BEHIND THE SCENES: THE ALTERNATE 'DESERT RATS'!

Before the First Order! Image: LUCASFILM.

On a soon windy, sand-blowing location day in Tunisia, George Lucas directs two of the local populace playing Stormtroopers, for the important scene where the Tatooine desert patrol finds the derelict Blockade Runner escape pod.

The troopers armour gets some special element "stressing". Image: LUCASFILM.

For this particular take, a close-in shot of the troopers conversion the white epaulet padded Stormtrooper didn't need to wear the full costume.

Lucas goes through the scenes with the troopers.

Below is Script Supervisor Ann Skinner's continuity Polaroid image for the rehearsal of this scene, which was presented at a special exhibition at the BFI in 2014. Unseen but residing in the BFI Special Collections Archive are two additional colour Polaroids: one showing the orange epaulet trooper from the rear, the other of the white epaulet trooper without foot armour.

Stormtrooper rehearsal. Image: Ann Skinner/ BFI.

Skinner's typed character/costume/prop notes from early 1976, taken from a pre-filming script:

STORMTROOPER: Weapons. Gunbelt with lights in it. Length of cable. Comlinks in ear and in belt. Zappers for robots.

With continued thanks to Ann Skinner and the BFI.