'Star Wars: Episode 7' News, Plot Details: 'Practical Effects' Marketing Hits New Low
"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" hits theaters in a few months, and Disney ramped up the marketing on the hotly anticipated new film with toys and books hitting shelves this past Friday.
Yet there is little known about "Episode VII" when it comes to plot. Some points have been revealed here and there, but really only one major talking point about the new movie is known -- practical effects.
The use of practical effects, going back to the "old ways" of making the movies has become such a major point of conversation in the marketing it has gotten rather silly, to be honest. And it hit a new low this weekend when Anthony Daniels, who plays C3PO, took some time to hit at some of the films in the franchise while praising the ability to work on a set that has a "real window."
"It became clear early on that with JJ we were getting back to the old-fashioned kind of filmmaking. We have walls. Actual sets! All right, so you might not have a view out of the window, but you have a window. Now, what else can I tell you?" he said during an interview with the Guardian that has divided Star Wars fans the world over.
During that same interview, Daniels took a shot at the prequels, the films that Disney and company seem intent on discrediting. CGI, and its overuse, in those movies was the villain, according to Daniels.
"The effects are clever but pointless. The skill is there, but so what? Coldness, that's the word. Bleakness, even," he noted.
It is a markedly different tune than the one Daniels was singing a few years back when "The Phantom Menace" hit theaters in 3D.
So why the change? Daniels' character aside, this has been a major anthem for the new movie with every single person involved singing the praises of the "old ways" in a no-longer-subtle jab at the prequels.
It became the overriding theme of the recent Comic-Con Panel in which the video showcased honed in on "real sets and practical effects." But throughout the panel, almost every member involved talked about the same subject incessantly.
Even newcomers Daisy Ridley and John Boyega have gotten in on the act, despite being relatively new to filmmaking on this scale.
The supposed CGI overload in the prequels has come under fire for a decade, but what people neglect to realize is that episodes I, II and III actually had more practical effects in each film than the entire original trilogy combined.
Disney, despite using the prequels for "Disney Infinity," has made it clear where its marketing strategy for the new films lie -- bringing back fans alienated by the prequels by convincing them that the new films will not be as reliant on CGI. The trailers have shown CGI, but there has rarely been any talk of the subject from cast or crew, almost as if it is a forbidden topic.
Ultimately, however, "Episode VII" will not survive based on its use of practical effects. Disney can spoon feed this idea as much as it wants to attract audiences, but if the story in the film does not live up to the hype created from the "old ways of doing it," then this film could be just as divisive as the "CGI-heavy" prequels.
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