A group of film buffs from Orpington have swapped million-dollar special effects for cardboard boxes, dustbins and duct tape in this low-budget Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer remake.
Matthew Potter, 26, and his friends, who are former students at Ravensbourne College, in Chislehurst, created the “sweded” trailer, which features an R2-D2 made out of a rubbish bin and a flamethrower replicated using a Pringles tube and an old bed sheet.
It’s estimated that Star Wars: The Force Awakens cost around $200 million to make but Mr Potter, who works in events, and his pals spent just £250 on their own project.
The video has gone viral on the internet – racking up more than 480,000 hits on YouTube.
Project lead Mr Potter, of Repton Road, told News Shopper: “It’s all been off the cuff. Like, ‘Are you free today? It’s a nice day, let’s go out and do it.’
“We weren’t expecting it to get so huge.
“We just did it for a laugh.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously but we want it to look good.”
Mr Potter, who studied media and film studies at school and college before working at Blockbuster, said the trailer’s cardboard cut-outs, Stormtroopers and other models were made by close friend Andrew Kinnear.
The film’s legendary starship, the Millennium Falcon was replicated for the trailer using straws from McDonalds and black cardboard.
But it’s not the first budget remake the group have made after they cleverly recreated the Jurassic World trailer earlier last year.
“Jurassic World - we filmed in my mum’s back garden,” Mr Potter added.
“One night, I went to bed and it was on 2,000 views, then I woke up the next day and it was on 40,000.
“It’s just grown and grown.
“It’s enjoyable to see so many people love it but for us it’s a good excuse to mess about and be kids again.”
WHO'S WHO IN THE STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS TRAILER?
- Matthew Potter: Director / Camera Operator / Playing as Han Solo
- Andrew Kinnear: Assistant Director / Props / Playing as Poe Dameron, Stormtrooper
- Adam Earls: Producer (helping with online presence) / Playing as Stormtrooper
- Jon Page: Lighting
- Alex Powell: Props / Playing as Rey
- Stormtrooper Rowan Ellis: Voice over / Playing as General Leia
- Chris Caldow: Playing as Kylo Ren/ Stormtrooper
- Cameron Skinner: Playing as Finn
- Nicola Kinnear: Props/ Playing as Captain Phasma (Silver Stormtrooper)
- Callum Redmond: Stormtrooper
- Tom Akerman: Stormtrooper
- Adam Potter: Stormtrooper
- James Poynter: Stormtrooper
- Gareth Wrigglesworth: Stormtrooper
- Scott Wakeford: Background extra
- Mike Sexton: Background extra
- Chris Hayes: Background extra
To see more of what the Budget Videos group have been up to, and for a side-by-side comparison of the trailers click here.
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