Rogue One Vehicles/Tech in Rogue One

I generally agree with this, and feel that this reality plagues a lot of conceptual design (particularly from those who move from video game design into film design). Among the current ILM team, I think Chiang is one of the few, however, who understands this element of the McQuarrie/Johnston look on a fundamental level. So as long as he's involved, I feel OK.

Though I think lightning struck with McQuarrie/ Johnston, and it'll be a while before something like that happens again.

 

The U-wing almost works for me.

I like the cockpit module, so I'd keep that.

I'd dial back the "prongs" a good bit -- you only need to hint at the letter shape -- and I'd add some kind of horizontal stabilizer type S-foil to balance out the shape in plan.

I like that the power plants look X-wing derived, but where they're mounted looks slapdash and overly derivative to me. There also doesn't seem to be any significant amount of structure holding them securely in place. I'd mount a pair of them in a pod slung forward, kinda B-52-like, underneath each of the horizontal stabilizers.

Maybe I'll get some time later and draw it up so you guys can all laugh at me and tell me how ishtty it is

Anyway, I do think dependence on the computer has a lot to do with it, and while we're name-dropping McQuarrie & Johnston, I should say I think Ron Cobb's stuff was pretty damn cool, too. What all those guys had in common was they all had a background in industrial design and really knew what it was like to design something that had to work.

 

Couldn't agree more. Those dudes were exceptional designers. Also, it's true that I have known and loved a few Doug Chiang designs in my time - Darth Maul's ship springs immediately to mind.

And, to be fair, when you're designing ships to retroactively fit in with instantly recognizable, iconic designs like TIEs and X-Wings, they're going to undergo a hell of a lot of scrutiny. The expectations on the part of us as viewers and hardcore fans are kind of extreme. We want the same stuff, but we want it to be different. They give us that, but we complain...!

And we haven't seen them in action yet. It's a bit like seeing a publicity photo of an actor in costume - you haven't seen them on the big screen yet, you get nothing of their charm or charisma, or the context they're intended for. Which leaves (to my mind, anyway), plenty of room to be won over.

Xinau [Edit} Oh YEAH, Ron Cobb!

 

THIS!

 

I think this is important, but McQuarrie's key skill was doing that, while also creating striking and memorable forms. But his background in technical drawing helped ensure that what he designed wouldn't look cartoonish on film. And so I agree that technical/ industrial design backgrounds helped create believeable vehicles and structures. But disagree that this is all it took. Most industrial designers don't have the kind of imagination and creativity of a McQuarrie. Most of them would have created a bunch of things that are far more mundane. It's McQuarrie's (And Johnston's) blend of great artistic eye, and knowledge of how to design workable things, that's the magic combination.

 

Looking at the engine I think its actually this
http://download.gamezone.com/uploads/image/data/1181313/Star_wars_Rogue_One.JPG

 

Yeah, a u-wing

 

I don't see why wheeled vehicles couldn't fit Star Wars, especially since ROTS takes place before the OT, so technically speaking it makes sense for civilized species to move away from such vehicles as time progresses, and that's why we see the Jawas still using wheeled vehicles in ANH.

Hovering is the most technically advanced. Walking seems to be quite impractical and mostly an Imperial thing, but the Empire was more about style and demonstration of power, rather than practicality.

 

My initial impression of the U-Wing is that of glee. It has the makings of becoming a classic, up there with the good old X.Wing and I reckon they would look just dandy flying together. It looks fast, robust and utterly rebel. The TIE Striker on the other hand is a fail. Part of the beauty of the original TIE Fighter was the fact that it completely deconstructed the accepted aesthetic of the time...having vertical wings and a pod between them ...The Striker is over simplified, over contempory and just a tad boring. Imagine them both in flight... The U-Wing reeks of urgency and seat of the pants energy, unlike the Striker which hints of 'sunday driver'.

 

Wow, I didn't know that, but it certainly speaks volumes. Even just a leisurely-informed mind can somewhat deduce when something looks out of balance or hasn't left room for this or that component, but in the virtual world, you can support, well, a TFA X-Wing's laser cannon on a now-drastically reduced cross-section of wing (still drives me nuts).

I've never seen the process in action, but I wonder if there's any sort of structural analysis that takes place with the CAD modeling of these vehicles. Wouldn't have to be anything in too great of detail, just a handful of different types of materials, an eyeball assessment of the density of material in an area, and sit back and see if the thing can support itself. It would be interesting to see how utilitarian necessity would govern the aesthetic of certain vehicles (which shall remain nameless), as opposed to any sort of "cool and different" design philosophy (which may or may not be a thing...but just sayin')..

 

I know but specifically the way they look in that art. Cause lets face it the U-Wing we saw in the leaked art is not to scale so you need a larger image like that to see how big the engines must be. Otherwise we could accidentally think a capital ship is a fighter. Actually now I want a Star Wars film where the marketing makes us think a bunch of ships are snub fighters and then once the films hits they are actually cruisers.

I love that shot so much. I always had a swamp speeder toy and this is actually the first time I ever saw that one was here thats how much is going on. Plus the walkers in this film where so cool for the short time we saw them.

 

TIE Striker:



Krennic's Shuttle:



AT-ACT:

 

Has an image been released yet of the four-winged shuttle in the Celebration-only trailer?

 

Not that I'm aware of. But could it be the same shuttle as this one?



ETA: I think it is, because the underside of the four-winged ship in the new secret trailer is orange, and that matches with this shot. Indeed, both ships seem to be hauling those orange crates. The ones that are rumored to hold Kyber crystals...

 

It looks like we will see the forerunner to the First Order's Troop transport in Rogue One. It will be different though in having some type of 'wings' on the side and the cockpit could be further forward than the aft-mounted one of the F.O. version. The Rogue One team use a captured one, taking off from Yavin IV, presumably to go to Jedha(?).

 

The Orange Crates.
They're a little visual theme that turns up all over the place.

It is a shorthand way to tell the audience, "Here be Kyber Crystals"? Does that mean there are crates of them lying around on Scarif? Does a subplot involve a Rebel raid to prevent the Empire from acquiring them? Blow up those cargo AT-ACTs.

 

I think that's highly plausible. I mean, the shot above from the trailer shows an Imperial shuttle, hauling those orange crates, getting blown up (undoubtedly by Rebels). And that same trailer shows a tank convoy on Jedha, with orange crates on them, being protected by Imperial stormtroopers (from Rebels, most likely). So I believe a large part of the Rebel "mission," in this film, apart from the Rogue One crew stealing the Death Star plans, is disrupting the Imperial kyber crystal supply lines which is feeding the development of the Death Star.

 

The orange crates are also in the mine....

 

What mine?

The only other time we've seen them, I believe, are on Jedha:



And in spy photos on Scarif:



Unless I'm missing something...

 

Very quick in the Celebration BTS clip, I'll screencap it later.

 

Cool, thanks.

 

Wow, this looks like a buffed-up version of Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle - four upright wings and all... Too bad this vessel is shown to be blown up, although I think we will see it in more detail in the upcoming full trailer!

And that orange crate is something which is definitely prevalent in Rogue One, which should be those crystal things like what some of you mentioned!

 

^^ Every time I see this picture of the shuttle blowing up it reminds me of the Jerry Anderson miniature sets they used on his shows in the 60's, Thunderbirds, Stingray etc.

 

Rough hewn rock walls, row of orange crates.



Weird triangular door cut into the rock. Machinery scattered about.