By: Dominic Jones
As Celebration Europe II draws nearer, fans are faced with quite the challenge ahead of them: planning how they’re going to be spending their time at Celebration – what panels they’ll be attending, what booths to get out, who’s autograph to get – it’s a good problem to have. The trouble is it is impossible for one single human being to take in everything that goes on during a Celebration. In Part I of this series, I looked at the panels that I intend to attend during Celebration, this time around I’ll be looking at the panels that in a perfect world I’d be attending as well. The irony of doing “The Can’t Miss Panels of Celebration” in two parts is that you will ultimately have to miss out on something and part II is essentially "What else I want to see but don't have time to". But without further ado, here is part two of The Can’t Miss Panels of Celebration Europe II:
Friday
Ben Burtt
Where:
Behind the Scenes Stage
When:
1:30pm-2:30pm
Official Description:
Star Wars
sound legend Ben Burtt is also an accomplished film editor, with the Star Wars
prequels and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles among his credits. Come hear
Burtt talk about his incredible contribution to the moviemaking industry over
the years, and to the Star Wars universe in particular.
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
Ben
Burtt is a legend. The man created some
of the most iconic sound effects in film history, including: Darth Vader’s
breathing, lightsabers, and R2-D2. I
attended Burtt’s panel at CV and it was incredible, not only did Burtt have
stories to tell from the set, he also had home movies that he shot during the
production – including a look a the (at the time) never before seen deleted
sand storm scene from Return of the Jedi.
At CVI, I attended his press conference, where he shared some more great
memories from the production of the films.
If you enjoy behind the scenes stories, or are interested in sound
design or film editing, this is a can’t miss panel for you.
The Golden Hour (Or
Maybe 45 Minutes) with Anthony Daniels
Where: Celebration Stage
When: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Official
Description:
Daniels,
always entertaining and always willing to involve the audience as a part of his
show, will appear on the Celebration Stage, with or without Warwick Davis. The
actor who created the character of C-3PO typically performs solo, but host
Warwick is determined to have a go at him before turning him loose. However
this resolves, it will be an entertaining hour to be sure to add to your
Celebration schedule
Why
It’s Can’t Miss:
The man behind the mask
of C-3PO certainly knows how to entertain a crowd. Anyone who’s seen Star Wars In Concert knows
what I mean. While C-3PO was never very
good at telling stories, Daniels is an excellent storyteller. Expect lots of laughs and audience
participation.
Star Warriors Screening
with Exclusive Deleted Scenes
Where: Behind
the Scenes Stage
When: 4:30pm-7:00pm
Official Description:
Steve
Sansweet will help introduce Star Warriors, a documentary that tells the tale
of Star Wars fans from all over the world brought by George Lucas to Pasadena,
California, to march in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s
Day, 2007. Produced by Kevin Burns and Prometheus Entertainment for Lucasfilm,
the movie is a tribute to the 501st and Rebel Legions, the global organizations
of Star Wars costuming enthusiasts, their charity and volunteer work, and of
course their participation in the parade. Star Warriors has only been shown on
the big screen at Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2008. This special screening
will conclude with a selection of never-before-seen footage featuring the fans’
preparation for the parade, focusing on the costumed fan groups from Europe.
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
The
Star Warriors documentary about the 501st Legion members who marched
in the Rose Bowl parade in 2007 was a surprise highlight on the Star Wars
Blu-ray set. The film is a touching
tribute to the great people of the 501st who represented fandom so
well that day. The film will make you
laugh and cry as you get to know the people behind the masks of Vader’s
Fist. The Celebration extended cut will
feature more scenes of fans as they prepare for the parade and will undoubtedly
feature more of what made the film so great in the first place. Plus you never know you might wind up seeing
your seat neighbour up on screen!
Evening With the
Emperor: Ian McDiarmid
Where: Celebration
Stage
When: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Official Description:
Celebration
Europe marks the first time veteran actor and Star Wars icon Ian McDiarmid has
appeared on stage for an interview at a Star Wars fan event in Europe. Be sure
to see this rare appearance, and catch a glimpse inside the legendary actor’s
portrayal of Senator Palpatine and Darth Sidious.
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
McDiarmid
is still a newbie to the convention scene and appearances by him are rare, that
alone should make most fans jump at the chance to see him interviewed. McDiarmid understands fandom and how to play
up to his audience – back during CVI, his Convention debut , the first words
out of his mouth as he joined James Arnold Taylor on stage were not in his
usual voice but rather the iconic voice of Emperor Palpatine! Plus McDiarmid has kept up with Star Wars
since his last appearance in the franchise in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, he
made several references to the live action series during CVI, and you never
know what might come out of his mouth. Plus
he has some phenomenal behind the scenes stories from the filming of Return of
the Jedi and the prequel trilogy. On a
personal note, this was the hardest panel for me to cut out of my schedule, but
McDiarmid will be in my home town of Toronto for Fan Expo Canada later this
summer, so I will hopefully have a chance to see him then.
Saturday
Master of Sound: Ben
Burtt
Where: Digital
Stage
When: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Official Description:
From
creating the legendary sounds for the Star Wars movies – lightsaber humming,
Vader’s breathing, and the distinctive shot of Han Solo’s blaster - to the
voice of Wall•E and the tick-tock of the president’s pocket watch in Lincoln,
Ben Burtt is a defining voice in cinematic sound. Come hear more about what’s
behind the scenes from the master!
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
If
you can’t make Burtt’s panel on Friday (and vice versa) don’t worry there’s
another opportunity. Expect a discussion
more focused on sound design this time around as Burtt is joined by another
sound designer, David Collins (formerly of LucasArts, now with Sony). Much like Burtt’s other panel, this one is
especially good for those who are interested in this part of the film industry
and fans who love to know where all the iconic sounds came from.
Stump the Experts with
Anthony Daniels
Where: Behind
the Scenes stage
When: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Official Description:
When
Anthony Daniels, the actor behind the celebrated golden droid C-3PO, takes to
the crowd to challenge the Star Wars fans in the audience on their knowledge of
the galaxy far, far away, anything can happen! Don’t miss this hour of
impromptu interaction with Anthony, intellectual challenge, and Star Wars
surprises presented by the protocol master himself.
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
This
is as close as we are ever going to get to a game show hosted by C-3PO! It’s bound to be a tone of fun for everyone
in attendance and a great opportunity for you to show of your trivia skills in
front of a Star Wars legend (and a room full of other fans!)
Straight Talk From a
Princess: Carrie Fisher
Where:
Celebration Stage
When:
6:00pm-7:00pm
Official Description:
Always
funny and often irreverent, Carrie Fisher is an audience favorite for both her
onscreen and onstage roles. As the original princess with an attitude – Princess
Leia – she holds a special place in the hearts of Star Wars fans everywhere.
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
This
one really answers itself…IT’S PRINCESS FRICKIN’ LEIA! Carrie is known for her…interesting sense of
humor so this is probably not one for the younglings. Carrie will tell stories from the time on the
set (as well as her tumultuous past) and share many laughs as she makes her
first Celebration appearance as a Disney Princess!
Sunday
The Fett-Tastic Four
Where: Celebration
Stage
When: 11:00am-12:00
Official Description:
Hear from
four actors who have performed the iconic character of Boba Fett, the favorite
bounty hunter from the first Star Wars trilogy. This unprecedented collection
of on-screen bad boys is a first for Celebration Europe: Jeremy Bulloch (Boba
Fett, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi; Captain Colton, Revenge
of the Sith); Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett, Attack of the Clones; voice of
Boba in Season Two and Season Four, Star Wars: The Clone Wars); Dickey Beer
(Boba Fett stunt performer, Return of the Jedi); and John Morton (Boba Fett,
Cloud City scene, The Empire Strikes Back, and Dak, Luke’s gunner).
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
These
Bob Fett reunion panels are always great fun as the actors behind the greatest
bounty hunter of all time share stories and discuss the legacy of Boba Fett. Having attended the equivalent panels to this
at CV and CVI I can honestly say, fans in attendance for this panel are in for
a real treat!
The Jabba’s Palace
Reunion
Where:
Celebration Stage
When:
12:30pm-1:30pm
Official Description:
Commemorate
the 30th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi with the Jabba’s Palace Reunion on
the Celebration Stage. Host Warwick Davis will bring together stars of the
scene, including Tim Rose, Mike Edmonds, Femi Taylor, Toby Philpott, Gerald
Home, Sean Crawford, and Tim Dry, and perhaps have them recreate some of the
magic live. Don’t miss it!
Why It’s Can’t Miss:
It’s
rare that you get so many Star Wars veterans on stage at the same time, let
alone all characters from the same scene!
After what is the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi
without revisiting one of the most iconic scenes from the film – plus the possibility
of a live recreation of the scene makes me envious of everyone who’ll be in
attendance!
So
there you have it, the panels I wish I had time to attend. If a panel is
not on this list, but sounds good to you, you should absolutely attend it as a
you are almost certainly going to have a great time. I hope this two part
series helped you in making your decisions about what to do during CEII, if you
have any questions feel free to contact me at swunderworld@gmail.com
See
you in Essen!
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