Rogue One Cinematography/Film Techniques of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

I concede we don't know enough. I'm an idealist and if I see something that doesn't fit perfectly with how I envisioned it I get a little disappointed. I'm used to disappointments.

I don't know (and I thought this would be obvious enough without it having to be stated), and I do have a grasp of some military sense. My military sense just doesn't agree with movie military sense because the latter is obviously superior.
An entire Imperator Class Star Destroyer tasked with transport duty? Parked over a city like a sitting duck? Right were it can fall on top of everything if it crashes? I said you might be able to land troops faster, do you know how long it takes (Freighter sized and below) SW ships to enter and exist atmospheres ? Less than ten seconds (from what can be observed on screen). So the benefit would be almost negligible. Inspiring fear? Does the populace know what the Empire is on the planet for? Orbital bombardment would be just as practical as from space, its not practical for the reason that there are too many friendly troops and resources nearby. As far as protecting a small area, unless the mine is directly underneath the city the ISD is only covering a circle with a 158 mile diameter (SW weapons are line of sight, I was liberal with my calculations). This is not including the large mountains and cliffs and plateaus that seem to be common formations on the planet. Low altitude is known to disrupt senors (TFA, flying low confuses their tracking). If you have space/air superiority you don't need an ISD to sit half a mile off the deck, TIE fighters will do just fine.

 

Didn't the Enterprise rise from under the sea on a chromatically dubious, atmospherically rather similar planet quite recently?

 

A Star Destroyer that low to the surface likely serves no real purpose in the story other than that it looks neat, and is a classic example of style over substance. Whatever, rule of cool. Edwards! Gets! Scale! and all that business. I have no problem with it, even though it's tactically stupid and probably violates some piece of tech canon from one of the new novels, but we know those don't really count anyway. Maybe now people will lay off JJ for making the destruction of Hosnian Prime visible from Takodano.

 

In film, aesthetic style is substance. Scientific principles are peripheral, and mostly only used to serve the purpose of creating an illusion of authenticity.

 

If a Star Destroyer that low to the surface is the major SW!science complaint one could have, then I think this movie will even manage to surpass my already high expectations.

I mean, considering that Rebels already did that before:

 

Which would (in an odd way) make it more defensible. Would the local resistance risk destroying their own city in order to take out one SD?

 

how about the fact that sd's landed on the ground in ep 2 and 3 and tcw and forever and always. anybody watch sw?

 

I think the complaint is star destroyers being stationary, not landing or taking off.

 

Wadi Rum seems to be a popular location for past and present features such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Martian.

 

The Falcon held station like that In Empire.

As for why SDs do it: intimidation. Psy-op maneuver to keep the public mindful of the omnipresence and technological might of the Empire.

 

repulsorlifts.

 

That's the cinematography reason. I'm still not convinced its a good idea or explanation IU. Sure I get cool factor but, honestly it isn't enough for me. Like the rocket launcher in the second trailer. Its closed off and has a kick back.

 

Wow. Are you sure you're in the right fandom?

 

Pretty sure:
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/index.html
http://www.eawpr.net/
http://www.stardestroyer.net/ (don't like the last site so much anymore, I disagree with some of his arguments and topics)

 

No, you have it reversed. Intimidation is the IU explanation. Visual appeal to the audience is the cinematographic explanation.

 

McQuarrie is just unbeatable as a concept artist. With nearly every other design aesthetic, this could be a pretty meh shot. Instead, because of McQuarrie's grasp of simple yet evocative forms, it's breath-taking. I know some fans are clamoring for a change in the design DNA of Star Wars away from McQuarrie, but I hope they stick to it (with variations, of course) for the next five centuries.

 

Why are people clamoring to move away from McQuarrie? That's like asking for the music to be done by someone other than John Williams. I wonder if that's a PT preference thing.

 

I think that's the main thing behind it. Though TPM, largely designed by McQuarrie's design successor, Doug Chiang, generally gets the aesthetic right. It's AOTC and ROTS that went off the rails, IMO, and often looked like the bad art you get on cheap fantasy and sci-fi novel covers.

 

I think there is also this question of moving forward v. being stuck in the past. I guess you could make the argument that there is a PT thing there, since it is what Lucas was going for.

For me, McQuarrie did his thing and he did it well, but where is the next McQuarrie? Where is the artist that could set the look and feel for SW going forward (obviously it is going to be somewhat derivative of what McQuarrie has done, just because that set the look of the universe, but there is still plenty of room to innovate). If all they're going to do is take the scraps from McQuarrie and tweek them, I think we're missing a chance to make that leap into something new.

 

I don't think that's McQuarrie art. IIRC that's a screencap from Rebels.

 

I really think the Star Destroyer is there to protect the supply line, and to transport the steady supply of orange crates -- likely filled with crystals -- that they appear to be receiving from those turtle-shaped shuttles. It's like an armored truck that parks in front of a bank. Parking down the street would be unwise.

 

Yeah, I know that. But that's a heavy, heavy McQuarrie influence in the cityscape (and obviously, the SDs). And I approve.

 

I think what I love so much about the image of the SD above Jedha is not just how cool it is to see an SD looming over a city like that. It's also the lighting, which gives us the first image of an SD during magic hour (the three hours or so before sunset). And it looks amazing.



We haven't seen an SD lit like that since AOTC, with the ominous Clone Army shot at the end (which is a little closer to sunset, with more of a red tone):



Gotta love SD's in the atmosphere...

 

Isn't that a shot from Clone Wars?

I love that RO trailer shot more every time I see it, but then SDs have always been one of my favourite things about SW.
What's more is the scope of it. That's an entire city built upon a plateau, it's huge and it all fits into the frame, but the ends of the SD are out of frame, giving you a sense of just how big it is. It's like a city above a city.