Rogue One Costume Designers and Concept Artists Share New Details About the Movie!

A special Q&A event was held at the comic book store Gosh in London. Costume Designers and Concept Artists that worked on Rogue One shared interesting new tidbits about the making of the first Star Wars spin-off movie. Read on for the details…

 

 

From StarWarsHyperdrive:

 

  • Saw Gerrera was supposed to be on another planet. There was an icy planet (designs showed Snowtroopers) supposed to be shot in Iceland as well as a different (?) jungle planet (as seen in the very first teaser).
  • Gareth Edwards worked very closely together with the concept artist. Most of them are already working on the ‘untitled new project’ (Han Solo). Some of them made appearances as extras.
  • While they were shooting the final Darth Vader scene the concept artists were upstairs working on additional sketches.
  • The costume designers have a huge archive with of army surplus and other stuff they use to create that classic Star Wars feeling mixing otherworldly and worldly designs.

 

 

  • At first they wanted to use CRAB-ATs, transport vehicles resembling crabs, on Scarif, but then decided against it in favor of the more familiar looking AT-ACT. They spoke about the danger of going overboard with the designs, so they made a conscious not to pack too many new designs into the movie.
  • The Ring of Kafrene design is inspired by Bladerunner.
  • They always look back at the work of Ralph McQuarrie and (quote) the forgotten hero of Star Wars storyboard designer Joe Johnston because they created the ‘language’ of Star Wars by bouncing ideas back and forth and inspiring each other.
  • They worked for 2 months on the citadel tower on Scarif and then completely changed and redesigned it in 2 hours.
  • They didn’t have a budget for a tank but didn’t want to do it in CGI, so they designed the hover tank around an existing tank at their disposal.

 

 

  • When Gareth Edwards finished his directors cut they painted over the parts that used green screen to visualize it before they sent it to ILM.
  • Most design go through a lot of changes only a few are spot on from the beginning. Baze Malbus was one of those.
  • They still rely heavily on real models. They have two model makers who make mock ups of their sketches.
  • The concept artists are not allowed to print out anything. The costume designers on the other hand have everything lying around in their offices.

 

 

For the full list of details, make sure to go to StarWarsHyperdrive

 

Thanks to Twitter member Mr. Eve Evangel for the heads up.

 

Images by Matt Allsopp

 

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

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

21 thoughts on “Rogue One Costume Designers and Concept Artists Share New Details About the Movie!

  • February 4, 2017 at 8:14 pm
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    Wouldn’t mind seeing the concepts for the CRAB walkers. Potentially amphibious I assume.

    • February 5, 2017 at 6:25 pm
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      Probably like a cross between the large four legged droids and six wheeled tanks from ROTS.

      • February 8, 2017 at 3:57 am
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        I figure they also decided against going with a crab-style walker design because it would remind people of the Prequels.

  • February 4, 2017 at 9:02 pm
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    Director’s Cut????

    • February 4, 2017 at 11:48 pm
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      His first cut not an extended cut.

  • February 4, 2017 at 9:47 pm
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    Dang, those pieces of concept art look like they’re right out of the originals. Shows how much love they put into these movies

    • February 4, 2017 at 9:54 pm
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      I think so as well. Like something straight from McQuarrie himself.
      I’d even say they’ve put more thought and effort into R1 than TFA…

      • February 5, 2017 at 11:08 am
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        It’s right when they say “the forgotten hero of Star Wars storyboard designer Joe Johnston” – There is a lot of focus on McQuarrie in the films and cartoons where they retrofit his work, but I’ve seen little celebrating Johnston.

        My favourite books were always the “Art of …” and “Sketchbook” titles in which Johnston’s work featured prominently. I think it’s fair to say that his influence on the original film is up there with McQuarrie.

    • February 5, 2017 at 6:23 pm
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      Perhaps, but Lucas wanted the series to have creativity and I am not sure how being slavish to McQuarrie is in the interest of that. Sooner or later that approach will surely become restrictive?

      • February 6, 2017 at 5:08 pm
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        Can’t go too far from what architecture and design that is appropriate for the time setting, or else people get all twisted out of sorts (TIE Striker).

        Considering Lucas still brought it closer and closer to OT designs in Episode III, it should be expected.

  • February 4, 2017 at 11:08 pm
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    “They worked for 2 months on the citadel tower on Scarif and then completely changed and redesigned it in 2 hours.”

    Substitute “citadel tower on Scarif” with the word “screenplay”, and you might have yourself a fairly accurate statement.

    • February 5, 2017 at 1:07 am
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      I don’t buy into your negativity.

  • February 5, 2017 at 8:38 am
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    I loved the movie, but i find really sad to know that the posibility of new and different ideas is somehow restringed, that is not star wars :/ …and that thing against CGI, I don’t know, come on! the bring Tarkin and young Leia, it is just a tank!

    • February 5, 2017 at 6:21 pm
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      I think CGI would’ve looked out of place for the tank, especially since they probably would’ve had to animate the driver as well.

    • February 5, 2017 at 10:55 pm
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      Considering the fat that the movie takes place like a day before Episode IV, it wouldn’t make sense for the designs to be super different.

  • February 5, 2017 at 4:00 pm
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    Great stuff here! I really wanted to see those Crab walkers but they might be more apt for the ST since that is pretty out there for the OT. I figure the jungle planet got the ax due to it being too similar to Yavin 4.

  • February 5, 2017 at 10:54 pm
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    “Saw Gerrera was supposed to be on another planet. There was an icy planet (designs showed Snowtroopers) supposed to be shot in Iceland as well as a different (?) jungle planet (as seen in the very first teaser).”

    Was this stuff actually shot? And I don’t see a different jungle planet in that first teaser (which I just re-watched).

    • February 6, 2017 at 2:50 pm
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      The very first one, the one shown like at celebration anaheim never released outside the room, with15 seconds of ties getting through a jungle canyon.

      • February 7, 2017 at 12:49 am
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        Oh, that one. I’m guessing that was just Jedha previz.

        • February 7, 2017 at 8:13 am
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          I think if it was a previz, it was scarif.

  • February 8, 2017 at 5:01 pm
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    Well, this explains why the “Hovertank Pilot” toys are now an inaccurate/non-cannon description. The Rogue One Visual Dictionary describes the tank as a “TX-225 Occupier”, complete with treads in the cutaway images (I’m assuming they retconned this because they went with an actual tank for the prop build). The pilot is simply listed as a “tank driver”. #themorenerdythingsyouknow

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