Hey folks, Harry here.... fresh from Lucas' Presidio Star Wars Summit for all you soon to be fellow Clone Wars junkies... these damn commercials on Cartoon Network are killing me. That shot of Anikan pawing at the window as the fleet takes off as Padme watches... SO NICELY DONE... the framing of the shots feels more honestly old fashioned Star Wars than anything in the modern films, but that's because well... supergeeks are in control, thank god. Meanwhile, part of the masterplan roll out has been revealed as well as the first screened footage of Episode 3

Harry:    

I just came from the Star Wars summit at the Presidio in San Francisco.  It was Star Wars-licious!    

The attendees were subjected to Star Wars marketing statistics, product licensing and tie-in possibilities and PowerPoint presentations.  Yawn for most, but I'm a freak and love that sort of stuff.     

Some interesting things came to light.  The marketing timeline for Star Wars is as follows - This week, The Clone Wars, then the original Star Wars trilogy is being released September 2004, then Episode 3 teaser advertising begins in January of 2005, Episode 3 May 2005, Episode 3 DVD/VHS November 2005.  One little fun fact - seems that they have TWO Star Wars television ideas floating around the ranch...one would be animation and the other - LIVE ACTION.  These television projects would be in 2006.  Let's hope they're better than the Star Wars Christmas Special, or those Ewok films.  

  But the REAL meat and potatoes was the Episode 3 footage!  Some cool as hell stuff.  Anakin is looking darker than ever.  Dark clothes, with what appears to be some scars on his face.  They showed one seen with Obi-Won, The Emperor and Anakin crashing their ship into a planet as the ship burns.     

They showed some animation of what will be OB1's transportation at one point in the film.  A large lizard that's able to walk upside down and scale walls.    

*minor spoilers*    

Oh - and they showed some green screen footage of the final lightsaber fight between Obi-Won and Anakin.  It looked colossal.  The lightsaber fight to end all lightsaber fights.  Evil wins, we all know that.  The intensity with which the two were fighting was phenomenal.  Seems the final battle takes place on a lava planet, and at one point the two are hoping back and forth on hovercrafts floating over the lava.  

  That was all I saw, and it got me moist as a snack cake down there.  They also showed a "behind the scenes didn't we have a blast filming Episode 3" documentary    

At the end they had an extremely funny theatrical production - The Star Wars Trilogy in 30 minutes.  I think it played at Comic Con too.  Patrick Gorman, the author,  has basically done a reduced Shakespeare version of Eps IV- VI.  Funny stuff, and a great way to end the presentation portion of the show.    

We were then escorted by storm troopers to Jabba's Palace for a reception.  Drinks and networking with Darth Vader, Chewbacca and eventually Lucas himself.  He did a cameo and a lap, apparently he was having some editing problems...probably putting more new stuff in the "original" trilogies.  

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