A new development since I wrote the piece is the tech used on the Mandalorian, particularly the 360 degree LED-screen setup called "The Volume" that replaces traditional locations or sets. Here's a fascinating article on it: https://ascmag.com/articles/the-mandalorian
I'm less bothered by digital simulacra used as sets than I am by similar tech masquerading as actors. Perhaps it's my stage background, but I'm not so worried by about fake backdrops! It still seems to give the performers the chance to be "the real frog in the artificial garden." And yes, I think the Mandalorian clears this bar, even though its protagonists are a puppet and a man in a mask. What do other folks think? Are there worries I should be considering?
After the events of Episode VIII, Rey's memory of Luke's struggle with the future of the Jedi Order enters the oral tradition. (As we all know, there's no evidence anywhere in the Star Wars films of a robust reading or writing culture — https://www.tor.com/2012/10/03/most-citizens-of-the-star-wars-galaxy-are-probably-totally-illiterate) Much like the Christian film community circa 2016-17, citizens dispute whether Luke's vision of Yoda was a genuine apparition or a malign temptation from the Dark Side. A faction of antinomian post-Jedi mystics emerges, clashing with a group that seeks to revive the hierarchy, dogmatism, and genetic determinism of the Temple-era Jedi. Meanwhile, the Force continues to manifest itself in inconsistent and unpredictable ways.
Centuries go by. Much, much later, in a galaxy far, far away, a filmmaker in California has a dream…
What a great conversation!
A new development since I wrote the piece is the tech used on the Mandalorian, particularly the 360 degree LED-screen setup called "The Volume" that replaces traditional locations or sets. Here's a fascinating article on it: https://ascmag.com/articles/the-mandalorian
I'm less bothered by digital simulacra used as sets than I am by similar tech masquerading as actors. Perhaps it's my stage background, but I'm not so worried by about fake backdrops! It still seems to give the performers the chance to be "the real frog in the artificial garden." And yes, I think the Mandalorian clears this bar, even though its protagonists are a puppet and a man in a mask. What do other folks think? Are there worries I should be considering?
Star Wars Episode IX: Revenge of the Myth
After the events of Episode VIII, Rey's memory of Luke's struggle with the future of the Jedi Order enters the oral tradition. (As we all know, there's no evidence anywhere in the Star Wars films of a robust reading or writing culture — https://www.tor.com/2012/10/03/most-citizens-of-the-star-wars-galaxy-are-probably-totally-illiterate) Much like the Christian film community circa 2016-17, citizens dispute whether Luke's vision of Yoda was a genuine apparition or a malign temptation from the Dark Side. A faction of antinomian post-Jedi mystics emerges, clashing with a group that seeks to revive the hierarchy, dogmatism, and genetic determinism of the Temple-era Jedi. Meanwhile, the Force continues to manifest itself in inconsistent and unpredictable ways.
Centuries go by. Much, much later, in a galaxy far, far away, a filmmaker in California has a dream…