Michael Kaplan Talks Designing The Many Characters Of STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
In a recent interview for Vanity Fair magazine, Michael Kaplan talked about designing the characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and how he made their appearances evolve! He also talked about some of the things that inspired his decisions! Hit the jump to check it out!
In a recent interview in the June edition of the Vanity Fair Magazine, Michael Kaplan talked about the many things he did to make every character’s look in Star Wars: The Force Awakens evolve to fit modern times. He begins by revealing whether or not he used any old costumes from the previous Star Wars films for J.J. Abrams' new movie. “We didn’t use anything, but I went up to George Lucas’s archives—huge building—and just spent a day going through sketches and looking just to get the tone of the movie, you know, in my guts and veins so that when I went to London I felt equipped and inspired, which I certainly did.”
He then explains that he didn’t want to use the old stormtrooper design because he wanted this new look to fit the audience of today. He also revals a big reason why he decided to change the design of the iconic, original stormtrooper costume. “The old stormtroopers uniforms would not be usable. Audiences of today have become so sophisticated that a lot of things you could get away with in the past, you can’t anymore. So the new uniforms are much heavier. Also, the action in the film required them to not be “VacuFormed” [like the old uniforms] as those all broke and cracked. These new ones are much more heavy-duty, but they are redesigned, too, they’re not the same stormtroopers.” He then continued, “Everything was a conversation with J.J., of course. He wanted to hold on to the uniqueness and not get too far away from the stormtroopers, keep that iconic look, but still have 30 years of difference. I mean, it would be a little odd to have the same stormtroopers this much later when Leia and Han are so much older.”
How did Kaplan come up with the new stormtrooper design and what inspired him to go with it? Well, it seems as though he got some inspiration from Apple Inc. “Maybe subconsciously, but with the stormtroopers it was more of a simplification, almost like, “What would Apple do?” J.J. wanted them to look like stormtroopers at a glance but also be different enough to kind of wow people and get them excited about the new design.”
Aside from the stormtroopers and the Empire, Michael Kaplan spoke on how he worked with Princess Leia, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and the clothes they wear throughout the film. He wants change in their clothing, but not that big of a change. “A lot of it had to do with what was right for the story and the action, but a lot of it was also, you know, people have a way of dressing.” He then adds, “I wouldn’t really be doing my job if I thought, Hey, let’s redesign this character totally and put them in colors they’ve never worn. It just wouldn’t make any sense. But you also want new, interesting things to look at. You want enough change to be there.”
To see more of what Michael Kaplan had to say about Blade Runner, his thoughts on the original Star Wars, and more, feel free to hit the link below! For those of you who stuck around, what do you think about Kaplan’s thoughts about the character’s designs? Do you feel as though the classic designs should have been kept? Or do you think change was needed? Sound off below with your thoughts! Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters December 18, 2015.