There are two very different kinds of explosion effect in the OT. Where they’ve blown up a miniature it’s great. Where they’ve merely match cut to a firework going off it’s hardly more “realistic” than a CG one. The latter can still work fine (they used it for the Death Stars after all) but in some cases the mismatch between the miniature and the firework is jarring.
Yeah exactly, which is what I mean when I say in some ways they aren’t better, though in other ways they are, like the fact that they’re actual photographed explosions.
Even still you can’t quite delineate between a miniature exploding and a match cut to an explosion. The DSII for instance is the latter but it’s one of the best in the series because they lit up the miniature for the shot before it cuts to the explosion, so you have a relatively seamless combination of the two elements.
Speaking of, to put us back on topic, has ady said if he’ll be keeping the praxis wave for the explosion? It’s the one added praxis ring that I think actually adds a little something to the effect and energy of the shot (with the Falcon outrunning it being one last thrill). One of the only SE additions I miss a little when I watch the OOT.