength, and hilarious sarcasm that define the character. However, not every scene was easy to film.
Speaking to Jonathan Ross in 2023, Ewan McGregor remembered the most difficult scene of all to film – one in which he handed the baby Luke over to his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (who McGregor consistently misnames “Aunt Peru,” prompting an amused question of whether he’d ever watched his own movies). The highlight, though, is McGregor’s recollection of the green-screen environment.
McGregor had to dismount from a completely static stand, meaning he had to act as though it was moving and rock himself to and fro. Worse still, when George Lucas asked everyone to look up at the suns for the final shot, nobody had a clue where to look – because there were no suns in the green-screen environment. To top it all off, McGregor had invited his friends to watch, adding another layer of farce to it all.
Related How To Watch Star Wars Movies In Order Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.
CGI Made The Star Wars Prequels An Incredible Test For Their Actors
George Lucas has always been on the cutting edge of special effects; when he returned to Star Wars in the ’90s, it was partly because he believed technology had (almost) caught up with his imagination. That meant he used a lot of computer-generated imagery (CGI) when filming the Star Wars prequel trilogy. As McGregor remembers, this became a challenge for the actors. One major problem is that actors cannot actually see the things they are interacting with. This can make interacting with the set difficult, as a lot of it relies on theater of the mind.
The problem was particularly severe back during the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The technology was fresher and new, meaning few actors were used to it. They struggled to adapt – and, given McGregor’s account, Lucas’ direction wasn’t always especially helpful.
Modern Star Wars has moved beyond this, of course, with Disney using the Volume – the next step in CGI technology. The Volume allows actors to perform against a massive, curved LED screen with a photorealistic backdrop projected on it. If Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith were filmed today, every actor would have known just where to look for those twin suns.
Source: Jason Pargin
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Cast Ewan McGregor , Natalie Portman , Hayden Christensen , Ian McDiarmid , Samuel L. Jackson , Christopher Lee , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Frank Oz , Ahmed Best , Temuera Morrison
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