Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * SPOILER THREAD * — Page 33

I wonder who got the ground level pics?  Seems like they would have better security on the set, but it also looks like there are a lot of extras walking around, too.  The aerial pictures are supposedly from a drone.

I really like that black X-Wing, but not so much the idea that it's flown by a Sith.

Of course! I should have known considering many aspects of Episode VII appear to be heavily influenced by McQuarrie's artwork.  Maybe the male outfits are McQuarrie inspired as well...

I think it's definitely black (and orange) and not covered up.  I wonder where that fighter is that was in the Abrams video?

I'm not sure, but I guess there are at least three different paint schemes. Interesting.

Will be interesting to see if there's any rhyme or reason for the different coloring.

I didn't say they weren't...

More set photos...

It appears Adam Driver is the pilot and Gwendoline Christie is some sort of officer?

LOL, it does look like that, doesn't it. Is that part of that X-Wing in the left of the pics?

The more I look at these the pics, the more impressed I get.  Love the location, too.

New Anthony Daniels interview with ET.

Short excerpt regarding Episode VII and CGI C3PO in the PT:

I will tell you that when [director] J.J. Abrams rang me to ask about filming Episode VII, one of the first things he said after he told me how wonderful I was — and that didn’t take long — but he then said, “Would you be interested in being in the film just doing the voice?” I said, “No,” and he said, “Right!” He knew I’d say that. There’s no way I would just do the voice. I also said that it can’t be the same suit. I will tell you that the team then got together and built a new suit. They made an entirely new look-a-like with changes that you will never notice [on screen] that made my life a lot easier. I can get it on and off very quickly. [During the prequels], the only time [Threepio has] been CG was when it was very dangerous [to act in the scene in a suit] — and it wasn’t very good. In fact, I’m going to say it was awful. One of the difficulties is with a character that you know and love so well is that, as a member of the audience, you go, “Oh no, that’s not right. No, he doesn’t move like that.” With me [in the suit], he’s always going to move the same way and have the same reactions, timing, and so on. With CG, you’re working with some brilliant person on the keyboard who is trying to pretend to be me.

I love Anthony Daniels. He and Harrison Ford are my favourite Star Wars actors, onscreen and off.

canofhumdingers said:

I disagree with your idea that aircraft don't change appearance significantly in their lifespan.

 What I said was:

"Here in the real world, well-established aircraft designs don't change their outer appearance very often."

On top of that, even when they do change their appearance, the older versions don't necessarily stop being used. In other words, there would be nothing out of place with them using X-wings and other OT air/spacecraft that still look the same 30 years later. I wouldn't mind seeing both the OT style and the "new" McQuarrie style in the movie.

The 737-200 was in commercial service for 40 years by the way: 1968-2008. And as I mentioned earlier, the longer a society has been technologically advanced, the more long-running designs they are likely to have, and their long-running designs could have run for far longer than any of ours. For example, 50 years ago, there were no 40-year-old commercial jetliner designs in service,  because the technology wasn't old/mature enough for any design to have been in service for that long.

Advanced technology seems to have been around for hundreds or thousands of years in the Star Wars universe.

However, it's also possible they build their spaceships like we build cars--not well enough to last over a decade (although my dad's work van begs to differ :P). If they've had the technology for space travel for thousands and thousands of years, chances are they can make spacecraft fairly cheaply. Larger ships, like Star Destroyers, would definitely be built to last longer, however.

Alternatively, spaceships are actually expensive in the Star Wars universe and they are built to last, as you think should be the case.

RicOlie_2 said:

However, it's also possible they build their spaceships like we build cars--not well enough to last over a decade (although my dad's work van begs to differ :P). If they've had the technology for space travel for thousands and thousands of years, chances are they can make spacecraft fairly cheaply. Larger ships, like Star Destroyers, would definitely be built to last longer, however.

Alternatively, spaceships are actually expensive in the Star Wars universe and they are built to last, as you think should be the case.

Whether or not the individual ships are built to last is a different question. I believe the designs would last, based on how commercial and military aircraft designs last here in the real world.

Each individual ship is probably well-built too, considering the critical nature of their application. Plus, they can be repaired.

Perhaps the old x-wings were already just that - old - at the battle of Yavin? It would make sense that a rag tag band of rebels fighting the government doesn't have access to the latest and greatest military technology and instead has to scrounge whatever old junk they can get their hands on.

I'm not disagreeing with you in the fact that I, too, would love to see the classic x-wings in some capacity alongside the new ones. I'm just pointing out that there are some very valid counter arguments to your reasoning and that the new x wings do have a reasonable explanation using "real world" logic.

You seem to be saying that their appearance should remain unchanged in the thirty or so years between the OT and episode 7 b/c that's what happens to aircraft in the real world. I'm saying that, one: that's not entirely accurate and aircraft (commercial and military) DO have significant modifications to their appearance over time - even if the old models are still hanging around when the new ones come out; and two: you're implying by your first assumption that the rebels' ships in the OT were relatively new which I think is a very poor and illogical assumption for the reasons I already stated and this is backed up by the fact that they look freaking old, beat up, and worn out already at the battle of Yavin.

I love the original x-wing and really hope to see it onscreen again. When the new x-wing was revealed I was a bit disappointed at first. But having this conversation has made me realize that it actually makes much more sense to have new and updated x-wings than to have the same old ships still hanging around in large numbers. And so now I'm actually warming up to the new design quite a bit. But I hope maybe Luke at least still flys the same old ship he blew the Death Star to bits with! I mean, who would get rid of that ride after something like that!?