So the Star Wars universe proves to be elastic, and is more than able to accommodate these stories; after all, some of us simply don’t have the time to learn every bit of minutiae from every source under the sun, and most of these films don’t require such knowledge. Indeed, they are quite user-friendly, as the backstory to each film is provided on the site by a synopsis.
Technical Challenges
“Budget wasn’t really an issue considering we only spent 200 bucks on the film,” says Carlos Godinez, co-Director/actor, “A Question of Faith.” “We did the best with what we had—filming was the hard part, getting the four of us awake together, the heat killing us in our costumes, and the local police arresting Jason [Alexander, co-Director/actor] one day during filming.”
Films can be captured and edited either on analog or digital equipment. Much of the equipment needed to edit and add post-production effects is already in the hands of aspiring filmmakers, so, for many, initial start-up costs have already been paid. Amateur filmmakers can use their hardware and software again and again, and the now-constant stream of affordable hardware and software helps keep the wheels of imagination and production turning.
The finished product can be as ambitious or as lackadaisical as the filmmakers want, but theforce.net has the final word as to whether the piece will find space on their site. The fans themselves seem to be the strongest force in how professional a piece will look, since no one is going to learn how to rotoscope multiple light sabers or create CGI X-Wings on the fly over a weekend just because it sounds like a cool idea. Even though it doesn’t take a degree in cinematography to make a great fan film, a better than average idea and friends who can act give you a tremendous advantage.
Originality seems to be one of the biggest challenges in making a good film. Jedi/Sith battles are a recurring theme in fan films, and while it’s cool to see all the trouble some of these dedicated fans go to in order to communicate their vision to the viewing audience, it does get repetitive after about the fifth such film. Again, the story has to save the piece, which is not the easiest thing in the world when most of your effort is dedicated to the fine-tuning of your choreography and rotoscope technique.
Other stories told in these films go in various directions, telling stories such as: the hectic day in the life of the Jawas (“Desert Duel”); a simple moment of mourning for a Rebel pilot (“Sacrifices”); and brothers on opposing sides of the Force (“A Question of Faith”). While the majority of films are short narrative stories, animation and music videos are also making inroads on the site. The videos are parodies worthy of Weird Al Yankovic: “Nookie” becomes “Wookie”; “Rock Me, Amadeus” becomes “Jabba on the Dais”—you get the idea.
Computer animation is becoming more and more of a presence on the site, a testament to the greater accessibility of the materials required to pull off film-quality animation. One standout work is “The Son of the Suns,” which, when completed, will be an entire film rendered exclusively in dynamic CGI. It tells the story of the effects Luke and Anakin Skywalker have had, and will have, on their universe. Humor is pervasive in the short films, sometimes to genuinely clever effect instead of hamfisted attempts at stuff Monty Python did much better a long time ago. For example, “Legacy of the Jedi” is clever, while “The Invisible Enemy” suffers from the well-meaning intentions of its creators.
These films are a labor of love—some may say obsession. If nothing else, they are a testament to what kind of effect one can have on someone else’s universe when one sets his or her mind to it, and how one can create one for oneself, and how easy and how wonderful that can be.
Noteworthy Films
“Troops.” Running time: 10:09. Plot: Stormtroopers on patrol on Tatooine, which one of them refers to as “the ass-end of the universe.” Bottom line: the one that started it all, incorporating plot twists that happened off-screen in Star Wars. Humor is in the right hands in this parody, which comes delivered in five parts, or as a complete film. Highly recommended.
“Duality.” Running time: 6:32. Plot: A Sith apprentice faces his final task in order to achieve the title of Sith: kill another Sith in a lightsaber duel. Bottom line: worth the download time just to watch two Sith beat the hell out of each other with those double-bladed lightsabers. The acting is a bit melodramatic, but the outstanding effects make this one to watch.
“A Question of Faith.” Running time: 15:50. Plot: Jedi brothers on opposite sides of the Force. Bottom line: one of the absolute best. The quality of the storyline, which easily stands on its own, is augmented by the stunning series of lightsaber battles that rival anything Lucas himself has released, with a wonderful climax and an acute sense of scope.
*
Cristopher Hennessey-DeRose is the author of about 100 articles, published in magazines such as Talebones and gothic.net. He writes a regular column for twilightshowcase.com, and his previous publications in Strange Horizons can be found in our Archive.
Falconry: The Real Sport of Kings
By Mary K. Wilson
11/26/01
“I know a hawk from a handsaw.”—William Shakespeare
The sight of a hawk soaring above the hillsides inspires a reverence for the untamed beauty of nature. Soaring on air currents above the countryside, these majestic raptors search for prey with vision far keener than our own. The sight of one person, standing in a field, calling the hawk to perch fills those who witness it with awe. The hawk swoops to land on a gauntleted arm, rewarded with tasty bits of meat.
The sport of falconry binds man and raptor into an intimate dance of life and death. Although done in the past as a way of feeding one’s family, today, falconers practice the art for its enjoyment. Although the sport is called falconry, the birds used come from all species of raptors. A raptor is the name for any bird that comes from the family Accipitridae, order Falconiformes. These birds characteristically have a large, curved beak, powerful, sharply-taloned feet, and exceptional powers of flight and sight. The two common classes of raptors used in falconry are falcons and hawks.
History of Falconry
Falconry first appeared in China as early as 2205 BC. Ahizado Pito (1808), a Japanese writer, indicates that falcons were given as gifts to the Chinese princes of that dynasty. The British bibliographer Harting reported a bas-relief depicting a falconer in the ruins of Khosabad dating from around 1700 BC. Other records and wall hangings recovered from the same era show that people in Arabia and Persia practiced falconry.
As trade between the different civilizations of the time moved from west to east, falconry also moved. Aristotle (384-322 BC) makes references to the sport of falconry being found in Greece, the earliest appearance of the sport in Europe. The Japanese imported goshawks around 244 AD.
The conquering Germanic tribes brought falconry west, and in Medieval Europe it became a favored pastime, especially among the nobles. In the 8th or 9th century, an Arabic treatise on falconry appeared. The Arabs had much to say to the crusaders on the sport, especially in the use of hoods. Much of their information still holds true today.
The earliest Western treatise on falconry was written around 1247 by Emperor Frederich II of Hohenstaufen, a crusader. As a result of his book titled De Arte Venandi cum Avibus, Frederich II has been called the father of ornithology. History tells us that Frederich II almost lost an important military battle because he wanted to go hawking instead of continuing with the siege of the fortress.
During one crusade, the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid captured the son of Philip the Bold, Duke of Normandy. He turned down Philip’s offer of 200,000 gold ducats for ransom, instead demanding and receiving twelve white Gyr falcons. Henry VII of England enacted a law protecting goshawk nests “in pain of a year and a day’s imprisonment,” making this the earliest legislation to protect raptors.
Other laws to protect raptors emerged. To poach a falcon from the wild meant the criminal’s eyes were poked out. Holding a bird above one’s social status meant the loss of the individual’s hands.
Falconry and Social Rank
Only kings could fly either a male or female Gyr falcon. Peregrine Falcons were the domain of princes, while dukes could use Rock Falcons, a subspecies of the Peregrine. Earls flew the Tiercel Peregrine, while a baron was relegated to the Bastarde, or Common Buzzard. Knights hawked with Sakers, while squires could use Lanners. Ladies, when they were allowed the sport, used female Marlins. The yeoman used the Goshawk or Hobby, which was said to be able to sufficiently stock a larder. Priests and holy water clerks flew the female and male Sparrow hawks respectively. Knaves, servants, and children used the Kestrel. Although not all of these birds are falcons, the sport was and still is known as falconry.