Behind the Scenes of Star Wars Episode IV In Polaroids

Notes from the continuity editor keep everything together in an archive of old Star Wars scripts and Polaroid pictures.

A series of Polaroid pictures and scripts from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope will be on display at the British Film Institute Southbank through January 4, 2015. If you can’t make it to the BFI to see them in person, we have some for you to look over.

Continuity editor and script supervisor Ann Skinner annotated pictures and scripts for scene setups and minute details. It requires a lot of attention to detail, and you can see Skinner’s quick, small notes in the margins of scripts and along Polaroids taken on set in Tunisia. Skinner’s role was akin to an intermediary between the director and the editor. She checked the expected running length of scenes and ensured times of day were consistent. Without a continuity editor, rewrites of the script can introduce small mistakes. Skinner even wrote notes about the placement of props and which scenes will consist of special effects from Industrial Light & Magic.

Vertical lines through scripts and the corresponding numbers refer to specific clapper boards for the editor to match footage when putting it all together. Polaroid pictures were a quick and easy resource for referencing the positions of characters and props along with costumes. One picture notes Leia’s bracelet is on her right wrist. Skinner even documented the position of walls and debris for scenes.

The full write up of the exhibition is available on the British Film Institute’s website. All pictures are courtesy of the BFI National Archive.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is scheduled for release in December 2015.

Source: British Film Institute