Production Designer Rick Carter on Mixing Old and New Look in Star Wars: Episode 7.

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Comingsoon managed to speak with Episode 7 production designer Rick Carter at the  Festival of the Art of Cinematography in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Hit the jump to find out what he said about the look of the highly anticipated new movie…


The production designer is responsible for developing the design, look and feel of the movie. Usually, the production designer is charged with the task of establishing the setting and style of the movie, including the overall design of sets.

Some of Rick Carter’s credits are Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Avatar, A.I., War of the Worlds, Forest Gump, Lincoln and many more. Carter reveals how he boarded the project:

“I offered my services to Kathy Kennedy,” Carter says of Episode VII, “who I had known for a long time. I said, ‘If you’re going to get involved with ‘Star Wars’ in this new generation, I’d love to be a part of the dialogue and help.’ She invited me in last January and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. Then J.J. [Abrams] came in and we hit it off.”

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Rick Carter will be working on Episode 7 with a younger designer, Darren Gilford. Gilford worked as a production designer on Tron: Legacy and Oblivion. Carter explains that collaboration:

“We’re kind of both production designing the movie as a team,” Carter continues, “to help give J.J. the best of what his generation and the new generation can offer with Darren Gilford and also myself as a guide that takes us back to not so long, long ago, but to the ’70’s where I was around and making movies that old-fashioned way. Whenever we want to touch that level, it relates to something that’s not just being made up as though it’s new. It’s being rediscovered.”


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Born on April 24, 1980.

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

9 thoughts on “Production Designer Rick Carter on Mixing Old and New Look in Star Wars: Episode 7.

  • November 21, 2013 at 1:23 pm
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    This is great news, that they are mixing the old with the new. Things are moving along nicely

    • November 21, 2013 at 2:08 pm
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      I agree

  • November 21, 2013 at 1:43 pm
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    I’m certainly glad to hear that they’re gonna be going back to the roots of film making; using old tactics to bring out a brand new feel, but if this movie looks anything like Tron: Legacy, I’m going to shit bricks and throw them through Gilford’s window.

  • November 21, 2013 at 2:10 pm
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    I do not understand what he means?

  • November 21, 2013 at 4:05 pm
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    “If you’re going to get involved with ‘Star Wars’ in this new generation, I’d love to be a part of the dialogue and help.’ She invited me in last January and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
    … Am I reading this right?? He’s been working on .. dialogue???
    Or is that just a phrase I’m not familiar with or something haha

    • November 21, 2013 at 4:11 pm
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      I think he meant general conversing with everyone who’s involved with production; just being included in development.

  • November 21, 2013 at 5:04 pm
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    With the sets for Cinderella been dismantled during November at Pinewood, then this leaves 5 or 6 months to build the ep7 sets. If he’s been involved since January I should imagine the sets have been finalised as far as the design stage is concerned.

  • November 21, 2013 at 9:10 pm
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    I don’t understand this fuzz about the new and the next generations and so on and so forth. Look at the OT. It still recruits fans to this date. The good old fashion filmmaking, and the new way to make movies are terms that don’t make sense. All you need, is a great idea, a great story, and somebody who know what they are doing. If the story don’t need a big blipping CGI city, you don’t put the city inn the movie. You don’t put it inn because you think the audience want to see great effects.
    The effects and scenery should come natural based on the storyline, NOT the other way around.

  • November 21, 2013 at 11:53 pm
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    Of course, they will also mix the look of every movie released past 10 years. Generalize the plot and draw a perfect balance of every aspect thats involved in the movie.
    The product will be a perfect blend of the perfect sum of each element thats available.
    You’ll get romance, you’ll get some drama, you’ll get lot’s of action, a slight hint of homosexual relationship, anti and pro religious aspects, shiny glamorous and dirty and worn look the same time. You’ll get sure that every small kid of the lesser age and also your oldest grandmother will consistently enjoy the movie to the same degree. You’ll get absolutely sure that they will do everything do get as MUCH money as humanly possible out of the franchise, of course.
    But luckily this is only a lesser aspect of it all, the main aspect is still a good story and the love for Star Wars

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