It's Star Wars Day, and there's no better way to celebrate than with some nostalgia. So grab a drink, strap yourself in, and hang on...cause "traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy!"
Star Wars is arguably the most iconic franchise of all time. Think about it. Not counting for inflation, the movies alone have grossed over 10 billion dollars at the box office. Add in series like Clone Wars, The Mandalorian on Disney+, the comic books, video games, toys, and everything else you can snatch up – like this cool controllable BB-8 – the saga is a banger.
Plus, there's a freakin' day for it. Can you top that Marvel?
Probably doesn't matter though. Disney owns both and is racking in the cheddar. Either way, No Film School is celebrating "may the 4th be with you" with a collection of all our favorite stories that will zip you into hyperspace.
Read the Scripts
Take a journey in the into the world of Star Wars by downloading some of the original screenplays below. Or jump to this link to find out what the leaked Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode IX script says about the movie industry.
Ever wonder how a franchise like Star Wars even started? No Film has that answer too. How about understanding the 7 basic questions every screenplay should answer, and how Last Jedi answered three of them? Head on over here.
Speaking of writing a screenplay. Did you know No Film School has a free eBook on the subject? Get your copy here.
- Read the 1977 Star Wars Script And Build Your Own World
- How to Write a Sequel: The Empire Strikes Back Script
- Download the The Force Awakens Script
You can learn a lot from the techniques of other filmmakers. And it's the very reason why No Film School exists. It's a place where filmmakers learn from each other and “no film school” is required. Want to recreate the look of The Rise of Skywalker or find out how the sound design impacted the original movie Check out how some your favorite Star Wars movies were made below.
- Scroll Through 1,000+ Behind the Scenes Photos of A New Hope: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4
- Find Out What it's Like on a Star Wars Set
- See How the Millennium Falcon Was Made
- One Lesson George Lucas Wants to Teach Storytellers
- 15 Secrets from Behind the Scenes of Force Awakens
- How Force Awakens Pulled Off A Pivotal Scene On A Remote Island
- Watch Behind The Scenes Footage of Last Jedi
- Recreate the Look of Rise of Skywalker
- How Rise of Skywalker Pulled Off That Surprise Cameo
- J.J. Abrams Reveals Why Ending the Star Wars Saga Was So Damn Hard
Final Cut
Some of filmmaking's most memorable sounds and visual effects come from the Star Wars franchise. Just thinking about it, you can probably hum the notes to the opening title sequence of John Williams's unwavering score. Others, like Ben Burtt's sound design of the lightsaber, the zip of TIE fighters, the Wilhelm scream, and let's not forget about the menacing voice of Darth Vader from James Earl Jones.
The visual effects have come along way since the original film which masterfully blended miniature sets, matte painting, and handmade creatures controlled by puppeteers. Many of the techniques used on the first film continued to be used on the sequels, but with refined techniques and new technology. Want to learn how some of it was created?
Check out the links below.
- Original Star Wars Footage Reveals Sound Design's Impact
- Learn 3 Editing Techniques Star Wars Uses to Communicate Emotions
- Here's Where the Wilhelm Scream Came From
- Watch John Williams Score This Empire Strikes Back Scene
- How J.J. Abrams Fixing Rise of Skywalker In Post
- Create A Star Wars-Inspired Hologram in After Effects
- Watch What Modern VFX Does to Vintage Star Wars
The Mandalorian was one of the big surprises of 2019 television. Everyone had questions about Baby Yoda, and there were strong reactions too. Find out how the show was made at the jumps below.
- Watch How The Mandalorian Moved Mountains
- The Crazy Cool Tech Behind The Mandalorian
- Is The Mandalorian a Western or a Samurai Show
With hundreds of iconic Star Wars moments, tell us your favorite one or movie in the comments below.
