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CHIBA, Japan: Before a padawan learner is inducted into the Jedi order as a knight, he has to endure the test of flesh, of skill, of courage — and the most difficult one of all, the test of the spirit.
For Star Wars: The Clone Wars director (and Star Wars junkie) Dave Filoni, fans’ reactions to the movie will be his most difficult trial yet.
Speaking to TODAY at the sidelines of the recent Star Wars Celebration Japan in Chiba, near Tokyo, the director of Avatar: The Last Airbender showed humility that belies his induction into the Star Wars creator club.
“In a fun sort of way, my relationship with George Lucas is quite similar to that of a master and padawan — he’s a good mentor, teaching me how he made Star Wars, and I have been a student of his for the past three years,” said the 34-year-old.
But Filoni wasn’t flying solo when he made The Clone Wars — Master Lucas still played quite a large role in this instalment of the saga.
“He was very excited and very involved in the project,” said Filoni. “We met about three times a week in the creative early stages and George came up with quite a few ideas.”
But, while keeping with Lucas’ universe and “maintaining the quality of Star Wars”, Filoni also managed to inject more than a bit of himself into the movie.
A self-confessed fan of Japanese anime series Macross and Princess Mononoke, Filoni’s influences have seeped into The Clone Wars, especially in the set design and battle scenes.
For his labour of love, the American director spent hours on each design before it made it to the screen, even drawing more than 20 designs of Ahsoka’s lightsaber before deciding on one.
“It is a very stylised, aggressive new look — we’ve tried to take it to the next level with the texture, high colour contrast and the dynamic direction of battle scenes,” he said.
But when The Clone Wars — which was partly created at Lucasfilm Animation Singapore — opens tomorrow, facing the critics will be one of the biggest trials Filoni will have faced in the making of the Star Wars saga.
Flashing the sincerest of smiles, Filoni said as he left: “I’m a fan, and I know you will like it — it is made for you guys.”
At least, we know Lucas’ new padawan has courage. - TODAY/sh
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