If there ’s anything Star Wars fans know about Gareth Edwards , it ’s that he ’s avery hands - on director . A late demo shows how Industrial Light and Magic observe a way to bring Edwards ’ physical camerawork to the digital leg for Rogue One , using virtual reality .

BBC Clickshared a sojourn to ILM London to get a behind - the - setting peek at Rogue One ’s digital prowess , in the wake of its Visual Effects Oscar nominating address . During the interview , computer graphics supervisor Steve Ellis discussed how much ILM admired Edwards ’ power to get physical with his camerawork on bent , and bring out that the visual effects adviser wanted him to be able-bodied to do that digitally .

So , they created what Ellis called a real - time practical reality organization , which was essentially an iPad hooked up to an HTC Vive practical reality controller . They ’d pull up a digital scene for him , like the Star Destroyer ’s scary reveal at the newly construct Death Star . Then , using Steam VR trailing , Edwards would physically move the silver screen around , pinpointing what angle he ’d require the blastoff to begin at and where he would need it to terminate up . The VFX artist would map out the scene ’s progression to jibe .

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“ He would walk around and determine where he require the shots to come out and end , ” Ellis say . “ This was how Gareth was film , strike around and retrieve interesting framing . ”

This kind of filmmaking is n’t new . Peter Jacksonused a form of augmented realityto direct VFX shots for Lord of the Rings , and a mountain of furtherance insimulcam techwere developed for James Cameron ’s Avatar . However , Rogue One ’s VR work is something else entirely … primarily because it ’s so approachable . Thanks to the furtherance in virtual reality , ILM was able to rig a introductory tablet to a consumer - grade VR gimmick and digitally direct a multi - million buck picture . Director Jon Favreau aver he ’ll be using like VR tech fordigital site exploratory survey and shot planningfor the live - action at law The Lion King picture show .

It ’s kind of incredible how VR you could purchase at Best Buy helped make the motion-picture show such a success . Rogue One ’s final battles are some of the most dynamic scene in Star Wars history , digital or physical . Edwards may have been using a false photographic camera , but the movie thaumaturgy was whole material .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

[ YouTube ]

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