So then maybe what Faraday described might be the best bet? Where Luke makes fire or a red bolt fly back and hit the walker, making it fall below stage. That seems like a simple, easy to convey action. And you wouldn’t have to extend the shot at all I don’t think.
Personally I’m leaning towards
- Luke simply pops into frame
- Luke pops out of frame
- or Luke pops out of frame and back in, possibly with some laser fire missing him
As with Kylo appearing I think having the walker fall might open another can of worms. Luke’s stand was impactful in part because it was nonviolent. Now, yes, the end result here is people picking up arms against the First Order. But I wonder if it might raise some questions. Like, if this had been in TROS as is, would we see it as yet another TLJ retcon? I know, I know, I know. The legend grows and changes and whatnot. But this is my point, this is a lot to ponder and think about for a short shot or two that is not remarked upon.
Should the Luke puppet be made of string and wires, like that Proof of Concept image, or made of the same material as the fire and walker? Right now I’m just planning to replicate that look, but I’m still deciding on Luke’s design.
I would say keep the same design as TLJ for that recognizability, but change the materials so it’s not just the same exact thing.