Star Wars – It’s a Big Sprawling Space Saga

Somewhere in space, this could all be happening right now…

Huh?  That sounds a little too much like the opening of a Twilight Zone episode.  Oh wait, I’ve got it!  Try this tag line on for size instead:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

Where do I start?  If you are a Star Wars fan, there are so many comments that could apply to that trailer:

1. Thank the maker for John Williams!  This is a little taste of what the movie would have been without his soundtrack and, frankly, it doesn’t leave me hungry for another bite.
2. White lightsabers?  Where are the colors?  How will I know Good from Evil without the colors?
3. Apparently this is before they came up with the memorable Star Wars font design?
4. Yet another example of a movie trailer created by studio drones who don’t actually understand the movie they are trying to convince people to go see.  How did they manage to make one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time seem so mundane?
5. Why isn’t Darth Vader breathing?

It’s no secret I love Star Wars.  I wrote an entire novel focused on the front lines of 1977 Star Wars fandom.  So, obviously, I had to post the original theatrical trailer.

However, I have an ulterior motive for posting this.  Any basic research into the history/trivia of the original Star Wars trilogy will uncover a story that all creative storytellers need to embrace.

• Star Wars went through an amazing number/variety of rewrites and edits before becoming the blockbuster fantasy space saga beloved by millions.  In case you have not heard, All writing is rewriting.
• Everybody, everybody, everybody (including George Lucas) says they believed Star Wars would not be a success…and I’m here to tell you they are all lying to some degree (else millions of dollars would not have been spent & the movie would never have been made). When someone gives you commercial reasons why your story will not sell, ignore them.  When someone tells you there’s something wrong/missing with your story, listen up.  When they tell you exactly how to fix it, smile and nod, then find your own true solution.
• Sometimes you need to accept less to make more.
• If current technology doesn’t support your story, create new technology that will…you might just pave the way for other storytellers for years to come

Even if you have no interest in Star Wars, I think every aspiring author should watch the Empire of Dreams documentary.  It’s all about believing in a story beyond reason, beyond fear, beyond all the “expert” opinions on why your story will never sell.

Does anyone actually remember seeing this Star Wars trailer prior to the May 25, 1977 release of the original Star Wars (Episode IV, A New Hope)?  What did you think when you first saw it?  What movie were you paying to see when you saw this trailer?  I’d love to see some comments on this.