How'd he do that?!

Was anyone else reminded of that time Han shot at Vader in Empire Strikes Back? I have a theory that they wanted Vader to stop the laser bolt in midair but the special effects technology to do so just wasn't there. They opted for Vader's robot hand to take the blasts instead and shelved the idea until the special effects technology caught up.

 

I was talking about this shot with Takamichi Irie. Taka pointed out that Kylo Ren did not slip into a highly focused, meditative state while holding the laser bolt like how Yoda would when he was lifting an X-Wing out of the swamp. Kylo Ren was walking and talking the entire time he was holding that bolt. Apparently he's a multitasker. Taka didn't like it. I agree with Taka, but I still liked it. It was something I've never seen before and above all else, it was a simple idea that worked.

 

This shot was the hardest to create so far, and at the same time, my favorite Force Awakens shot. The set up and photoshoot were simple. Adding all the effects and adjusting the lighting was tough. For example, the tiny laser bolt reflections in the Stormtroopers' armor are totally artificial, which was not easy to create. I also don't have the official Poe minifig yet, so I substituted it with a Kili head, some black hair, Finn's torso, and some regular pants.

 

If you're interested, you can see my setup here. And a before/after comparison can be found here.

 

Can anyone spot the character cameo in this photo?

Done