Save As . When two saber beams cross, their white centers merge and there is no visual cue as to which one is in front. This flare should subside over the next 1 or 2 frames. I also airbrushed away the white part of the tube in the very first frame, so it looks like he's just holding a handle with no beam extended from it yet. Use some reference point in the picture to make sure you're aiming each piece in the same direction.
Faster extension looks cooler and is easier to fake convincingly.
If you want to have an actor extend his beam and immediately go into a fight without cutting to a different view, then consider airbrushing out the part of the rod that doesn't belong during the beam-extension frames. Well, that's about it. By Mark Thomas and David Macomber . Final Training Practicing with lightsabers in a wood-panelled room. By Clay Kronke , hosted by TheForce.net .