Not Bad monroville...

I was kinda thinking like this but a quake / crack because in the next scene we see Han and Leia blocked by a large chunk of ice falling.

So note the ice crack effects 0:38 without the upward explosions from the cracks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOGG-WsGXAY

Sorry I know it's a cheesy film but this effect would be great I think shooting off in a couple of directions.

Perhaps a good re-framing of the scene by an artist.

Something about this image put's the idea in my mind of bringing the shot before where we see the AT-AT hit a troop with the side guns and then fire the under chin shot for the destruction looking back from the shield generator. perhaps the Under the chin guns could be re-timed to fire that small fraction of a second sooner

Then this frees up the next shot of the explosion entirely and center of screen. The Shot and Impact are on the same shot and we as viewers are positioned right beside the shield generator when it get's hit.

This would mean bringing the shield generator a lot closer in previous shots so the AT-AT's fire from a shorter distance but I don't think that would be such a Bad thing.

The whole sequence is all quite random shots what with the snowspeeder crashing on exactly the same background as the shield generator destruction scene and placement of AT-AT's we are shown 3 together then we are shown AT'AT's on their own god only knows how this mess can be sorted out.

But being in there with the impact next to the shield generator and then cutting back to a full on center of screen destruction if possible I think is the way to go.

And there is another way to see it too. from this image I found I got to this mock-up of a re-frame.

Just ideas really but I like the sense of scale being brought forward and it's a shame we never followed up the rear of the AT-AT's pushing forward.