Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 23, 2014. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At last, a project answers the question of what happens when you cross "Star Wars" with an Australian beer commercial? The result is: "Star Wars Downunder: an epic tale of the good the bad and the thirsty." The project originally started as an intended entry for the "Official Star Wars Fan Film Award". When the film was completed after 10 years, the team discovered that unfortunately the competition no longer existed at all. But fortunately there is the internet, so nothing stands in the way of publication.
The story was written by Bryan Meakin and Michael Cox, with Cox also directing. The effort with which the work was created shows the team’s enthusiasm: it was shot on 35mm film, the CG characters were created with the help of motion capture as well as many other VFX techniques. Among other things, the team worked with Mudbox on the project, and the postprduction process also saw a switch in compositing from Apple Shake to Adobe After Effects. The team put just as much love into its website as into the film. All background information, making-ofs and breakdown videos can be found there.
And as befits true Australians, the fighting is not done with lightsabers, but of course with … ah, just watch it yourself before we spoil all the jokes.
