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Homing Beacon #35




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"I must once again respectfully request that you tell Lord Vader to stop killing my agents. The Empire has put a lot of time and money into their training. If he doesn't want to talk to them, can't the man just say no like anybody else?"
- Major Herrit, Imperial Intelligence officer, to the Emperor. The Star Wars Sourcebook.

"Droids never have spare change. Droids never have pocketses. No reason to ask droids."
- Unidentified alien panhandler. The Crystal Star.


Taun We Speaks


The audio layers of Episode II are currently under construction as the film continues its post-production phase. This includes the re-recording of dialogue in a process commonly known as "looping." Last week, actress Rena Owen stopped by Skywalker Ranch in Northern California to perform her character of Taun We once again, picking up where she left off when principal photography wrapped last year in Australia.

"It's the first time I've been to Skywalker Ranch," says Owen. "It was very exciting for me to be able to come out and visit. Here is where these things are birthed. I had a lot of fun. George Lucas was so easy to work with. You instantly feel very relaxed, and you just want to do your best for him."

Owen has done plenty of voice-work in the past. Her distinctive timbre has been used to voice-over many documentaries. "It's a blessing and a curse," explains Owen. "Sometimes when I do accents, people still hear the distinctive voice. So, it can go against you. Most times it goes for you."

Owen affected a soothing, mellow tone for her role as the alien Taun We, a character who will be brought to life as a computer-generated creation by Industrial Light & Magic. "I'm not sure how to describe it. She kind of flows, and talks the same way. The two operative words that George uses -- he used them on set as well as in looping -- was flowing and kind. They're creatures of love and light. It's good, as a person, to play that because you tap into that part of yourself. As an actor, when you're playing those characters that are angst-ridden, it's not much fun. Taun We's a free-flowing creature. I'm kind of the opposite side. I'm out of my head all the time! I live in Los Angeles! I work in the film industry! I think that says it all," laughs Owen.

To tap into an unrushed mindset, Owen turned to her upbringing. "Outside of work and professional situations, that's very much me, because I'm a farm girl," she says. "I grew up on a farm, and it's very laid back, with an ordinary country family. When I'm not working, I'm very good at chilling out. You've got to balance the introvert and extrovert."

Owen was not deterred by the fact that her face will not appear in Episode II. Only her voice and the energy of her performance will stay intact in her scenes. "There are a million actors in the world who'd love the opportunity to be in Star Wars," says Owen. "It's knowing that you're part of history, part of the Star Wars phenomena, and the opportunity and the privilege of working with someone like George Lucas, to be able to sit there and watch how they work, watch them do their thing. That's what it's all about."

Adds Owen, "I've always based my choices on not whether it's one scene, three scenes, five scenes, voice, face or whatever. It's the talent you're working with."

  Princess and the Beast at Disney
Beautiful princesses and hairy monsters are nothing new at the Disney theme parks, but Mother's Day visitors to the Star Wars weekends at Disney-MGM Studios caught a rare glimpse of Princess Leia and Chewbacca.
 
The Biggest Insider Yet
Issue #54 is the biggest issue of Star Wars Insider yet -- a square-bound 96-page magazine indicative of what's to come from the new Official Star Wars Fan Club.
 
Obi-Wan in Xbox Action
In LucasArts' Star Wars Obi-Wan title for the Xbox video game system, players can take control of the young Jedi in his action-packed path to Knighthood.
 
Status Update: Mindful of the Future
For Episode II to be completed for a 2002 release, producer Rick McCallum must constantly be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the moment.
 
Other recent Star Wars news...

Behind the Masks: An Interview with Jason Baird
Although many of the alien species to be seen in Episode II will be all-digital creations, there is still a place for practical creatures and Jason Baird, Live Action Creature Effects Supervisor.
 
The Art of Jedi Knights
For their new Jedi Knights Trading Card Game, Decipher turned to computer generated imagery (CGI) to illustrate the over 150 cards in the set. 3-D Project Manager Joe Boulden supervised the task of acquiring the all-new art.
 
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Even in far away galaxies, the cable doesn't always work.

When will the new databank section of Starwars.com be completed?

Read Steve Sansweet's answer here.



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