Guy Lochhead, 30/08/10
2003 fan film originally produced as an entry in a lightsaber choreography competition hosted by a Star Wars fansite, this short film, in which two fans duel to the death to determine who is the best ‘saber artist’. The film became a viral video in 2006, and earned its creators, Ryan Wieber and Michael Scott, fame and job opportunities. They have capitalised on its success and made a sequel and a website devoted to the project, where you can download the films for free, or buy a making-of DVD explaining the processes involved. This is another example of the power of the internet, and a break-out from the usually inaccessible world of fandom and special effects geekery. I will include the ‘Making Of RVD2’ DVD, because fans are important, I appreciate the amount of work that went into its development, it was made in their spare time, and that they are not secretive about how they achieved the effects.