BEHIND THE SCENES: MONITORING THE BATTLE

Images: Ann Skinner/BFI.

In the Rebel Briefing room/command centre on Yavin IV, Princess Leia and her dedicated Generals monitor the critical events unfolding above the Death Star, in the above Polaroid image taken in scene rehearsal by Star Wars Script Supervisor Ann Skinner. Below, another Skinner Polaroid shows some posed character photography taking place on the Massassi temple steps in front of the main set at Shepperton Studios, featuring, from left to right, Alan Harris as a technician, Vass Anderson (who recently sadly passed away) as a controller, Alex McCrindle as General Dodonna (in an early script originally named Zan Dodonna), Anthony Daniels as Threepio and Carrie Fisher as a worried Leia.

Both images appeared in Skinner's special photography/script exhibition for Star Wars at London's BFI last year, though two further colour Polaroids by Skinner not included but in the BFI's Special Collection would show an intriguing angle taken behind Leia, Threepio and the generals looking towards the round centre display.