Filmmaking tutorials for Star Wars fans
Enter the ranks of HitFilm’s rebel army. We’re [fxhome-community-count] members strong and armed with HitFilm – the FREE all-in-one editing and visual effects software. Join us for this series of Star Wars-inspired filmmaking tutorials as we teach you how to create your own Star Wars fan film.
What can ordinary people do with extraordinary ideas? Anything.
Clone your actors (or yourself)
Tempted by the dark side? Learn how to use the Force (read: masking and layering tricks) to turn a single stormtrooper into a deadly imperial army. Join the clone(ing) wars with our duplication tutorial.
Can you imagine casting 400 Stormtroopers for a three minute short? To keep costs down and production value high, we used masking: a simple technique used to duplicate actors. Watch the full tutorial on removing and adding elements.
Create an army with 3D models
If a corridor of Stormtroopers isn’t enough for you – how about a hangar full? We used just one 3D Stormtrooper model, a particle system and HitFilm to create a battalion of CG baddies.
Add some movement variation for an army that Darth Vader would be proud of. Except he’s Darth Vader – so he’d be fairly derogatory about the whole thing.
Create your own digital targeting system
Get a rebel’s eye view of a laser-cladded AT-AT or watch asteroids float by from an X-wing cockpit with simple tracking and grading tools.
We wanted our menacing AT-AT to pinpoint and target our gun-toting rebel as soon as she burst out of the bunker – so we tracked her. In this UI tutorial we’ll show you how to track and automatically animate layers.
Upgrade the effects on your probe droid’s targeting system with footage distortions and colorful grades. Give your AT-AT a high-tech edge that’ll send the rebel army running back to Yavin 4.
Import 3D models into HitFilm
Don’t underestimate the power of HitFilm.
Whether you want to scale up your AT-AT 3D model for a ground-trembling reveal or draw the viewers’ eye with some low flying Tie-Fighters – you can bring a sense of scale and peril to your film by importing and animating complex 3D models.
Free AT-AT model included
Blaster effects tutorials for your Star Wars fan film
Pew pew pew! Make Stormtroopers classically miss their targets or (finally) shoot straight with this Rogue One-style shootout tutorial featuring the iconic star wars blaster effect.
Download the project files to quickly recreate the effect– or challenge yourself to build your own laser shootout from scratch. Either way, you’re in for a blast(er).
Learn to drag and drop muzzle flash effects – and add subtle illuminations to your shooters with a single click. No one will know your scene wasn’t built by a pro.
Create iconic film title designs
A long time ago, in a galaxy (not so) far away, there was an epic title sequence…
Create an iconic opening with text that changes size, movement, speed and appearance. Import an image from other software or design your title completely inside HitFilm to ramp up the sci-fi factor.
Behind the scenes
Rogue bats, lurking drones and 48 hours in a ice-cold bunker – see what it took to bring the HitFilm Rebellion project to life.
Money saving tips for micro-budget filmmakers
Find out how we channeled our inner George Lucas and created a Star Wars fan film with our friends at Emmy award-winning Ember Films, without a huge Hollywood budget.
Josh and Kirstie break down what it took to find a set, plan the filming, create the props and, most importantly, keep everyone fed!
More Star Wars-inspired filmmaking tutorials
Hungry for more? Check out our latest Star Wars-inspired filmmaking masterclass – Rise of the Dark Side – to learn how to make a Star Wars fan film on a budget.
