Introduction

Star Wars: Revelations is a fan film released on April 17, 2005, created by fans of George Lucas’s Star Wars saga.

The film takes place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and explains why the Jedi Order was extinct in the original trilogy.

Compared to an average Star Wars feature film, Revelations runs shorter with a length of 47 minutes and 13 seconds (though many fan films run shorter). The film was made with a final budget between $15,000 and $20,000.

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Outline

The destruction of the Jedi Temple was devastating. Accusing the now-defunct Confederacy of Independent Systems of the attack, Emperor Palpatine declares martial law on Coruscant. As the Imperial presence spreads to most systems, Palpatine calls the scattered Jedi order ineffective. Their protests are denounced as treason, all Jedi are declared traitors, and are now fugitives of the Empire.

The film centres on Zhanna – one of the Emperor’s Hands – and Taryn Anwar, a Seer who had helped Zhanna hunt down the Jedi without knowing that Zhanna had turned to the dark side. Taryn seeks to redeem herself; her visions lead her to a dangerous ancient Jedi artefact said to give the bearer great power.

Canonicity

Fan films by definition are not considered canonical. Revelations was written and produced before the premiere of Revenge of the Sith, and inevitably there were discrepancies between what the filmmakers hypothesised would transpire in Revenge of the Sith, and what was eventually depicted in Lucas’s finished film. Many of these inconsistencies revolve around the chronology of the destruction of the Jedi order.

Production

Production on the film began in 2003, with a cast and crew of nearly 200. While the production relied much on special effects, and most scenes – especially urban and space scenes – are composited, several scenes were shot on location, including the lengthy climactic sequence, filmed in Shenandoah Caverns over three nights. The special effects were done by a scattered group of artists around the world, working on different platforms and pieced together in post-production. The film was released on 17 April 2005 – just over a month before Revenge of the Sith.

Revelations earned critical acclaim for the quality of its computer graphics and high production value for a fan film. It was produced by Panic Struck Productions and is available for download on TheForce.net, iFilm, and Panic Struck’s website.

Though it was generally considered an excellent fan film, it could not be entered into The Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards because it was much longer than the contest’s upper time limit, and because Lucasfilm only accepts parodies or documentaries as part of the competition. Due to legal reasons, they cannot allow serious fan fiction works into the contest. Despite this, director Shane Felux attended the fan film awards.

Cast

• Gina Hernandez – Taryn Anwar.
• Karen Hammang – Zhanna.
• Holland Gedney – Raux Anwar.
• Frank Hernandez – Declan.
• Joe Lancaster – Zhanna’s Aide.
• Jack Foley – Darth Vader (voice).
• Errol Spat Oktan – Emperor Palpatine/Annoying Drunk/Biker Scout/Tie Pilot #3.
• Jonathan Thorpe – Emperor Palpatine (voice).
• Ayisha Cottontail – Go-go Dancer 3.
• Nick Jamilla – Rogue 1/Sword Fight Choreographer.

Trivia

• Within two weeks of the film being made available online, it was downloaded nearly one million times.
  • A downloadable DVD image of Revelations was released not long after its debut on the internet.
• For the most part, the media praised the film, especially for its special effects and story.
• Awards:
  • 2005 Balticon Film Festival: Best Film.
  • 2005 Star Walking Film Festival (Australia): Best Live Action, Production Design, Editing, Visual Effects, Best Actress (Gina Hernandez).
  • 2005 MassBay Film Festival: Best Fan Film.

Star Wars Series

• Overview of the Star Wars Franchise.
• Overview of Star Wars Films.
• Overview of Star Wars Parodies.
• Overview of Star Wars TV Series.
• Overview of Star Wars Documentary Series.
• Overview of LEGO Star Wars.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): Shane Felux.
• Producer(s): Dawn Cowings and Shane Felux.
• Writer(s): Dawn Cowings and Sarah Yaworksy.
• Music: Chris Bouchard.
• Cinematography: Jack Foley.
• Editor(s): Dawn Cowings, Shane Felux, and Jack Foley.
• Production: Panic Stuck Productions.
• Distributor(s): Panic Struck Productions.
• Release Date: 17 April 2005.
• Running Time: 47 minutes.
• Rating: PG.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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