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Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Andor' Season 2 Effects Team Did a Wild Number of Things For Real
'Keep it grounded, keep it real' has always been Andor creator Tony Gilroy's mandate to his effects team. For the acclaimed Disney+ Star Wars drama's second season, Gilroy's marching order meant building a massive 'flying' TIE fighter from the ground up, figuring out a fresh way to film a Speeder Bike chase, tweaking the iconic Stormtrooper laser blasts, and solving countless creative challenges (there were 4,140 effects shots). Below, Andor VFX supervisor Mohen Leo (who led the show's digital effects team) and SFX Supervisor Luke Murphy (who tackled the show's practical effects) discuss pulling off the season's biggest visuals — as well as some of the smallest, which often turned out to be the trickiest. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Wolf Hall' Director on How He Pulled off The Silent Scene That Relayed a Thousand Words Why 'The Handmaid's Tale' Has Become a Feminist Life Raft Tonys: Sarah Paulson on the Truth-Teller Behind the Pulitzer-Winning Play 'Purpose' What was the hardest effect to pull off in season two? MOHEN LEO The most ambitious sequence was the TIE Avenger escape [in the season's first episode]. That was in preparation for months — trying to figure out how to keep this sequence within the language of the show. I didn't want to start the season off with something that was only computer generated. In conversations with Tony and with Luke, we talked about designing a sequence that starts with much more traditional filmmaking — with a practical set where we can use practical effects. And then, over the course of that sequence, transition into digital effects [as the fighter flies out of the hanger]. I'm assuming that TIE fighter was actually built? Because you see it on the ground in multiple settings and I thought it was really there. LUKE MURPHY That thing was [actually built] and it sat on its wings. It was one of the most challenging builds we've ever done. It had a steel core and with materials used in aircraft — loads of aluminum composite panels, carbon fiber. We did everything we could to make that thing as strong as possible without having to rely on other structures that would then get painted out [with CG]. Actors could touch it and walk into it. Then we could literally lift that thing up with a crane and fly it around. Back in the day, George Lucas famously used World War II dogfight footage for creating aerial scenes. What do you use now? LEO I try to avoid referencing other movies. There's almost no excuse not to look at real world references because you can find a fantastic reference for almost anything. There's a shot in episode three when Cassian arrives with the TIE Avenger and he overtakes a troop transporter with the troops sitting in it. The idea for that shot came from looking on YouTube for Apache helicopter shots because we were saying, 'Okay, [the TIE fighter] should behave a little bit like a mix of a jet and an Apache.' And I found that same shot of troops driving through the desert and out of the dust comes an Apache. You also had a speeder bike scene, which has come a long way since . LEO One of the things that always bugs me with Star Wars speeder bikes is you can tell that it's someone on a blue screen with a wind machine, and then we put the background in. Luke ultimately came up with a fantastic solution with the stunts team for the speeder bike chase [through a wheat field] for the shots where you don't see Brasso's (Joplin Sibtain) face. MURPHY The speeder stuff is always tricky. But we managed to get a speeder bike built onto the actual V-8 of a high-speed all-terrain vehicle, and then that was driven by a stunt driver. And I think what really helped there — Oh, the crops! MURPHY Yeah. The speed is supposed to be hundreds of miles an hour, right? That's the reality in the Star Wars world. We were fortunate enough to get some really good shots at a very safe speed that look really dynamic, and then we just [digitally] tidy and clean stuff up. It feels believable because the stunt man is really gunning it and going for it. There was lot of paperwork involved in satisfying [the production's] risk management assessors. What shot or effect are you most proud of this season? MURPHY One of the biggest challenges for us was we had to create a 17-ton electric snowplow for the heist sequence. When that vehicle comes down the street and crashes, it rips up the street for 80 feet. I was nervous that day. It was so cold that the breakaway material we were using in the street was sticking together. So at the last minute, we had to lift up 400 paving slabs and loosen all the material underneath. See, that's a shot I would just assume was digital. LEO When you're in visual effects and see there's going to be a shot like that, you always think, 'We're probably going to have to make a whole lot of [CG changes].' We just had to paint away the camera rail — and that's it. We didn't augment that in any way. It looked fantastic just as it was. MURPHY Another shot I was super happy with was when the grain comes out that silo and hits those stormtroopers. We set up a rig to do that and those guys got wiped out by 16 tons of grain. The shots of K2SO in the cockpit, those are digital? My brain was telling me that has to be in effect, but he's so very there. Also, there's so much subtle expression, with the eyes and head movements. LEO It was so important to have Alan back because he really embodied that character, and for his chemistry with Diego. Something we learned on Rogue One was you have to look at things that Alan might express with his face that you couldn't transfer onto K2SO directly because his face doesn't move — other than the eyes. So you find ways to transfer a facial expression into a little tilt of the head, or a movement of the eyes. Interestingly though, we did have a practical K2SO — like in the sequence where he's [deactivated on the table], he's practical. The moment he wakes up, he's digital. Is there anything from the long line of Star Wars video games that inspired any practical or visual effects the season? LEO There is one Easter Egg, I think in episode four. There are a couple of guards that watching pod racing on a screen. The way it was initially written was that they were watching sports. But there's not really football and stuff like that [in Star Wars]. We were like, 'Can we do pod racing?' Then I went back trying to find aerial footage we could use for those shots. There's a game called Star Wars Episode I: Racer from 1999 and it had a bunch of tracks in it. So it uses the track name from the game. Let's talk a moment about the evolution of the stormtroopers' red laser blasts as seen during the hallway fight scene. I feel like back in the day the lasers looked more chunky, and now they're thinner and more darting? LEO If you look at the original trilogy, because [the lasers] were [painted] manually, there is a larger degree of inconsistency. [The lasers] are not always the same colors and not always the same width. So starting with Rogue One, [ILM Chief Creative Officer] John Knoll said, 'Okay, let's really think about what is the visual language of these carrying forward.' We started doing something that is thinner, and has a pointy diamond shape — like arrow tip — at the front. Another thing John pointed out was that for the bigger laser shots — like from the TIE fighter, for example — is that when a green laser hits something, the first two frames of the explosion are green. When a red laser hits something, the first two frames of the explosion are red. There also needs to be always some wiggle room for the individual director to have a say. It's the same with [a ship going into] hyperspace. It's sometimes much more colorful. In Andor, it's a bit muted because it's a backdrop for intense character drama and you don't want it to be distracting. 'Grounded and real' is probably something that a lot of showrunners walk in asking for. But it's impressive Tony had the heft to do that. And then you guys, obviously, pulled it off. LEO I think it's not just heft. It was this understanding of restraint — from Tony and John Gilroy, his brother, the supervising editor, and even the directors. You didn't want to be flashy when it was inappropriate for the story. So there were a number of big visual effects shots that we ultimately cut or toned down because they just felt like they didn't belong. That's interesting. What's an example of a flashy effect shot that was cut? LEO Like there were a couple directors who said, 'Let's start with a big aerial establishing shot, and then cut into the location.' And Tony and John said, 'We don't need that. It's all about the characters, let's go straight into the drama.' What looked really simple but in reality was very difficult? MURPHY The scene where there's a bubbling liquid poured [onto Luthen's spy network communications panel to destroy it]. Really small stuff like that that you wouldn't think was a big deal when you're breaking down a script. Another challenge was the elevator in the Senate building because it's a cylinder with doors that open and then it all moves diagonally. It was compound curves everywhere and it felt like geometry was against us every step of the way. That was quite a challenging rig [to build]. And again, when you read in the script, 'Mon steps out of an elevator,' you think, 'Okay, fine.' Then you see the drawings. It's always the stuff where you go, 'Oh, that's a just a two-minute job' that turns out to be a total monster. This story first appeared in a May stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise
Gizmodo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The 20 Greatest Moments From ‘Andor' Season 2
Andor season 2 came to an end this week, putting an end to Cassian's chapters of the Skywalker saga and bringing about one of the greatest additions to Star Wars' modern era. Across four arcs jumping us closer and closer to the time of Rogue One, the season delivered some of the best Star Wars has had to offer–which made looking back on the season to collect what was the very best of the best joyous and painful in equal measure. But considering we can't just say 'all of it', here's our pick for 20 of the highest highlights from Andor's long goodbye. Act 1 (Episode 1-3) Stealing the TIE Avenger Andor so rarely allows itself a big damn hero action setpiece–action is, more often than not, the terrifying climax of tense release, from the Narkina 5 prison riot to the Imperial oppression on Ferrix and Ghorman. But season 2 opens with a wonderful little display to give us a Cassian who has smoothly settled into his part as a Rebel agent, infiltrating Imperial ship research facilities on Sienar to swipe a prototype TIE (one with a fun Expanded Universe legacy). And then, just to knock him down a peg, it has him alert all the guards he can by accidentally backing it into a wall while he figures out the controls. Can't let him get too smooth. Krennic's Kalkite Boardoom Krennic's Imperial meeting room to reveal his plans for the planet of Ghorman is already a delicious example of how the Empire controls and abuses people on various fronts, but really, the reason this scene is so good is Ben Mendelsohn just relishing being back in Krennic's white cape. This is Krennic on the precipice of completing everything he's ever wanted, and all he needs is one more thing: Kalkite. Deep, substrate, foliated kalkite, to be specific. It's just a joy to watch Medelsohn dance around like he's top dog as he practically chews every word in the scene. Krennic's just enjoying being in the spotlight as he lays out how this room of top Imperial brass, from the ISB to propaganda divisions to the navy, is going to help him achieve it. Dedra vs. Eedy There is already so much going on as Andor hits you with the reveal that Dedra and Syril have started seeing each other, and the relationship is as weirdly charged as you could've imagined. But in witnessing a slice of their bizzaro domesticity, we get the diva-off fans could only have dreamed off: a dinner at home with Syril's mother Eedy, which leads to a stern Dedra turning the tables and making very clear who is wearing the immaculately-ironed pants in this relationship. Bix Strikes Back As the eye of Imperial oppression looms ever further over Mina-Rau, we see the true evils the Empire's power manifests as in a shocking first for Star Wars, an attempted rape, explicitly named as such, when one of the inspection officers corners Bix and goes to assault her. It's gutwrenching to watch, and one of the most tense fight sequences we've ever got in Star Wars, even as we get to see Bix triumph over her would-be abuser. It's a powerful moment, and a chilling way to make the Empire's abusive rot come to the forefront. Mon Mothma's Dance The sequence of Mon Mothma's crashout at Leida's wedding has a bunch of layers to it–the tacit realisation from her that Luthen is willing to kill anyone he needs to to protect her, Cinta and Vel's distant connection as the latter realises the former's there to do Luthen's dirty work, it all climaxing with Cassian coming just too late to save Brasso on Mina-Rau. But tying that all into the hypnotic, almost delirious sequence of Mon walking away from her conversation with Luthen to just give herself a moment to be lost in the crowd of dancing, exhilarated partygoers, swaying to the thrumming electro beats of that banger of a track… it's a beautiful way to climax the first act. Act 2 (Episode 4-6) Varian Skye, Fashion Elite As a nice mirror to his infiltration on Sienar, when Luthen first sends Cassian to Ghorman–a planet known for its exports of fashion–we get to see him do a bit of classic spywork and really dress to play the part, masquerading as designer Varian Skye to set up a meeting with the Ghorman resistance. It's a very cool look (those shades!), but it's also another way we get to see Cassian play his charm offensive, swaggering around with the confidence of a classy elite before he really makes clear to the Front just how much more prepared for this kind of thing he is compared to them. Tarkin's Legacy Syril's infiltration of the discontent Ghormans and 'Varian's' arrival on the planet reveals a wonderful bit of layering to Star Wars continuity: the massacre we've all known was coming this season wasn't the first on Ghorman, there was one that took place years prior under the watch of Wilhuff Tarkin. It is, of course, a nod to the Expanded Universe's original Ghorman Massacre, but Andor's choice to not just thrown in a nod to that version of events, but synthesize into its own history as further commentary on the Empire is a brilliant way to have an easter egg mention otherwise have some real dramatic heft. The Sculden Heist Andor's second season is somehow even more tense than the first a lot of the times, and one of its best moments just layers on that tension thick: Kleya recruiting Lonni at a party hosted by Davro Sculden so she can successfully remove a listening device from an antique Luthen sold to the Chandrilan magnate before it's discovered. There's so much at play, not just as Kleya struggles to manage both her own nerves and Lonni's as she struggles to free the device: they're interrupted by Krennic and more ISB bigwigs being toured around by Sculden, who then bring up Luthen, Perrin, and Mon Mothma. The butting of heads between Senator and Director, the will-they-won't they of just who might get ratted out in this moment it's all deliciously done. Vel and Samm The tragic, sudden death of Cinta after she and Vel are also sent to Ghorman on Luthen's behalf is one of season 2's most delicate moments, but after the initial shock of her catching a stray blaster bolt from the unseasoned Front member Samm, what really twists the knife in is Vel's reaction afterwards. Not content to leave the distraught young man be, Vel takes all her pain and pushes it into a terrifying warning for Samm that what he's done, the life he's unjustly destroyed, will haunt him for the rest of his life. A harsher punishment than if she'd lashed out or tried to hurt him in turn. 'We're the Fuel' Saw makes a compelling case for why so many are willing to follow him in a brilliant, charismatic scene with Wilmon after the Partisans use the young man's technical skills to successfully steal a load of highly volatile starship fuel. Inviting Wil to huff the toxic fumes as he has taken to–a predilection that we know will eventually leave Saw's body broken down even further by Rogue One. Saw's loving ode to Rhydonium as the symbol of everything his fight against the Empire stands for is equal parts rousing and heartbreaking. Admitting that he's long exchanged his life and his sanity for what he has to do to resist the evil of the Empire, in that moment Saw truly becomes the charismatic leader we've been told he is, consequences be damned. Act 3 (Episode 7-9) The Healer and the Messenger Andor has largely drawn itself to other forms of spirituality than the Force up to his point, but Cassian's brief encounter with a mysterious healer at the Yavin base is a wonderful way to bring Star Wars' core mysticism into the fold. It's treated with a sense of weight and trepidation in equal bearing, as the healer offers a portent of Cassian's importance to the skeptical man and an awestruck Bix. If so much of Star Wars is going to play with the idea of destiny and fate, this was a clever, beautiful way to bring in the inevitability of the events of Rogue One into the narrative of Andor. The Massacre The explosion of the protests on Ghorman into a full-on Imperial massacre is one of the most chilling sequences in contemporary Star Wars. A brilliant mirror to the climax of season 1 and the riots on Ferrix being putdown by the Imperials, the Ghorman Massacre not only becomes bigger from an action standpoint, but thematically denser and richer as it weaves in Syril realising just too late that everything Dedra was working him for was a horror on a scale unlike anything he could've comprehended. It's also so brutal and horrible to watch, and that's even before you get to… 'Who Are You?' Ah, what a perfect end to Syril Karn. From the moment he spots Cassian among the screaming masses being slaughtered on the plaza, to the moment a confounded Cassian hits him with the question that's haunted his whole life, Syril's final moments are a brilliant exploration of what has made his character so compelling, a deft commentary on how the Imperial machine craves young, impressionable men like him, only to forge them into useful, evil tools that can be discarded at a moment's notice. A fitting end to one of the show's best characters. The Senate Speech We don't get to hear the full version, but we hear enough of Mon's rousing denouncement of the Ghorman Massacre to matter, as does the galaxy, as she finally lets her rebellion step into the sunlight for all to see. It's already potent for the moment it represents in Star Wars, but it's a profound step for the franchise's relationship with its own political history, with the explicit invocation of Empire's actions as genocide. It's always been the endeavour of the foolhardy to obfuscate Star Wars' political message, but this was the franchise shouting it for all to hear in a way you can't ignore. Re-Writing the Story Andor has layered all sorts of connective tissue to the wider world of Star Wars across its story, but in making Mon Mothma a central figure of its story, it was always going to be running headlong towards another series almost as inevitably as it was Rogue One: her flight from Coruscant to Dantooine as depicted in Star Wars Rebels, to make the formal declaration of the Rebel Alliance. How Andor handles that is subtle, but fascinating, climaxing Mon and Cassian's flight from the Senate with a moment of realization for the latter, and just how much this wider Rebellion is going to distance itself from the part that raised Cassian up: the story of Cassian's extraction will be handed off to a more proper Yavin escort, the story told in a cleaner, more palatable way. It is by no means a knock to Rebels, but it's a brilliant way to bridge those two stories. Act 4 (Episodes 10-12) Luthen and Kleya It's unfair to practically assign an entire episode of prestige television as a best 'moment', but christ, that's kind of what 'Make It Stop' ends up being. From Dedra cornering Axis at last, to Kleya's one-woman infiltration mission to send Luthen on his way after he mortally wounded himself rather than give up the Rebellion, it's an incredible farewell to one of Andor's core characters, while passing on his legacy to the next generation, woven throughout a brilliant exploration of their history together. Andor's got a lot of finest hours in its two seasons, but this is the finest among them. Krennic Gets Dedra Not to pick a moment within the above moment, but it would be remiss to not point out the moment Dedra's obsession and ambition finally lays her low. The moment of terror as she realizes Krennic has come to bludgeon the systems she has upheld against her for hoarding all the little scraps of information that lead to word of the Death Star making it out to Luthen is incredibly played by Denise Gough, and Mendelsohn again manages to balance the delectably scene-chewing bravado of Krennic with a genuine menace. 'It's Everywhere, Isn't It?' Getting to hear Nemik's manifesto one more time might have been enough to mark this as a best moment, but the way it's deployed is incredibly satisfying: one of the last things ISB head Major Partagaz hears, as he prepares to kill himself rather than face comeuppance for the ISB's failures is an unknown voice of rebellion that's echoing across the galaxy. His final admittance that the 'disease' he sought to contain has come to choke him is a fitting end. Cassian's Dream One of the first things Andor set up was Cassian's search for his long lost sister, and in an age where Star Wars is more broadly obsessed with filling in as many details it can about its world and its characters, the fact that the show largely moved on from the 'mystery' became something of a sticking point for some fans. Andor season 2 doesn't give us an answer either–or rather, perhaps not one that would satisfy that need for cold, hard facts. One of the last things we see Cassian do in the whole show is wake up from a brief dream of his sister, and it's all we really need to know: that he still thought of her, even right up to the very end, even if neither he or we got the answer. The Final Shot Regardless of the controversy around Bix's arc in season 2, the very last scenes of the series climaxing with her living a life of peace on Mina-Rau are a potent, hopeful note to end the series on. A series that was always barrelling towards the tragic sacrifice of its titular character instead ends on the revelation that the legacy he loved and shared with Bix will live on into a new generation, one that, at least for a while, will get to eventually come of age in a galaxy at peace.
