The Empire Strikes Back - PD

Although I have seen all the Star Wars films, I chose to read this script mostly because I love the films, but also because I knew it would present a challenge to develop sets that are different from the ones in the film but still keep with the theme of Star Wars. It was amazing to be able to read one of the original scripts, their side notes, and see how it all came together in production. It was a challenge, but a wonderful challenge at that. I chose to write how I would change it from the view of the set designer because this is what I want to be in the future so I thought it only suiting. 

So if I were approaching the script of Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back as the set designer of the film, I would focus on the atmosphere of the set and how it the overall set can compliment the characters in each set. As I read the original script of the film, in the beginning it was clear that they were located in an arctic region, so I would have the rebel base set on a planet where there appears to be absolutely nothing but snow and ice. I would keep their base far beneath the ground, and the entrance that Han goes through would be a secretive sliding door, camouflaged to look like the snowy environment around it. Once inside the base, and for the overall film, it would be filled with mechanical objects and technology that doesn’t necessarily look high tech, but more like they mixed new tech with old. So that there would be a more mechanical rather than futuristic look for the film. For the interior of the base, I would want to make it look completely different from the exterior, separate from the icy terrain they face outside. I would keep the colors gray and black but also add in some red and yellow making it clear to the viewer that these characters are all part of the rebellion, and they are staying in this rebel base. I would try to keep away from white as much as possible since it’s a base and it should look more rugged and dirty, but still modern. On the interior of the ships, I would keep the general theme of gray and possibly add red as subtle detail. 

On Bog Planet, based on the script, I would have the mist and fog surrounding the planet, a lot of green with bushes and trees all around, but make it look like it is slowly decaying. There would be broken trees and a lot of greenery all around the small pond. Once Luke appears on the planet, I would lighten the color a bit so that it shows that because Luke is here there is some more life again and that this is where he was meant to crash. The whole planet would keep with earthy colors, brown, green, some blue, and gray. 

Darth Vader’s Castle, based on the script, I imagine on a dark and lonely mountain, far from everything else. Everything is black and red and dark shades of gray. The red sea around it would compliment the iron exterior which would also look modern but have a few traditional castle elements to it as well, like the towers. In the interior, I would continue the black and some red, but also add in silver to compliment his suit. 

The ruined city of Hoth I imagine to be an off-white color with yellow and light blue and gold accents since they are described as white-haired and white-skinned, and living in the clouds I imagine their city would be bright and almost in a dream-like state, feeling very light and airy. But because the city is ruined, I would add gray and black to it, on the edges of the buildings make it look like there was an attack and the left over ashes from fires, but not so much that it covers the city. The overall feel and look of the city would still be present. As the script goes on in this scenery, in the garden and the other specific areas the characters go in the city, I would slowly introduce things that hint towards something being off about the city. However, this would be subtle so that the viewers would not be consciously aware of it, like with the exotic flowers in the garden, I imagine one of them looking like it’s decaying even though the whole garden is beautiful and blooming, and Lando glances at it and continues walking so that Leia and Han don’t see it, but for the viewers they start to sense that something is a little off. 

Throughout the film, as each character occupies a room, I would add small things that compliment that characters. Such as in Chewbacca’s quarters when they are on the Orbital City, the quarters would of course be like everyone else’s but the details like the mechanical objects and his belt would be laid out in the space, and would show that it’s the space he is occupying. Even though it might be obvious that it’s his room, I think adding those details would confirm it, show the passing of time, and add more interest to the scene. These details I would add all around the film. In summary, I would keep the overall look the film as a mix of mechanical and futuristic, maintain a neutral color palette for each scene with some bold colors in each environment, and I would allow the scenes to compliment the script and the characters in each scene.