Thanks C3PX!

We've done some tests for the more ambitious stuff and they're pretty good. I'm really, really pleased with the Alderaan destruction. The idea is to have it begin as normal with the Death Star approaching (and we've even managed to 'cheat' Leia beginning to sense something during this scene) and firing. Then we cut to a reverse angle of the planet, with the Death Star in the background. The beam hits the other side of the planet from our POV, and spreads around, consuming it. As I love the sequence in Generations, I've chosen to just borrow the basic shockwave, colour it to match the DS beam as it engulfs Alderaan, and then the massive planet debris destroy ships which are fleeing towards camera. I might even show the shockwave blasting the surface apart, using an adapted matte from Episode III. The borrowed, animated wave will be altered to match, and all other elements will be new. We might even add the Death Star retreating at speed; after all, at the distance it was sitting, I always wondered why it wasn't damaged. After all, massive as it is, it's nothing compared to a planet, so I want to show it moving off after firing. It's a lot of work for a short sequence, but it will be worth it. I'll try to put some shots together to give you the overall idea of the sequence.