Did ILM digitally alter Anakin's shadow on the hut to look like Vader?

Wow. This thread has gotten comical. To all those who agree that yes, the shadow does look like Vader, is there any definitive answer as to how this was done: natural or digital?

 

Um... it seems to me that we have overwhelming evidence that a visual allusion to Darth Vader was very much intentional. The camera pans away from the actors and showing only their shadows. The shot stands out like a sore thumb. And not just if you're looking for it.

The first time I saw the film, it was in a digital theater with a big group of people. Everybody with whom I saw the movie identified the shadow as looking like Vader, even one particular friend who never saw Episode I and had practically no knowledge of the back-story. She actually said to me after the film, "Is Anakin Skywalker supposed to be related to Luke Skywalker?" To protect her reputation, she will remain safely anonymous.

Now, it's fair to ask whether the shot was arranged deliberately on location to get the Darth Vader-esque shadow, or whether it was just a trick of the light that was captured accidentally and brought out in editing.

It would take an unbelievable amount of effort and precise timing to deliberately capture that shot on location. There could only have been about ten minutes of natural light, just before sunset, that would have resulted in that kind of perfect shadow. So it's not too unlikely to think the shot may have just been a happy accident.

We all know by now how GL likes to direct in the editing room. Given that the footage was all shot on high definition video instead of film, it's quite reasonable to think than a normally framed shot of the two actors, one that just happened to include the lucky shadow, could have been re-framed in post production as a close-up.

Either way, I think it's clear that the shadow is deliberately meant to be a visual allusion to Darth Vader. I'd be curious to hear whether there's any proof to the contrary of the sort that JCoulston asked for.

(Edit: names are hard.)

 

Natural : look at back of Hayden's head as he goes to his speeder.

Right that's it, I'm outta here ...

 

It might have been intentional, but I thought the shadow didn't look anything like Vader. It simply looked like Anakin's shadow .. but that's just my two cents.

 

The motion was real, not CGI motion. I think it was filmed that way.

 

There's no doubt it looked like Anakin's shadow. Probably because it WAS anakin's shadow. Anakin's shadow, now here's the kicker, also looked like Vader's shadow. The same helmet shape. The curvature of the hut also made the shadow wider, more akin to Vader's size than Anakin's. And Anakin was wearing a cape.

God I really need to find an even better pic don't I?

 

Oh my goodness, I can't believe the blasphomy in here, do you really think that GL and ILM would use manipulation in any of their movies. I mean come on, digitally making a shadow, thats like saying all those aliens aren't really there, they're all just made on a computer, come on don't make me laugh.

 

[image=http://www.echostation.com/graphics/features/japanese/vader.jpg] [image=http://webexhibits.org/calendars/i/StarWars/anakin.jpg] [image=http://www.jangofett.org.uk/forbiddenlove/Shot062a-ShadowEmbrace.jpg]

 

Ok. So then it was done on location? Naturally? I'm taking that's the consensus of those who feel it does look like Vader. So if it was natural, then was it planned or just a happy accident? If planned, it was dead on. If happy accident, then COOL.

 

I vote that it was caught on location, without digital effects, but that it was an accident. My vote was that the resemblance was either noticed right there, and the shot re-framed to capture and emphasize it, or that it wasn't noticed until editing, at which time the shot was re-framed digitally.

 

I can't believ how everyone underestimates Lucas, both in the story and directorial style. You don't think he knows what every frame looks like, that all of it is intentional? Sigh.

 

His shadow clearly is meant to look like Lama Su for extremely obvious reasons that I need not waste time even explaining any longer.

 

No way in freakin heck was that NOT intentional...

I just saw AOTC again yesterday, and 100% it was meant to look like Vader's shadow...

It's called foreshadowing - Lucas isn't a complete idiot - he does use literary devices - from time to time.

 

Willhelm Scmillhelm found this better pic. 100% irrefutable proof that it's supposed to look like Vader. From this pic it almost looks more like digital alteration than a natural shadow formation. The cut off on the bottom of Anakin's hairline just seems too severe for it to be a natural shadow.

[image=http://206.176.133.98/shadow.jpg]

 

For what it's worth, I don't think you get the true "Hey, that's Vader!" effect until Padme and Anakin embrace. It's her hand around the back of his head that really cements the image.

That's why I'm voting that this wasn't an intentional set-up. It would have been just too darn hard to pull off, between the angles and the light and the timing and the position of the camera and all that. I'm betting it was caught by accident on location, and digitally re-framed in editing.

Then again, maybe they just worked really hard at it.

 

This shadow effect was done intentionally, just another reason why Lucas is such a brillant film maker and story teller. Once I thought about this scene for a moment, I interpreted this as a foreshadowing to what will happen soon after this scene, with Anakin taking his first steps to the Dark Side and the beginning of his transformation to Darth Vader so to speak.

 

Ummm...okay. In this particular group of scenes, I thought that Anakin's shadow looked very much like Vader in the very first shot outside the dome before Padme comes out. Anakin's shadow with Padme looks like...uh...Anakin. Then I had to see AOTC a couple more times to see if my eyes were playing tricks with the first shot. I think it's really an illusion. The little ponytail thing on the back of his head does a lot to reinforce the image in my mind. That and the TPM teaser poster is so cemented in everyone's head anyway. My vote is unintentional trickery.

 

I respect your opinion, of course, but I think it's far too improbable to be totally unintentional. If the shadow just appeared in the background of a regular shot, I might agree with you. But the way the shot was composed was just too specific. Either in production or in post, it just had to be deliberate.

 

If the "shadow" shot was deliberately set up to look like Vader, then why didn't it actually look like Vader? I don't see the helmet at all. It's a stretch . . . really.

 

If the "shadow" shot was deliberately set up to look like Vader, then why didn't it actually look like Vader? I don't see the helmet at all. It's a stretch . . . really.

Well, if you don't see it, you don't see it. I think it's almost a subliminal thing; there's one frame that looks an awful lot like Darth Vader's silhouette, and that's enough to put the impression in the viewer's mind. If you look too hard for it, you won't see it.

That said, have a look at this, and give it one more try. I consider this to be the subliminal frame in question. If it doesn't resemble Darth Vader's silhouette to you, then so be it.

[image=http://206.176.133.98/shadow.jpg]

The image is frame 00:01:52:23 of the Forbidden Love trailer.

 

i agree if it doesnt look like Vader's siluotte forget about it. dont try to force yourself to see something that isnt there. as for the reason why it isnt exactly like Vader. GL doesnt want it to look too much like it, doing so would be as absurd as editing Anakin's shadow from TPM to look exactly like Vader's shadow. also, the reason is if they made Anakin's shadow exactly like that of Vader (which is a big and tall person), it wouldn't be believable/plausible to the audience. in a way it has to look like both Anakin's (Hayden's C) shadow and that of Vader. remember anakin is still a teenager in AOTC and they cant make him look to big like an adult (full size Vader). to me the image does look reminscent of Vader's shadow coupled with Anakin's wardrobe in the scene. if you look at Hayden's haircut in AOTC, aint no way the back of his hair sticks that much out like on the shadow of the hut. just something to think about. GONE

 

O.k i think you all are spending a little bit to much time on this my theory is that if were supposed to be vader then it would be on a (turning to the dark side trailor) and not on a forrbiden love one it was obviously put there to express forrbiden love people Padme's shadow is there to does that mean that she also turns into darth vador it's a shadow of his head people not a secret message!!!! it's aggitating listening to you all arguing about something as simple as the fact that it was there to show the comforting conection of Padme and Anikan!! come on JCaulsten lets go look at clouds.

 

This is just another example of how great ILM is, that you don't know what's a special effect or not. I love it! HAHAHAHAHA!

 

I have to admit that it doesnt look exactly like Vader's helmet, but I know that that was the intention and I'm happy for it. At least they tried to be quite innovative.