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Rey's lightsaber color in the Sequel Trilogy

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 (Edited)

Has anyone noticed that Rey’s lightsaber color is different throughout the new trilogy?

Here it is in the forest at the end of The Force Awakens, with a very saturated blue hue: https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?q=85&c=sc&poi=face&w=2000&h=1047&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2019%2F11%2Fforce-awakens-1-2000.jpg

In The Last Jedi, it is almost a pure white, with what appears to be a wider blade, and a subtle hint of blue around the edges: https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2018/7/3/2975e8e5-47a9-4ec9-b2a4-01adf4eddcd7-ep8-ff-005212_d758b3b8.jpeg?w=970&h=546&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress&cs=srgb&q=70

The Rise of Skywalker seems to be a hybrid of the two approaches: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTY1MDI5ZTMtNWMzOC00Yzk2LWI2YmItZDQxZTdkNTYyYjc4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODkzNTgxMDg@.V1.jpg

Do you have a favorite? I lean that TLJ is generally the best shot of the trilogy, but I really love the blue glow of the lightsaber in TFA, especially the way it lights up Rey’s face as we hadn’t seen that effect on human characters before.

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ot2k said:
I really love the blue glow of the lightsaber in TFA, especially the way it lights up Rey’s face as we hadn’t seen that effect on human characters before.

Ah, but we have. Though it was in Attack of the Clones, so I don’t really fault anyone for forgetting it (or willfully suppressing the traumatizing memory, lol)


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Wow, you’re right, I forgot about that shot. In the rest of that scene, however, the glow of the lightsaber doesn’t illuminate their skin at all.

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It’s very brief and they are moving quickly but there’s a few shots of each of them where the sabers cast light on their faces (it only happens in that specific sequence where Anakin cuts the power cord on the floor and the lights go out and they briefly fight in a dark shadow). There was actually a better shot of Anakin but I couldn’t get YouTube to pause at the exact right frame to grab the screenshot.

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I guess Rian Johnson prefers a whiter blade. Abrams favors a look more consistent with the rest of the series.

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 (Edited)

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

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I always thought it changed with ambient lighting. That shot in the forest is very dark, so the blue of the blade is more prominent, but the shot form TLJ is in broad daylight, making the blue appear paler than in the dark. If you look at other shots from TLJ the lightsaber appears much bluer.

After being beaten and battered by prequel hate, I promise not to be that to the next generation.

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Mocata said:

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

Yeah… I remember seeing the first previews for TLJ and thinking Rian must’ve like the 1977 effect.

Personally the SW/TLJ is my favorite. I thought it was over saturated in TFA.

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

Mocata said:

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

Yeah… I remember seeing the first previews for TLJ and thinking Rian must’ve like the 1977 effect.

Personally the SW/TLJ is my favorite. I thought it was over saturated in TFA.

TFA is over saturated, the whole movie.

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yotsuya said:

TFA is over saturated, the whole movie.

Would love to hear how you think TROS measures up!

In this second shot the lightsabers are barely white anymore. It’s blue… all of it. Anyway, I digress.

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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It’s really just the color correction of the movies, I don’t think it was a conscious choice to make them different, like in something like an animation.

Reading R + L ≠ J theories

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yotsuya said:

CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

Mocata said:

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

Yeah… I remember seeing the first previews for TLJ and thinking Rian must’ve like the 1977 effect.

Personally the SW/TLJ is my favorite. I thought it was over saturated in TFA.

TFA is over saturated, the whole movie.

I love high saturation! I think TFA looks great because of it.

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It doesn’t look terrible… but it’s also pretty unnatural.

The irony of intentionally shooting on film then processing it to look like that…

TV’s Frink said:

I would put this in my sig if I weren’t so lazy.

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Anakin Starkiller said:

yotsuya said:

CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

Mocata said:

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

Yeah… I remember seeing the first previews for TLJ and thinking Rian must’ve like the 1977 effect.

Personally the SW/TLJ is my favorite. I thought it was over saturated in TFA.

TFA is over saturated, the whole movie.

I love high saturation! I think TFA looks great because of it.

Reading R + L ≠ J theories

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Oof, my eyes

“Remember, the Force will be with you. Always.”

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SparkySywer said:

Anakin Starkiller said:

yotsuya said:

CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

Mocata said:

It wasn’t very consistent before though, it’s much more pale in SW compared to ESB. Probably because of the visual effects change. Then the prequels that feature it are different again.

Yeah… I remember seeing the first previews for TLJ and thinking Rian must’ve like the 1977 effect.

Personally the SW/TLJ is my favorite. I thought it was over saturated in TFA.

TFA is over saturated, the whole movie.

I love high saturation! I think TFA looks great because of it.

Me at 18 after first figuring out how to color grade.

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 (Edited)

To me it always seemed to be more about setting and how the light reflects differently in one location to the next. This is the case in reality as well. It’s all environmental.

“Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people - these are heroic acts. Everybody has the choice of being a hero or not being a hero every day of their lives.” - George Lucas