So over the last few months, I’ve taken to downloading Star Wars fan films onto my computer and sort of arranging them in order of the timeline. I’ve accrued about 30 videos from YouTube and absolutely love them.

Today, I wanted to share my top 5 with you.

Now…  before I do that, what are my standards? Well they are fairly easy:

1. Actual Honest to God backgrounds! Go on youtube and you’ll see literally hundreds of these fan films that look like they were filmed in someone’s back yard woods. Seriously, how many planets in that Galaxy look like Endor??? It can be a green screen projection, I don’t care, just put the effort in.
2. A good story. This trumps #1 and probably any of the others. If you can put on a good story, I’ll watch your video and give it the time of day.
3. Special effects… seriously, you have to do better than Hasbro lightsabers. I see that and think… ‘Okay, now you’re not even trying.’

All right so…

#5. Star Wars Threads of Destiny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGhzRVbVp0Q

This is a foreign film, so expect broken English. The clarity is a bit off and the sets aren’t great, and the story is about as basic as they come, but this is a feature length film! Honestly, the fight scene at the end makes it worth everything!

#4 Darth Bane’s Mock Trailer:

This is awesome. The effects are awesome, the proposed story which I have read, is awesome, the costumes are awesome and the sets are awesome. I see this trailer and I WANT to see this movie be made!

#3 TROOPS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvswNDAAZCU

This is old… and stupid… and hysterical!!!! It holds up, the effects look great and it still makes me laugh every time I see it!

#2 Kara

Not going to lie, I honestly want to see more of this one. A young Jedi with no one to teach her the ways of the force. It cuts out WAY too early, but again, it is really well done… the Storm Troopers actually seem like they’re a little more competent.

Now before I get into #1, I wanted to give a few runners-up…

Darth Maul 

This didn’t make my list because I kind of found it too linear and more to the point of ‘look how cool we think Darth Maul is.’

Rebel Scum

This one was interesting. However the effects were kind of hokey.

Jakku – First Wave

This struck me as a sort of pre-normandy video like the one we saw in Saving Private Ryan. I really liked it… Its minimalist, but you feel for the characters and you can actually see things from the side of the stormtroopers. My problem with it is that it cuts out BEFORE the battle. I would love to see the Battle of Jakku in it’s entirety… sadly I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.

So here we go… my #1 Star Wars fan film…

#1 Star Wars Legends – Legacy of the Force:

WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!

Everything about this is awesome. I was particularly happy with their casting choices, especially Jaina Solo:

One other aspect I really liked about this was the choreography with the dueling. Notice that we see Jaina using one hand very similar to her grandfather’s combat style. This was also a very bold choice as these stories have been relegated to the realm of Legends.

Let me know if you see another film that you think should be on the list!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
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Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim