As part of DANCE: A Tribute to Rudolf Nureyev, the Alliance Française de Singapour has an exhibition called NUREYEV ON STAGE. For the first time in Red Dot Island, the exclusive event held at the organisation's gallery showcases 14 original stage costumes worn by the ‘master of dance’ RUDOLF NUREYEV (1938-1993) during some of his memorable performances.
In the realm of pop-culture and film, Red Dot Diva can name only two male ballet dancers off hand. One of them is Mikhail Baryshnikov, and the other, the legendary Rudolf Nureyev. Because of Rudolf Nureyev, Red Dot Diva was introduced to the world of ballet, his long time dance partner Dame Margot Fonteyn. During the height of the Cold War, she remembered being drawn to his dramatic deflection to the West. This unforgettable story is told in the 2019 film “THE WHITE CROW” directed by Ralph Fiennes.
Rudolf Nureyev was a pioneer in the world of ballet in more ways than one. He had a magnetic stage presence that earned him millions of fans worldwide, and is known for his technical prowess, powerful leaps and graceful spins. He also elevated the role of the male ballet dancer to the spotlight, and was one of the first few dancers who brought ballet performances to TV. Nureyev was a celebrated choreographer as well, and often mixed traditional ballet and contemporary dance. From 1983 to 1989, he was director of the Paris Opera.
The stage costumes on display include those worn during Rudolf Nureyev's performances of Giselle, Swan Lake, Paquita and La Bayadère. The pieces had been designed to be beautiful as well as practical. The doublets had been shortened, so that they did not hinder Nureyev's body movements and serve to show off the line of his legs. In fact, in his early days on stage, he refused to wear the modesty trunks which were the norm at the time, and wanted to dance wearing just tights. Wearing tights has since become the standard for male ballet dancers. When admiring the costumes, you will also notice that Nureyev had a very small waist for a guy!
Accompanying the intricate costumes are 49 unpublished photographs highlighting the expressiveness of the superstar dancer. Of special note to the locals is a short segment about his 1989 stop in Red Dot Island as part of his world tour.
The costumes and photos are on loan, by courtesy of Charles Jude's private collection. Charles Jude was a disciple of Nureyev and in 1977, was named principal dancer at the Paris Opera. He has danced for several companies during his career, and has choreographed a number of ballet performances.
The NUREYEV ON STAGE exhibition may be small, but it is a concise and worthy celebration of the man's legacy in the art of dance, in spite of his often scandalous and dramatic life. The free event ends this Saturday, 25 September 2021, so if you are fan of ballet and dance, take some time to pop in and immerse yourself in a period of dance history.
When you follow the ways in how people consume media in the last 3 decades or so, it is also intriguing to see how much Netflix has evolved from a DVD service company, to a streaming platform and later on, as a producer of its own original shows. Its growth and popularity surged when the Covid-19 pandemic struck last year. As in-person conventions and events have mostly halted, most media companies decided to host their fan outreach in the virtual space.
With TUDUM - you know, that iconic Netflix opening intro - Netflix's inaugural virtual fan event on 25 September 2021 (26 September in Asia) will include 145 of the biggest stars and creators of the streamer's over 70 original content. The 3-hour event will feature interactive panels that offer first looks, trailers, exclusives and conversations, specially curated for Netflix's fans from all over the world.
Can't wait for what's in store for the next season of “Stranger Things”? Super curious to see what Zack Snyder's “Army of Thieves”, the prequel to his zombie heist movie “Army Of The Dead”? Or, maybe, you want to catch another glimpse of Henry Cavill in the upcoming season of “The Witcher”. Well, there will be an entire list of celebrities and shows that will feed your hungry eager souls. Check out this page to see if you faves are slated to be at TUDUM.
TUDUM will broadcast across Netflix’s YouTube channels worldwide, as well as on Twitter and Twitch. The livestream event is scheduled to start at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST / 4 PM GMT. This translates to 12 AM (midnight) Singapore time on 26 September (Sunday). Since it is the weekend, Red Dot Diva is planning to pump herself with caffeine and stay up for the virtual event to catch the latest updates.
For fans Korean, Indian and anime series and films, there will be a special pre-show happening prior to the main event. This will stream at 5 AM PST / 8 AM EST / 12 PM GMT / 8 PM SGT on specific Netflix channels.
Getting excited already? Here's the trailer for TUDUM to get you even more pumped up for the virtual global showcase.
STAR TREK celebrated its 55th Anniversary virtually on Star Trek Day last week (Sep 8), with a 2-hour line-up of panels and more, hosted by Paramount+ in the US.
The franchise has been seeing a resurgence and attracting a whole new generation of fans in the decade. Red Dot Diva thinks it is mainly due to the more accessible pop-culture-y 2009 Star Trek movie written and directed by J.J. Abrams. The movie featured a younger cast, like Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana, which helped bridge the gap to original Trek. But, you may beg to differ.
In any case, for those who missed the anniversary livestream, here's a summary of the key Trek news that had been announced.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
While there was no Star Trek: Discovery trailer released during the 55th Anniversary livestream, the flagship series announced the premiere date of its 4th season. Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) will return in the captain's seat of the USS Discovery on 18th November, with a new episode aired weekly.
The Discovery crew has faced a lot together since its first episode aired in 2017. They have battled the Klingons in the Mirror Universe, and fought a rogue AI which propelled them like whooosh, into the 32nd century. There, they discovered a fractured Federation, facing an impending galaxy-wide disaster called ‘The Burn’.
In the coming adventures, things will feel familiar as all of the principal players are back in the Discovery. Captain Burnham will find that being a leader is not easy, and the crew will also face challenges concerning a new non-living threat.
Season 3 ended with Stamets having major issues with Burnham's decision to leave Dr Culber in the radiated nebula, so Red Dot Diva would love to see how the dynamics of that relationship is going to play out. It has also been confirmed that Saru (Doug Jones), who returned to his home planet Kaminar, has a big part to play in Season 4.
Plot details are still sparse at the moment, so do look out for more tidbits about the new season in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, here is the trailer that was released back during First Contact Day in April 2021.
STAR TREK: PICARD
The STAR TREK: PICARD series brings back an old fan favourite to our screens, with Sir Patrick Steward reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard, now retired and being quite a recluse, living in a vineyard with 2 Romulan pals Laris and Zhaban.
For a legendary character like Jean-Luc, Red Dot Diva found the Picard series to be a mixed beast. It was much slower in pace and uneven in its execution for most of the story-telling.
Is the 92-year-old Picard still the hero we remember him to be? Not quite, as the first season threw him back to the time when he chose to leave Federation, and his grief over the loss of his enduring true friend, the soulful android Commander Data (Brett Spiner). During Picard's personal mission to save an android called Soji (Isa Briones) from Romulan spies, he also became tangled up with a rag-tag crew on a ship owned by mercenary Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabreba), who incidentally, sounded like a more sullen version of Han Solo.
Red Dot Diva hopes Season 2 will have a tighter storyline, especially with a familiar villains in the mix. The godlike Q (John de Lancie) is back creating trouble with a Dark Side-ish alternate reality, and Picard, his friends including Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) travels back in time to ‘turn back the clock’. An old nemesis the alien Borg Queen (Annie Wersching) also enters the fray. How will Picard, who was once transformed into a Borg, square off with the cybernetic aliens and their obsession with perfection?
Check out the STAR TREK: PICARD Season 2 trailer released during the 55th Anniversary celebrations:
Get ready to engage with Picard's Season 2 in February 2022. The series has also been renewed for Season 3!
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS
One of the most highly decorated starship captain, Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) beamed right into Season 2 of STAR TREK: DISCOVERY in the most silver foxy way. His charm, hopefulness and innate goodness earned him the respect of his crew on the USS Enterprise, plus a horde of new fans (including Red Dot Diva, of course) who could not get enough of him.
Trekkies clamoured for Pike to return to the screen together with iconic characters like his first officer Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck). So, in 2020, a new spinoff series called STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS was announced. Like the original series, STRANGE NEW WORLDS will be structured to be more episodic, with standalone stories.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, filming only kicked off in Toronto earlier this year. However, the cast are all ready to boldly go where no one has gone before, and ceremoniously released an introduction video during Star Trek Day. In the announcement, more new actors are playing some of the original series beloved characters - Celia Rose Gooding as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel and Babs Olusanmokun as Doctor M'Benga.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is set to premiere in 2022.
STAR TREK: PRODIGY
While Star Trek's second animated series LOWER DECKS is more adult in content, the upcoming STAR TREK: PRODIGY will be kid-friendly and have a different focus. The series, developed and produced by\ Nickelodeon and CBS Studios, will premiere with a one-hour episode on 28 October, for Paramount+ subscribers in the US.
The long awaited trailer for PRODIGY was revealed during Star Trek Day by Kate Mulgrew, who will be reprising her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway in the series. Check it out below:
STAR TREK: PRODIGY will follow the adventures of 6 young aliens who commandeer a USS spaceship called Protostar, with no prior knowledge about Starfleet. While the alien youngers - Dal (Brett Gray), Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), Zero (Angus Imrie), and Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) - escape from the series' villain Diviner (John Noble) in search for a better future, they discover more about the Delta Quadrant and will learn how to work together.
What a great time it is to be a Star Trek fan! The franchise has finally caught up with the times, with fresh new ideas and characters, while retaining its legacy past.
There's just one thing Red Dot Diva wished had happened on Star Trek Day. Where was the cast of the JJ Abrams' Trek movies? She wished they were somehow included in the celebration too. Don't you agree?
DC Fandome is back again this year! The live global fan extravaganza will happen for one day only on 17 October, Sunday in the Asian region (i.e. 16 October, Sat, USA time). Just like last year, the streaming event is free for all fans to attend.
All you need to do is to suit up and enter into the DC multiverse at DCFanDome.com. The landing page for the event is already up, so you can sign up for a login right now to receive the latest news and updates. DC fans who will be entering DC FanDome for the first time this year can also check out the wonderful video highlights of last year's event on the website.
What will be in store for this year's DC FanDome?
Expect to virtually meet the phenomenal gathering of celebrities, behind the scenes crew, writers, artists and creators who are or has been part of the DC Multiverse. They will be presenting the first looks and trailers of DC's upcoming superhero movies, like Matt Reeves' “THE BATMAN”, “BLACK ADAM”, “THE FLASH” and “SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS”, as well as sneak peeks of the new seasons of DC's superhero TV series, including “SUPERMAN AND LOIS”, “BATWOMAN” and a new live action show “NAOMI” that is based on the critically acclaimed comic series from Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell.
Fans who loved James Gunn's “THE SUICIDE SQUAD” movie can anticipate the unveiling of an exclusive look of the new HBO Max series “PEACEMAKER”, starring John Cena. HBO Max will also share details about another new series “DMZ” and other fan favourites like “TITANS” and “DOOM PATROL”.
The DC Universe consists of some of the most internationally well-known animated series in pop-culture history. So, fans of the violently delightful adult animated series “HARLEY QUINN” can look forward to see what's in store for Season 3. Is it still 'happily ever after' for Harley and Ivy? Will the Clown Prince of Crime cause even more trouble? And if you are not afraid of spoilers, Warner Bros. Animation is also ready to provide fans with a first look of upcoming limited series “AQUAMAN: KING OF ATLANTIS”, as well as a special preview of “YOUNG JUSTICE: PHANTOMS”!
Two new original animated movies - “INJUSTICE” and heist movie “CATWOMAN: HUNTED” - have been produced by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, together with Warner Bros. Animation. to “INJUSTICE”, which is based on the popular 'Gods Among Us' game as well as Tom Taylor's 'Gods Among Us: Year One' comic, is set for a 19 October 2021 release, while “CATWOMAN: HUNTED” is planned for an early 2022 release date. There will be previews for both movies during DC FanDome.
Of course, there will also be online segments on the various DC comics, of which many of our favourite blockbuster movies and popular shows draw their inspiration from. Specially slated for this year's DC FanDome, is a showcase of three upcoming books that honours the legacy of the iconic superhero Wonder Woman. DC will be feature 3 books on Wonder Woman - a miniseries “Wonder Woman Historia” by DC's Black Label, the “Nubia and the Amazons” comic book series, and the original graphic novel “Wonderful Women of the World”. Other comics spotlights include the next installment of the Batman/Fortnite comic crossover, the upcoming Batman: Fear State, the new six-issue Black Manta series, the return of the Milestone Universe, and many more.
As for the gamers, do not worry! Warner Bros. Games has reveals from Gotham Knights, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the game developed by Rocksteady Studios.
Younger DC fans are not forgotten as well. Parents and their children can experience the family-friendly version which will be accessed separately on DCKidsFanDome.com. In this special virtual area, the kids can take part in digital events like crafting, and watch sneak peeks of DC animated adventures like Batwheels, DC Super Hero Girls and Teen Titans Go!
To cater to the worldwide audience, DC FanDome programming will be captioned in multiple languages, including Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish. Fans in China will also get their share of the experience plus a range of exclusive local DC content.
What is even more fantastic is that, this year, there are more channels where you can experience what DC FanDome has to offer. The vritual event will be made available on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter!
So, are you ready for DC FanDome 2021?
As she is a huge DC fan, Red Dot Diva is already raring to dive into #DCFanDome, the super-charged streaming event of the year! To accompany the fan event, she will be broadcasting a special recap livestream together with fellow DC fans, Atty and John on 17 October afternoon. More news on the livestream will be coming soon!
It is one of the stalwarts of Red Dot Island's National Day celebration for about 4 decades. Every year, a new National Day song will be written and performed. Some of the songs are quite forgettable, but there are few that never fail to stir the spirit of our island's people.
Dick Lee's “Home” is a number one favourite for most people. So is the straightforward, no holds barred rousing anthem like “We Are Singapore”, which was written by Canadian advertising guy Hugh Harrison, who was working for McCann Erickson during the 1980s.
This year's National Day song, composed by local singer-songwriter Linying and music producer Evan Low, is like a breath of fresh air. “The Road Ahead” sounds youthful. Even so, it was able to touch the hearts of all generations with its underlying message of hope and encouragement for an uncertain future. During a stubborn and invasive pandemic like this, “The Road Ahead” soothes the soul.
The accompanying music video for “The Road Ahead” is a joy to watch. Red Dot Diva has put it on repeat several times already! The video shows Red Dot Island's rising talents Linying, Sezairi Sezali, Shye-Anne Brown and Shabir Tabare Alam singing the ballad. Blended in these live actions scenes are amazing and colourful animation footage that evoke the feelings of nostalgia, hope and the spirit of unity.
The music video is a collaboration between Zhao Wei Films and indie animation studio Finding Pictures. And if you have not watched it yet, where have you been?
WATCH: “The Road Ahead” music video
Animation is such back-breaking work, so huge kudos to the animators at Finding Pictures involved in this special project. Red Dot Diva thought they put so much love into it. There were different animation styles used in the video, but yet, they all came together again at the end of the clip. The story-telling was visually dynamic, and the details nestled within were mind-blowing.
To take a peek at what went into the making of the video for “The Road Ahead”, take a look at this behind the scenes clip:
Wait. There is more. Two more original songs will be featured in this year's National Day Parade (NDP)! The NDP live performance segment did not happen on 9 August, the actual date of National Day. Due to Covid-19 safety restrictions, the NDP will happen on 21 August instead, when a higher percentage of the population has already been fully vaccinated.
“Breathing City”, written by Sezairi and Charlie Lim, is a beautiful ode to our garden city, and a call for patience as we plant seeds which will bear fruits in the future. The lyric video directed by Zhuang Brothers, features a light-hearted, breezy series of animation by Weaving Clouds. Watching it makes Red Dot Diva feel happppyyyy.
The other original song is “Spirits Anew” by Aisyah Aziz and Rhaun. Art by Howie Kim and motion graphics by Chap Heng accompany the uplifting song in the lyric video that takes one on a dreamy fantastical journey.
Local film-maker Boo Junfeng (Apprentice) takes over the reins of this year's NDP, which is held live at The Float with about 600 performers on site. To help keep everyone safe, the performers have been fully vaccinated. Other performers will be on four other sites. In addition, the parade will also integrated pre-recorded segments, and for the first time, augmented reality and fully animated films will be featured!!
Local studio Robot Playground Media is the animator of the 14-minute film, which will take centrestage at this year's NDP. Robot Playground Media makes beautiful (and Red Dot Diva says, it is more like I-can-cry-gorgeous-beautiful) animation short films. Head to their social media websites, and you will see emotionally touching stories about family, friendship and empathy.
To get a taste of what's in store at NDP 2021, take a look at this teaser:
It just goes to show that there is pool of super talented animators and film makers here on the island that so many people are not aware of. Red Dot Diva is over the moon that they have the chance to shine, and shine brightly, at this year's National Day celebrations!
Here's to their continuing success for the wonderful work they do, as they make Red Dot Island stand proud in the field of animation.
Season 2 of DC'S STARGIRL will premiere on the same day as the U.S. today (11 August) at 9 PM local time. Fans can watch the episodes on Warner TV (Starhub channel 515 and Singtel channel 306) on Wednesdays at the same time.
Created by Geoff Johns (Titans, Wonder Woman, Batwoman), DC'S STARGIRL is a bright spark amongst the sea of superhero TV shows. These days, there is a trend toward apocalyptic and violent story-telling that favour dark or snarky characters and arcs. Such shows include Gotham, Doom Patrol and Titans, that belong to the same media network, as well as Amazon's The Boys. STARGIRL's innate optimism and sincerity is what made Red Dot Diva adore the series' first season so much. It was also fun to watch. Even though the series was skewed to the younger audience, Gen X-er Red Dot Diva still enjoyed the upbeat drama set in a quaint American small town. And there's even a giant robot!
By the end of Season 1, after moving to Blue Valley in Nebraska with her mother Barbara (Amy Smart), Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) aka Stargirl, had uncovered the secrets of her stepfather Pat (Luke Wilson) and DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America (JSA). In fact, he was Stripsey, the late Starman's sidekick.
With the help of the Starman's Cosmic Staff, the plucky Courtney made a bunch of new friends from her school. Together with Yolanda/ Wildcat (Yvette Monreal), Rick/ Hour Man (Cameron Gellman), and Beth/ Doctor Mid-Nite (Anjelika Washington), they formed a fledgling younger team of JSA members, as they battled their own insecurities, as well as brutal battle with Injustice Society of America members and mean girl nemesis, Cindy/ Shiv (Meg DeLacy).
In Season 2, Courtney and her friends, will deal with more challenges as they navigate their teenage years and try to lead a somewhat normal life. But, first, they will need to face off one of DC's deadliest villain, Eclipso (Nick Tarabay). In the comics, Eclipso has shown to be a frightening entity, able to beat down the powerful Justice League. So, what chances do fresh-faced Courtney and her buddies have against Eclipso? Plus, Shiv is also up and about, and she is not only formidable, she is smart too. Red Dot Diva is eager to find out. She has gotten quite invested in the perky, brave Courtney.
If you have not watched DC'S STARGIRL Season 1 yet, you are able to stream or download all 13 episodes on HBO GO. Just go download the HBO GO app at the App Store or Play Store, or access HBO GO via via Starhub, Singtel and meWatch, or at http://www.hbogoasia.sg/.
Red Dot Diva highly recommends watching DC'S STARGIRL. It is not only about girl power, it is about empathy and the importance of friends and family. During tough times like these, STARGIRL doesn't fail to lift up the soul. Red Dot Diva hopes Season 2 will do the same!
Watch the trailer for DC's STARGIRL Season 2 below:
Star Wars fans are a creative bunch. One of the ways mega fans show their love for the franchise is by making fan films, and Red Dot Diva has just watched one of the most gorgeous Star Wars fan-made production ever. The dialogue was also spot on, and the dramatic storyline left her wishing there was more.
FORSAKEN MANDALORIAN AND THE DRUNKEN JEDI MASTER is about a Mandalorian bounty hunter who tracked down a Hutt courier to recover an asset. He ends up face to face with a lone Jedi Master drowning his pain with booze, and the two find that they have a common purpose.
Watch FORSAKEN MANDALORIAN AND THE DRUNKEN JEDI MASTER below!
The fan film is by independent sci-fi film-maker Anthony Ferraro, the owner of a popular Youtube channel called Create Sci-fi. He also appeared as the Drunken Jedi Master in the short film.
Anthony Ferraro is a master sci-fi geek who is brimming with so much knowledge and love for the art of film-making. In his channel, he regularly creates and shares amazing videos about the different aspects of producing films with low or no budget, including art direction, prop-making, costume making as well as pre and post production. His 2019 sci-fi short film AERANGER has garnered more than 1.1 million views, including those generated from the curated Youtube channel DUST. For AERANGER, Anthony wrote, directed, build props and costumes as well as created the visual effects.
Red Dot Diva had to find out more about the making of FORSAKEN MANDALORIAN AND THE DRUNKEN JEDI MASTER. So, she got in touch with Anthony Ferraro to ask him some nosy questions!
Red Dot Diva: Hi Anthony. Love the short fan film! The "Drunken Jedi" character reminds me of the Chinese martial arts movie about a drunken shifu (师父). Did this come into play when you were developing the character? Anthony:Thank you for saying that means a lot to me to hear that. In fact, that is exactly where it comes from. I really like the idea of the rouge who has just seen too much bad in the world to care anymore. But since there is some good left in them, and it's in their nature to care, to bear it they drown themselves in alcohol and sarcasm.
Red Dot Diva: What is your process like concerning distilling ideas down to script-writing? Do you carry a notebook around with you to record ideas? Anthony:For me, it's about writing and re-writing. I'll have an idea of a character or a scenario. In this case, it was not my own character but the Mandalorian character. I don't jot anything in a notebook for me it's about thinking and rethinking about something and if it sticks then I think it's worth it to take the time to try and write. If I am struck with an idea during the course of my day I'll text it to myself and incorporate it into my rough draft whenever I sit down to write next. I always start with a freewriting draft. I just sit down and write whatever comes into my head. Not in script format and not worried about grammar or spelling. Then I'll take that idea and keep working on it until it resembles a short story or novel. Then I extract a screenplay from that. To make sure it's a story that will engage an audience I always start with some basic formula. For shorts, it is usually the Dan Harmon Story circle. For features, it is the Hero's journey or sometimes I even use a Mystery Novel chapter template.
Red Dot Diva: How long does it usually take for you to scout for a location, especially for Forsaken Mandalorian and The Drunken Jedi? What were you looking for in particular? Anthony:Well like anything else it depends on budget. I live in Southern California in the United States. I knew I wanted to shoot in the desert and there is plenty of it. However when you are shooting Sci-Fi or anything stylized you really cannot get away with filming without the proper permits or permission. It gets expensive. I found a perfect location with amazing rock formations and interesting light. But it cost five thousand US dollars a day to rent and I'd also have to bring in RV's and make-up trucks. That was out of the question. You keep trying, one thing always leads to another. The actor Jonathan Castile who lays the Mandalorian and his wife Lisa Marie Wardell who is the Assistant Director were staying at a house in Desert Hot Springs. Near them was BLM land. BLM land is "Bureau of Land Management" basically its government-owned land that is not state park or anything like that, just land the government owns. Turns out you can do whatever you want out there. It worked out perfectly, we did our makeup at the house in the morning and then drove out to the land to film. The only catch was you had to be careful cause there always tended to be someone out there shooting guns. We were careful to shoot mid-week. But the simple answer is I was just looking for a wide-open desert. I knew we'd be adding the Hut and Moisture Vaporator's in post. Red Dot Diva: The wide open space really adds on to the cinematic effect, that's for sure!
Red Dot Diva: The pandemic has been tough for everyone. One sector that has been hit badly is the performing arts. How did you work around restrictions (if there were any), and ensuring the team was as safe as possible during your production? Any particular challenges that you faced? Anthony:The restrictions actually were what inspired me. I was thinking of ways to stay creative during the pandemic. I started making the Mandalorian Costume as a fun project to keep busy. Then one day I was putting the costume on a mannequin and a light bulb went off in my head. I thought you know, this costume is full-body PPE. If I do basic scenes outdoors with just two actors at a time one being the PPE Mando and use a skeleton crew, I can make a Star Wars Fan Film. Up until that moment, I never had any desire to make a Fan Film. What's interesting for me is the entire project was born out of the restrictions of the Pandemic. I made all the costumes and props for the film myself. And I was only able to do that because of lockdown. I just got up every morning like it was my full-time job and made Star Wars props and costumes. It was quite enjoyable if I'm honest.
Red Dot Diva: Ok. I have to know. What did the blue booze taste like? Anthony:It tasted just like Spotchka :) Red Dot Diva: Great! *Grabs some bottles for herself.*
Red Dot Diva: You offer so many tips and detailed videos concerning building props, making costumes, and more in your Create Sci-fi channel. Any memorable moments where someone has told you how much you have inspired them to create something themselves? Anthony:Thank you for asking that question, yes. I get lots of DM's from people sharing pictures of their projects or videos of films they made. One thing I really feel good about is I get quite a few messages from Dads who do some of my projects with their kids. That really makes my day when I get those. And a few times from High School Arts teachers who have incorporated some of my projects into their productions.
Red Dot Diva: What's next after the Forsaken Mandalorian and The Drunken Jedi? Will there be a sequel?? (We want more!) Anthony:I hope to make more. My team and I really enjoyed this project. I am also working on two other feature scripts at the moment, a Sci-Fi Thriller called "Moon Terminal" and a straight-up 80's style sci-fi post-apocalypse B Horror movie called "Sheriff of Rottingham." The honest answer with Star Wars Fan Film is I paid for this one out of my pocket, no Crowdfunding, Patreon, nothing like that. Just out of pocket cash and donated time, a true passion project. If there is enough of an interest and we are able to crowdsource the budget or get a sponsor for sure I would love to make more. I took a drive to the beach today and I was stuck in traffic and I had a great idea for the next installment. And that's how it starts, now that visual is stuck in my head and I want to see it. I want you all to see it too. Red Dot Diva: Your passion is very inspiring. I do believe that if you try to crowdfund the next episode, there will be more than enough support! We Have Hope!
