Is Lucas aware of your film and isn't he going to sue the hell out of you?

When will the final film be completed?

How long is the film?

How much did it cost you to make and film "Revelations"?

How were you able to create such a high production value on a small budget?

How were the FX done in "Revelations" and where did you get the talent?

Are you looking for more CG or FX talent to join you?

How were you able to get so many unique locations for the film?

What are your plans after "Revelations"?

Question
Why do a Star Wars fan film when you can't make money from it.
Why not do an original story?

Question
Is Lucas aware of your film and isn't he going to sue the hell out of you?

Answer:
For most people who do not understand fan films we get this question often .To answer, I doubt if Lucas himself has seen "Revelations".  However ,Lucas is a large supporter for fan films,and is very kind enough to let other inspiring artists play in his backyard, as long as you don't try and make money from his hard work, and respectfully so.
"Revelations" is a non-profit film and everyone who worked on the film was a volunteer (no one was paid) 
The film itself will be availible free to download from TheForce.net and the "Revelations" website to anyone who wishes to watch it.

A great article put out by "Wired" covers some good ground about fan films and here is what Steve Sansweet (Lucasfilm's head of Fan Relations) had to say,

"There is plenty of room for fans to express their own feelings and opinions," Sansweet said. "We believe our core fans are responsible for the continuing popularity of the series, and we want to encourage them. Our intellectual properties are there for you to play with, but we expect you won't try and make a profit or use our characters in a salacious way. Having that wide-open frontier serves as a self-policing mechanism for the fans, who are really appreciative of being included."

"Sansweet added that Lucas believes fan films will grow more sophisticated as the amateur filmmakers gain new skills. "

Question
When will the final film be completed?

Answer:
"Revelations" is due to release April 2005.

Question
How long is the film?

Answer:
"Revelations" will run close to 40 minutes in length

Question
How much did it cost you to make and film "Revelations"?

Answer:
This in one I don't like to answer simply because of how painful it is. "Revelations" was funded solely from my back pocket and that pocket is mainly filled with only credit cards (now over the limit credit cards).  I found the biggest expense was the camera (Canon XL1S)  closely followed by catering and rentals. (such as tables, chairs, steadycam, trucks, etc). On second thought there was costuming , props, and a live cockpit set. Hmmm. Can I say everything cost a lot?

Actually our budget in terms of what we did was very small. Similar fan films such as "Batman Dead End" spent around 30K for a 8min piece and fan trailers such as "Grayson" cost close to 17K  for a 5min piece. By shooting on DV we didn't spend that much and "Revelations is about 45 minutes long.

Question
How were you able to create such a high production value on a small budget?

Answer:
Yep, that's usually the follow up question to the previous, "How much did it cost?" We were able to keep costs down by involving creative artists in the industry who believed in the film and could see the potental production value. We treated "Revelations" in terms of a professional production and not just a small fan film. Many people volunteered time, energy and equipment to the project and this helped save cost. I also bartered a lot for services and equipment, trading one service for another. Also, my mantra, "you don't ask, you don't get" were words to live by. Many people were willing to help "Revelations". All wehad to do was ask. Star Wars is beloved by many and instantly recognizable. If I was doing an independent film about a guy and his duck I don't think the response and volunteers for help would have been so large. It's about the little guy making something happen in a big way and many want to live that dream. And it's Star Wars.. about as close to living the real deal as many of us can get.

Question
How were the FX done in "Revelations" and where did you get the talent?

Answer:
"Revelations" is very FX heavy with just about every shot deals with some sort of composite, CG elements, or FX. A main reason for needing FX was the fact that most of the shots for the film were in a greenscreen studio and needed to have the sets built in. The fact that we are also dealing with the Star Wars universe naturally requires FX and CG locations.

The make up of the "Revelations" FX teams is very unique and diverse. The first thing I did was start shooting, and then hit every forum and every network I could looking for talented CG artists from around the world. It took some doing, and a lot of turn over but in the end we were able to collect a very strong FX team from all over the world. UK, Canada, the Neatherlands, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, and various parts in the USA.

"Revelations" is about what a collective talent pool, a group of dedicated volunteers, can do with a film. I also wanted to show the industry the talent that is out there and showcase that talent as well as their dreams.

Once I had collected a team for the FX in the film, I worked collaboratively with them on an online group. Here I could direct the tasks to the crew and have them share the various resources needed, as well as work as a team in terms of critique, assistance, and over all production work flow.

One challenge and unique aspect for the FX done in "Revelations" is the fact that it was created on many different platforms and software solutions for CG and composite applications. I let the artists work with the tool sets they were comfortable with as long as it fit with the big picture for the film and we were able to find a good solution for continuity. The end result is that "Revelations" was made with 3ds max, Lightwave, Maya, Cine4d, Terragen, and even Bryce. Just about anything you can throw at it. All the editing was done on Premiere Pro and most of the composite work done in After Effects.

The FX were done by the hard dedication of the  team, and a group of talented artists who believed in "Revelations".

Question
Are you looking for more CG or FX talent to join you?

Answer:
We are always looking for other talented artists who want to be a part of "Revelations". Simply email your demo reel or a sample of your best work to: panic@panicstruckpro.com for consideration.

Question
How were you able to get so many unique locations for the film?

Answer:
Again, my mantra, "You don't ask, you don't get" worked wonders.  All I had to do was present to vendors what we were doing, show them the production value, and sometimes pay a little. But most of the time all you have to do is ask.

I am not a big believer in guerilla filmmaking, in which you go on some property without permission and shoot your scene. For one you have to rush for fear of getting in trouble and two it's just unprofessional. The end result can be rushed, poor looking work, when all you had to do was ask. If they say no, then you keep looking and keep asking. Someone is going to say yes at some point if you present yourself professionally and know what your doing. The result is you can shoot comfortably and get the shots you need.

Question
What are your plans after "Revelations"?

Answer:
If the funding is there we plan to go on and make our own original films on an even larger scale. We have been able to test out a great deal of ideas with "Revelations" and see where and what the limits are. As far as we are concerned there are none. Independent film can make Hollywood productions with dedication, a strong team, and a bit of a dream, oh .. and a bit of money. And lots of time. The most important thing is to have fun!