Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy confirms that the Disney+ series doesn’t use the in-camera digital effects technology employed by other Star Wars shows.
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy recently revealed that the upcoming Disney+ series doesn't use the same revolutionary visual effects technology as The Mandalorian.
Gilroy confirmed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel wasn't shot on the Volume soundstage where The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi were filmed in an interview with Empire. "Yep, we're old school," he said, "We didn’t use StageCraft at all." StageCraft is the name of the ultra-HD video wall that surrounds the Volume and is used to display digital effects and virtual environments behind actors and practical props and set elements. By capturing these effects and environments in-camera during principal photography, Andor's predecessors were able to cut costs associated with location shooting and post-production.
While the Volume is widely regarded as a major visual effects breakthrough, the technology's detractors often highlight footage of actors shot on the soundstage who are poorly lit and don't mesh well with their surroundings. Given Andor eschews the Volume in favor of more conventional filmmaking techniques, the series is likely to avoid these criticisms. Andor's emphasis on location shooting features prominently in the newest trailer, most notably via several shots of a grimy scrapyard and sweeping mountain ranges situated on one or more unidentified planets.
Aside from Andor's impressive real-world locations, a key talking point following the trailer's release was the return of Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera. Whittaker first portrayed the Rebel extremist in Rogue One and later reprised the role in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game. Gerrera's hard-line approach to battling the Empire is spotlighted in the trailer, when he justifies his ruthless tactics to Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) as being "for the greater good."
Whittaker's Rogue One co-star Genevieve O'Reilly also makes a strong impression in the Andor trailer, once again portraying Rebel Alliance co-founder Mon Mothma. O'Reilly recently discussed Mon Mothma's key role in the series, saying that fans will see the senator in a new light. "We have now the chance to get to know the woman. Previously, she was a bit of a pillar, or maybe a statue. I love that now we get to excavate that a little bit and learn about the human being — the woman behind the gown, if you will."
The first three episodes of Andor premiere on Disney+ on Sept. 21.
Source: Empire
Leon is an Associate News Writer at CBR. He reports on the latest developments in film and TV, covering everything from popcorn cinema to prestige mini-series. His previous freelance writing credits include articles on film, TV, comics, and video games for Screen Rant, Polygon, The Things, Cultured Vultures, and Taste of Cinema. Originally from Australia, Leon is currently based in the UK.
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