In the void between the Special Editions and Prequel Trilogy, three independent film projects felt the call of a journey to Skywalker Ranch. Each film project reflects an aspect of the evolution of fandom, as the kids of 1977 became the people of 1999. Some would recall the glow of discovery of the new hope, others would champion the appreciation of the complete story and others would come to the realization that adulthood meant something different for their development. The films of the Ranch Journey Trilogy represent this divergence of fandom. Personally I hope someone screens/airs this trilogy. The fans can debate which of these movies takes which Star Wars spot. Should 'die LUCAS die's darker spirit reflect and take 'The Empire Strikes Back' spot? Should 'Fanboys' take 'Return of the Jed's spot since it culminates in the successful completion of the mission, and leads directly into the Prequel Era. And finally can '77 (was 5-25-77) take 'A New Hope's spot, the journey of a sci-fi obsessed teenager who got a sneak peak into the magic making factory as the magic making took place, the location the other two films strive for, Skywalker Ranch. As we learned from the Prequel Trilogy, whatever the final order you determine to watch these films, it will inevitably provide a different view point and additional insight. So watch these three films in the 9 order permutations for full effect! But let's hear from the creators themselves: What/Where did you find the inspiration to start your films? Responses : Mr. Johnson : text Mr. Schober : A few things come to mind. I traveled around the Baja peninsula by myself for a month while writing much of die LUCAS die on a little solar-powered laptop; both the landscape and solitude played a big role in shaping my characters and story. I also had recently graduated film school and grew tired of listening to friends and fellow students talk about making it big when all their plans really consisted of was waiting for a big studio to throw money at their great ideas. Finally, I saw Wes Anderson's first feature called Bottle Rocket. Great movie with an inspiring independent spirit in filmmaking. When I saw that movie, I realized producing my own vision was actually within reach. Mr. Cline : text Could you set up your appreciation of Star Wars fandom at the time you were writing your film? How has it changed in the last 11+ years? Responses : Mr. Johnson : text Mr. Schober : I can appreciate any hobby or obsession that drives fans to live unpopular lifestyles in the face of public ridicule but I can also see the great comedic potential for goofing on such individuals. They bring it all upon themselves and they would be lying if they said they didn't want it. But the fandom landscape has also changed a lot over the past decade or so. Once you get out of high school, dork is the new jock. Kids today are trying too hard to be different because geeks are currently ruling the world, and like any cyclical pattern, this will all change and most of the nerd wannabes will be sifted out leaving the true dweebs to stare at their 20-sided die in their room...alone. Don't get me wrong, I have a genuine affinity for geek culture but would stop short of saying I am one of them. How many times are we going to have to hear a hot girl say, "OMG, I'm such a nerd!"? Yeah, and I bet you were ugly in high school too. Shut up. Mr. Cline : text Did the success of Fan Films like Troops or fan genre inspired films like Trekkies help persuade you that the larger society might embrace a Star Wars Fandom centric film? Responses : Mr. Johnson : text Mr. Schober : Maybe they did after the fact. I only started seeing videos and films like these pop up after I finished mine. Scoring genuine Stormtrooper outfits for your cast or getting a Shatner cameo in your film is the stuff that studios think audiences need to see in order to accept a fan-based film as a legitimate production. Unfortunately, I think most filmmakers themselves feel the same way. Instead of springboarding off of great Star Wars or Star Trek lore in order to tell new stories, most filmmakers seem content in just providing a tribute for fellow fans. I'm not going to lie, I've always been jealous of the genuine Stormtrooper costumes some filmmakers have constructed, stolen or bought and I would love to use stuff like that for my own production but after the obligatory parody, what's left? I see 2 ways to appeal to hardcore Star Wars fans, give them what you want (original recipe) or give them what you think they want (extra crispy). Mr. Cline : text Did you hear about these other Star Wars themed films? Responses : Mr. Johnson : text Mr. Schober : After we wrapped production on die LUCAS die and I finished editing, my producer (Jae Song) and star of my film (Collin Couvilloun a.k.a. Mark) met Kevin Smith at a Mall Rats DVD signing. They slipped him a VHS copy of die LUCAS die and went their separate ways. A few months later, I heard (second hand) Kevin Smith talking about a deluge of Star Wars fan films to be released just before the new trilogy was set to debut. He mentioned the usual suspects and among them was a little film called die LUCAS die. I can only assume he watched the tape because there specific references to three friends and road trips and no one had seen my film at that point, not my parents, friends, not even most of the cast and crew. Mr. Cline : text While creating a story about going to Skywalker Ranch, anyone hear about details of the rumored 1980's fan urban legend? Responses : Mr. Johnson : text Mr. Schober : Even with the absurd amount of hype surrounding the new Star Wars trilogy in the late 90's, there actually wasn't much information to be mined from Google or Yahoo back then. It was all word of mouth and since I never traveled in such circles, I never came upon any juicy rumors or stories. But when I was a kid, I lived near a Mattel factory and heard many tales about discarded and rare Star Wars action figures that could be easily taken from their corporate dumpsters. Mr. Cline : text Each films journey from script to screen took their own path following the spirit of independent filmmaking. Creator of '77, Patrick Reed Johnson who early on wanted to work in film, so much so that as a kid he got on set as they produced Star Wars. '77 tells the tale of his enlightenment and return to suburbia proclaiming the magic of what he saw at Skywalker Ranch. As with '77, Ernest Cline's 'Fanboys', and Craig Schober's 'die LUCAS die' were initially to be released prior to The Phantom Menace, but with 1998 as their, in film, time and place. Both were to be independent productions, 'die LUCAS die' was able to follow through to completion, while 'Fanboys' garnered additional attention and got industry treatment. Both films focus on the relationships of two groups of friends. But that's where the similarities end, these two films end up diametrically opposite in mood, plot, and other creative choices. As the protagonists formulate their missions to Skywalker Ranch, each film would begin to revel in their choices, one bursting with the enthusiasm of the forthcoming stories, the other degrading (even physically) as they are made aware of some of the delusions of their generations fandom. Each film does move beyond Star Wars fandom into other realms of categoried nerd and geekdom; video games, music, television, other science fiction franchises and other constants of 80s young adulthood. Mr. Johnson, To be able to time travel back to those production days of Star Wars is a dream of many fans (especially cut scene fanatics), how often do you thank you mom and from what's not shown in the film, what reactions to the working atmosphere furthered your film aspirations? text The Independent nature of your production has allowed you the freedom to make the changes you feel are required, but do you worry about missing a release date which could help you culturally? You've watched the prequels pass by, the 30th anniversary, or is the direction your taking the film attempting to portray a story larger then Star Wars? text Can you explain the delays of this project? There's been mention of financial problems, clearance issues, investor concern, and that the initial edit didn't conform with how you wanted your story told? text With Gary Kurtz as producer, beyond his first hand knowledge of the internal Star Wars production, what did he bring to '77 which surprised and provided added depth to '77? text Any news on a release schedule? text Mr. Schober, Did you go through the same realization as the protagonist Mark did in 'die LUCAS die', that your fandom was built on faulty memories or societal delusions? Once I started writing die LUCAS die, it struck me that such mass appeal for one story had to have inroads into the memories of everyone my age. Now you could argue that epics like Homer's Odyssey or fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood should have the same effect on children but most things before the age of cinema were just not that visceral. Star Wars audiences all have these common visual of mythical proportions that you just cannot share when you read or are told a verbal story. Couple this with mass marketing of toys, video games, lunchboxes, etc., and I think you have the makings for a great mass delusion on a national scale if not global. I suspect the same thing is going on right now with parents and their children with the Lord of the Rings films. Only this time the parents and children share delusions of similar proportions so it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out in the end. Was the experimental nature of the final production always part of the plan, or did that emerge in final production? (*or*) The final cut of the film takes quite a few risks in style, why did you chose the experimental aesthetic? I would love to say the experimental nature was planned from day one but that is not the case. We went through production crafting a fairly standard narrative but as I began piecing it together in post production, I quickly grew tired of the narrative on paper and wanted to see a film that expressed how I felt. I wrote a script about 3 guys who felt ripped off by the commercial freight train that is Star Wars but I ended up making a very personal film about how it feels to make films in the face of epic productions like Star Wars. Those 2 things are not incongruous of one another to me but you you'd be surprised how many people ask me if I meant to clearly show a film slate in front of an actor's face or crank up the volume to hear my voice off screen feeding lines to a child actor. I know I'm firmly walking straight through douche country here but I can honestly say that the experimental aesthetic chose me. I enjoy writing and directing but my real passion is for editing. Only in editing can I re-shape my vision to create a feeling that directing actors or the words on the script page just won't accomplish for me. It's all about feeling so in order for me to make sense of any of my film school training, I had to throw out what I knew and just go with what felt right. What sparked you to become active in expressing your derision to the 'franchise'? or is this a miss-characterization? I don't have as much a problem with the franchise as I do with people who think they have to hate George Lucas for ruining their beloved Star Wars. I know it sounds like I'm contracting my own film's message but I do wish fans would stop regarding the first 3 films as something sacred and the 2nd trilogy as George Lucas' selfish mistake. I grew up with so many pessimistic friends who didn't need to see the new trilogy to already decide it sucked. But I also see a lot of young kids that love the new trilogy. I think that clash in tastes is what first drew me to the real battle behind Star Wars. Sure I like the original trilogy more than the new one but I think that only goes to show that I've changed a lot more than George Lucas has. How would you describe your Star Wars fandom shift? Was it gradual, merged with your growing up and becoming more aware. How have you balanced the aspects you still appreciate verses what you dislike? It all began with my first videocamera around age 12. I'd forsaken a lot of other great toys and gifts as a child in order to be the first in my neighborhood to get a videocamera back in the mid-eighties when they were just becoming portable. As soon as you're forced to tell your own visual narrative, you begin to relate deeply with other storytellers and filmmakers. Being a fan is simply not enough anymore. So you could say I grew up fast , at least as a filmmaker. First I mimicked what I liked, then I dreamed about what I liked but finally I was forced to think about the things I liked and how I was going to tell my own stories. I came to see many similarities between George Lucas and myself. He was a very shy, introverted kid fascinated with technology. And much like me, he's not known for being an actor's director. He is also deeply interested in editing having developed the industry's first non-linear editing system. Now look at his first film, the brilliantly somewhat experimental THX-1138, and you see something that looks nothing like Star Wars on the surface. But go a little deeper and every cut and every sound edit in that movie suggest a lost episode in the Star Wars saga but on a personal level. I know what I like and THX-1138 kicks Star Wars ass. What issues dealt with in 'die LUCAS die' do you find hold up the best, now that a decade has passed? What aspect got overlooked which you thought would grab people's attention? I would have to say that the performances hold up the best for me. I still like many of my editing decisions and there are a few good lines here and there but no one in that cast ever struck a false note to me. My 3 main leads really captured their man-boy characters. The 20-something guy living in his parents basement has become a cinematic slacker staple but with few examples to draw from, my lead actors managed to nail the intricacies of male friendships at the end of the millennium. As far as some aspect that went overlooked...Spoiler Alert: I was certain that Garner's suicide would come across as a selfless gift to his friends the way it was designed but I'm not too sure it did for most audiences. When I think about the idea of someone killing themselves to not only make a statement but help the living understand their own lives better, it makes my neck hairs stand up. It's an amazingly bittersweet idea that I think I might one day rip-off from myself. Speaking of spoilers and rip-offs, I was toying with the idea of a sequel. Now hear me out...It's the new millennium and Mark and Ryan are on a crusade to kill a new target, Robert Rodriguez, the sith lord, George Lucas' latest apprentice. With some help from the fallen jedi ghost of Garner, they track down Rodriguez before he can unleash his latest weapon, a 2nd Spy Kids trilogy on an unsuspecting digital Hollywood...oh, nevermind. Mr. Cline, 'Fanboys' got rebooted shortly into it's first production run, how far into filming were you when the project was asked to change? (Will this material see release? the Brill material?) text Although the end goal of visiting the Ranch was the same, were there any fandom types which got removed as the production or became less geeky, more Star Warsy? text Besides the larger media frenzy, what else, which surprised you, came about because of the Industry help? Conversely what aspect of the project do you feel got diminished? text Compare/contrast your independent interaction with this film and the industry version? Was it hard to transition into a role where you're watching the production, or is the enjoyment of watching talented people creating your vision make it completely worth it? text In the end, all three tales examine young adults establishing some of the transitions, foundations and relationships for their next journey in life. Similar to the in-movie stories, the films of the Ranch Journey Trilogy show off the range a societal concept can creatively be re-worked when applied to the movie format. We wish good luck to Mr. Johnson and hope to see '77 hit a theater near us all soon, Mr. Cline's Fanboys is beginning to be released worldwide, and Mr. Schober's 'die LUCAS die' won't die as long as everyone buys a copy from the website. What projects are you all involved in the future? Mr. Johnson, text Mr. Schober, I just executive produced another dark comedy feature about a guy suffering from ectrodactyly (lobster boy syndrome) who falls in love with his best friend's girlfriend. It's called (The Crab) and should be hitting some festivals in the next few months. Official Website : thecrabmovie.com Blog : The Crab Movie Blog Mr. Cline, text About the interviewer: %20 is the producer of an experimental documediamentary on the perception of the Star Wars phenomenon at the time of the release of 'Revenge of the Sith' entitled, 'Thee Backslacpkping With Media'. Self proclaimed as part of the imaginary Star Wars Crowd Sourced Trilogy. (tBSWM, PvsG, SWU) >> 'Thee Backslacpkping With Media' Video Portal <<