Indeed, many filmmakers are able to make top-quality shorts using off-the-shelf software and a computer. Gasking and his team made "Park Wars" using readily available animation, composing and editing programs. The "Troops" people used a souped-up home computer. And "Tarantino" creator Evan Mather, a 29-year-old landscape architect from Seattle, used modeling and stop-motion programs for his action-figure shorts.
"What this shows is that ILM [Industrial Light & Magic] better watch out because they're spending $15 million, $20 million, $30 million to do effects, and we can do them in the middle of a work schedule in three days at home," said "Troops" co-creator Jordan, who worked on special effects for "The Crow," among other features.
"As long as you have the skill and the will, there's a way. It's not necessarily who you are, or where you work or how deep your pockets are."
Jason Wishnow, 25, who produced "Tattoine or Bust," an acclaimed short documentary about camping out for the 1997 re-releases, notes: "Filmmakers, many of whom grew up on 'Star Wars,' are now coming of age at a time when new technology offers the ability to create and distribute films of high quality at low cost."
A flood of fan-made films is expected to hit the Internet in the next weeks leading up to the release of "Phantom Menace." The Web site for AtomFilms, a short-film distribution company based in Seattle, is holding a "Makin' Wookiee" contest. The site is inviting submissions until May 7 for a short screenplay for a "Star Wars" parody, which will then be directed by Mather and Wishnow, and will premiere on the AtomFilms' site. And the countingdown.com site is also accepting shorts for its launch of Countdown TV, a virtual television show featuring live broadcasts and fan-made films.
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Spoofing 'Star Wars' in Cyberspace
"Star Wars" spoofs and shorts are showing up all over the Web. Download times generally range from 5 to 10 minutes, though some can take as long as an hour, depending on the speed of your computer. Here are the addresses of some of the most popular sites:
* Countdown: The Ultimate Fan Site featuring "Park Wars: The Little Menace" http://www.countingdown.com
* Mos Eisley Multiplex featuring links to more than 30 films, including: "Trooper Clerks" and "The Odd 'Star Wars' Couple" http://members.aol.com/moseisleym/sw-main.html
* TheForce.net featuring "Troops" http://www.theforce.net/troops
* JediNet featuring Evan's Star Wars Cinema: "Quentin Tarantino's 'Star Wars,' " "Godzilla vs. Disco Lando" and "Kung Fu Kenobi's Big Adventure" http://www.jedinet.com/cinema
* AtomFilms featuring a clip from "Hardware Wars" and other fan-made "Star Wars" shorts http://www.atomfilms.com/specials/spoofwars
