Back to IndieWire

Attention, Filmmakers: Here’s How to Make Your Very Own ‘Star Wars’ Lightsaber Effect

Dec 17, 2015 11:25 am

READ MORE: Watch: Create The Cosmos in Glorious 8K in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Fanboys, rejoice! VFX guru Joey Shanks is back with a new how-to video that looks back on how “Star Wars” achieved one of the most iconic special effects of all time. Best of all, he explains everything you need to know in order to make a DIY lightsaber in the comfort of your own home.

Check out the above video for a history lesson that takes you back in time to 1977, when the original “Star Wars” team first created the ingenious, entirely in-camera lightsaber effect. From a flashgun handle to “Scotchlite” reflective tape, Shanks hunts down all the materials needed to recreate the lightsaber, proving you don’t need to live in a galaxy far, far away to own the coolest weapon in cinematic history.

For more videos that demonstrate dazzling digital effects using everyday objects, head to the Shanks FX YouTube page.

READ MORE: Attention, Filmmakers: You Won’t Believe How These Stunning Landscape Shots Were Taken

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

This Article is related to: Toolkit and tagged DIY, Joey Shanks, Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Visual Effects

‘Portlandia’ Star Carrie Brownstein on How ‘Six Feet Under’ Inspired Her To Take Risks on TV — Turn It On Podcast

Also: The story behind her favorite “Portlandia” episode of all time, “The Story of Toni and Candace,” and whether she and Fred Armisen will ever revisit the show.

Emmys: Will ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Triumph Over ‘Game of Thrones,’ and ‘Atlanta’ Over ‘Mrs. Maisel’? — Screen Talk Emmy Edition

Episode 13: The outstanding drama, comedy, and limited series Emmy races may appear to have their frontrunners, but surprises are possible at next month’s ceremony.

Oscar Season is Imminent, But Don’t Forget About These Smaller Films — IndieWire’s Movie Podcast

There are many exciting movies around the corner, but we already have much to celebrate.

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Producer Bruce Miller On How the ‘ER’ Pilot Changed the Way He Writes — Turn It On Podcast

The Emmy-nominated showrunner discusses how 1994’s two-hour “ER” premiere “24 Hours” changed TV. Plus: His favorite “The Handmaid’s Tale” episode.

Criterion’s ‘The Tree of Life’ Is Not a Director’s Cut, but a New Movie From Terrence Malick

Malick says that the new, 188-minute edit of his 2011 drama starring Brad Pitt is another version altogether.

Spike Lee’s Longtime Editor: ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Was His Quickest Cut Since ‘Do the Right Thing’

Barry Alexander Brown tells IndieWire about the pair's long-time working relationship, the important lesson he took from “Malcolm X,” and discovering that the actual David Duke was in Charlottesville.

‘Madeline’s Madeline’: Why the Dreamy Movie’s Surreal Imagery Took Six Years and Many Experiments to Get Right

How the melding of Josephine Decker and Ashley Connor’s bold visions and experimental backgrounds resulted in one of the year’s most visually astounding films.

ad