One of the best scenes inThe Acolyteused a filmmaking trick thatStar Warshas been making use of sinceThe Empire Strikes Back. Since the very beginning,Star Warshas always been on the cutting edge of film. In the original trilogy, Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic were masters of practical effects. A great example is the miniature replicas they made of the Death Star, the AT-ATs, and other vehicles. In the prequel trilogy ofStar Warsmovies, they pioneered CGI technology through Jar Jar Binks and other aliens. Each installment ofStar Warspushes the envelope just a bit more.
The most recent live-actionStar Warsshow,The Acolyte, continued the franchise’s long tradition of using unique technology and special effects. From the way it transformedHassan Taj into the tynnan Bazilto theimprovements it made to the evolution of lightsaber VFX,The Acolytewas a technical marvel in many regards. One of the coolest scenes in the entire show was also achieved through some unique filmmaking, but the technique wasn’t entirely novel. The Stranger’s descent from the Khofar canopy inThe Acolyteepisode 4 actually borrowed a method fromThe Empire Strikes Back.
Star Wars: Where Was The Acolyte Filmed?
Unlike many recent Star Wars shows, The Acolyte chose not to use the Volume; instead, the show incorporated a number of unique filming locations.
How The Acolyte Created Episode 4’s Cliffhanger
InThe Acolyteepisode 4, the helmeted Sith Lord the Stranger made a heart-stopping introduction to the show by levitating down from the trees behind Osha.To get the Stranger to float down and glide towards Osha, the team behindThe Acolyteactually hooked him into a rig and lifted him up, then reversed the footage to make it look like he was descending instead of ascending. It was an incredibly eerie and unsettling scene, and it gave the Stranger an almost ghost-like quality. Theintroduction of the Sith Lord ofThe Acolytewas one of the show’s best moments.
Star Wars Has Been Using This Technique Since The Empire Strikes Back
While the Stranger’s arrival was certainly impressive, it wasn’t exactly innovative forStar Wars. In aninterview with Graham Norton on BBC, Mark Hamill revealed thatStar Warshas been using reversed footage sinceThe Empire Strikes Back.
As Hamill explained,the shot of Luke Skywalker using the Force to retrieve his lightsaber in the Wampa’s lair was achieved by pulling the lightsaber out of his hand using fishing line and simply reversing the footage. Hamill also mentioned that the reversed shot was due to budget and technological limitations at the time, and that most modern projects would simply use CGI to achieve the same effect.The Acolyte, however, used the same classic low-tech trick asThe Empire Strikes Back, albeit with much stronger cables instead of fishing line.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Cast
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
The Acolyte’s use of reversed footage highlighted something really special about the show: even as it broke new ground forStar Wars, it also remembered the highlights of the franchise’s past. The show’s creators were always looking to history for inspiration, whether it was the special effects like in the Stranger’s introduction or in the various ways it borrowed fromStar WarsLegendslore. Even though it was borrowing a tried and true method, though,The Acolyteused it so perfectly that the Stranger’s introduction is now one of its highlights.The Acolyteowes one of its best moments toThe Empire Strikes Back.
The Acolyte
The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.
