OK, I am working on more vids, but here is something just for fun... i am carrying this over from my posting for today for the online Layout course I teach for Academy of Art.

How do you think they actually fly all those speeders in Star Wars, etc? if any of you have taken any flight training  you'll be aware of things like the compass, altimeter, airspeed indicator,  turn and bank indicator , engine oil temp. and engine oil pressure gauges, and MANY other control inputs that the pilot must be aware of at all times. I will think more of a character that gets in a craft with all these, than if there just a bunch of circles on the control panel. Does this have anything to do with layout/ with the enjoyment of the movie? perhaps not, but a lot to do with the creation of these worlds that the characters inhabit. If we the audience see the character dealing with things, if they are supposed to be familiar with their craft, Or we are made to feel  that it is a difficult thing to do, requiring patience and skill, then we admire them more when we see them DO things, ie, not just hop in the speeder and take off.

 of course, many designs do just that, fill up the screen with impossible detail. but the good ones try to make it sensible detail.

And some nice lighting helps too.

 

Of course, here's the other end of the spectrum. vastly simplified.Does it work?

What I am saying here is that to enhance the emotional experience ( being affected by story) we the creators - in this case, the layouts - must be offering more than just an ersatz location or prop -try to make it mean something!

And it all starts by choking yourself with reference of the subject!

Well, that was my Saturday night.