Spin Wars: Episode IV. Call for Videos

So here we are again: another trip around the sun and we are all a bit older and a bit wiser. Hopefully we have spent some time improving our sabering skills. Now it is time to put that last part to the test. That’s right, the time has come once again to break out those sabers, cameras, and fancy moves, and get ready for this year’s Spin Wars!

Simply put, most of us here tend to do our own things. We do choreographed fights, martial arts demos, spinning routines, costume work, etc. What if there was a way to get several of those things into one project that would showcase a wider picture of what we, as a community, do with lightsabers? That is what Spin Wars did last 3 years. For anyone unfamiliar, the archived videos are here.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_fabiOtA6Y" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_fabiOtA6Y</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOXLGXuPRQA" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOXLGXuPRQA</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtBuaBYkTjE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtBuaBYkTjE</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUMKS1tbufw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUMKS1tbufw</a>

So what about this year? Anyone willing to volunteer, post a video in which you show us your saber work. You can choreograph a fight, you can give us spinning, you can film some freeform work, you can do it with lit or unlit blades, in costume or in plain clothes, outside, inside, or on green screen. This footage will be edited together into a montage. This year we will be looking at one video, but if interest is high and there are too many submissions to give everyone a chance to shine, there may have to be more than one cut.

The criteria:

1. For editing and theme purposes, the video should be designed to accompany a piece of music posted below. Please have the music playing in the video so that I can hear it in the background for timing. If you record it without the music or while the music was playing through headphones, please attach the music track to it before you post.

2. Your video must include a lightsaber and be something recognizable as "a performance".

3. Your content should not violate youtube or forum rules.

The details:

If you are interested, please post and say so. Also please indicate if you will considering yourself dark side or light side for this performance. The initial interest will help determine if we are doing one video or two but I will operate as if we are doing 1 until the situation proves otherwise. When you have a video, please post it here. I can rip things from youtube without a problem for editing. Please include the name or moniker you would like to appear in the credits. If you have a signature move, pose, or other brief trademark, please post it as a separate video or still image as you would like it to appear in the credits. If none is submitted, I will use a short clip from your routine. If you have a youtube channel or web link, post it and I will include it in the description. Please try to submit material as soon as you are able. I would like to start editing in mid December with a video release on Youtube around the first of the year.

The Music:

The A side
This is the primary track we will be using. We are going for something a bit more cinematic this time around. Track is royalty free and easy to find. Just search by the title on the video link below.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAckkfB_Ys" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RAckkfB_Ys</a>

The B Side
If there are too many people to fit in one video, this will be the track for the overflow video. For now, lets stick to the first as we may not use this. For those of you who like to overdo it, I thought I would include the link just because.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyEkZvTLcFI (Embedding disabled, limit reached)

Additional notes and disclaimers:

This is not a professional video. This is by and for those who are willing to donate time and energy to make it happen. I will have to decide what makes it in and what does not. I will attempt to give everyone equal time (provided they submit a long enough clip to accomplish this). We are only working with a few minutes of audio. I will try to include everyone, and if too many people are interested to do that, I will try to make a second cut. This may have to come out after the first though. If you have a favorite segment, feel free to let me know the time range and I will do what I can, but no promises. Other than that, feel free to discuss and ask questions if you wish. If there is anything I can do to help you put together a submission, let me know. Otherwise, happy sabering and let's make this one a good one to start the second trilogy.