Rebels Recon
Webseries giving an inside look into the Star Wars Rebels TV Show
Cast spotlight
Jump into full cast pages for bio, socials, and recent work.
Ep 1Inside “Spark of Rebellion”
In the first installment of Rebels Recon, StarWars.com takes you inside Star Wars Rebels’ debut episode, “Spark of Rebellion,” with cast and crew interviews, coverage of the premiere’s L.A. screening, and an exclusive clip from next week’s episode. At the premiere, Lucasfilm’s Andi Gutierrez spoke with the cast about the experience thus far. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive and wonderful,” Tiya Sircar, voice of Sabine said. Jaime King, actress and longtime fan, says her child was introduced to Star Wars “since he came out of the womb.” Dave Filoni, the show’s executive producer, revealed that he showed “Spark of Rebellion” to George Lucas last week – and he loved it. In the StarWars.com offices in San Francisco, the show’s creators discuss its development and what they like most about the era of Star Wars Rebels. For Joel Aron, CG supervisor, it’s being chronologically close to A New Hope. Kilian Plunkett, art director, loves working with the Empire.
Ep 2Inside "Droids in Distress"
In Rebels Recon #1.02, StarWars.com takes a deep dive into the Star Wars Rebels episode “Droids in Distress,” talks with the show’s creators, and gives you a first look at next week’s episode, “Fighter Flight.” Lucasfilm’s Andi Guiterrez catches up with executive producer Dave Filoni and the Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo to discuss the inclusion of a Star Tours-type vehicle and droid in “Droids in Distress,” and speaks with Kilian Plunkett on designing R2-D2 and C-3PO to fit with Star Wars Rebels’ animation style. “The Artoo that’s in Rebels is a little bit of a hybrid of all sorts of things,” Plunkett says. And C-3PO has one major upgrade that differentiates him from the model seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Pat Presley, concept designer, says that bringing back classic Star Wars vehicles and imagery has been his favorite part of working on the show. Tracked down in the hallways of Lucasfilm, Hidalgo answers a question submitted through Twitter: Are stormtroopers actually clone troopers? The answer: No – clone troopers age rapidly, and have been phased out. Stormtroopers are recruits who are “loyal to the Empire.”
Ep 3Inside "Fighter Flight"
Rebels Recon #1.03 features an in-depth look at the Star Wars Rebels episode "Fighter Flight," with a recap, cast and crew interviews, and answers to your Twitter questions -- plus an exclusive preview of next week's installment of Star Wars Rebels, "Rise of the Old Masters!" In "Fighter Flight," Hera sends the ever-bickering Ezra and Zeb on a quality-time supply run -- which includes bringing back an impossible-to-find meiloorun fruit -- and the two have a run-in with some stormtroopers. As a result, Zeb finds himself in the cockpit of a TIE fighter. At New York Comic Con 2014, Vanessa Marshall (voice of Hera), talked about what her character brings to the Ghost crew, which is on display in this episode. "I think what makes Hera so cool," Marshall says, "is that she helps these characters discover things they didn't really know they had inside to get this job done." The plot of "Fighter Flight" comes from a surprising source: Star Wars toys. "The whole idea for "Fighter Flight," executive producer Dave Filoni tells Lucasfilm's Andi Gutierrez, "was based around having a TIE fighter toy as a kid and putting heroes in it instead of villains...I played out that scenario a hundred times as a child." And the dynamic between Zeb and Ezra that's explored in the episode is key to defining their relationship. "It's fun. I think of it as the whole big brother, little brother thing," says Taylor Gray, who plays Ezra. Steve Blum, the voice of Zeb, explains that their friendship is growing -- and that he's fascinated by Ezra. The episode also offers a new, close-up look at TIE fighters, which Blum was especially excited to see -- and Filoni reveals the design inspiration behind Star Wars Rebels' TIEs. Finally, the Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo addresses a new fan question: why does C-3PO have a silver leg in "Fighter Flight," when last we saw him in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, he was completely gold?
Ep 4Inside “Rise of the Old Masters”
In Rebels Recon #1.04, StarWars.com delves into the Star Wars Rebels episode “Rise of the Old Masters,” with a synopsis, cast and crew interviews, and much more. “Rise of the Old Masters” finds the Ghost crew on a mission to rescue Jedi Master Luminara Unduli from an Imperial prison. But instead of Luminara, they find the Inquisitor waiting. Kanan and the Inquisitor engage in an intense lightsaber duel, and the rebels barely escape the Imperial trap. This episode features the first lightsaber duel of Star Wars Rebels, and the Jedi weapons seen in “Rise of the Old Masters” are special for many reasons. The blades were designed to closely match the look of a lightsaber from one specific scene in A New Hope, CG supervisor Joel Aron reveals to StarWars.com’s Andi Gutierrez. “The shot that I referenced a lot was inside the cantina,” Aron says, referencing the moment when Obi-Wan Kenobi stands with his lightsaber after an altercation. Aron meticulously recreated the look of the laser sword in CG, using motion blur and other techniques employed in the original effect. The Inquisitor’s lightsaber features two blades, and when in disc mode, can spin at a furious speed, making it an intimidating weapon. Executive producer Dave Filoni calls it a “cheat mode” lightsaber – it can do things to make up for the Inquisitor’s lack of ability. For this week’s Twitter question, @mrzehr asks, “How is the Inquisitor not a Sith?” Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group explains that not all dark side users are Sith, and not all light side users are Jedi. “There are multiple schools of skill out there,” he says.
Ep 5Inside "Breaking Ranks"
In Rebels Recon #1.05, StarWars.com looks at the making of the Star Wars Rebels episode "Breaking Ranks," with an in-depth breakdown of the creation of an episode, interviews with the cast and creators, and more! "Breaking Ranks" finds Ezra on an undercover mission at the Imperial Academy on Lothal, seeking to uncover an Imperial decoder. While there, he befriends two fellow cadets who help him on his mission; in turn, the decoder is essential for Hera and Kanan, who need it to disrupt an Imperial shipment. At the Art and Science of Lucasfilm panel in partnership with the San Francisco Film Society Education, the Star Wars Rebels team spoke with local students about creating an episode from start to finish. Line producer Athena Portillo detailed the process, showing the evolution of "Breaking Ranks" from rough animatics to layout to post production. In discussing "Breaking Ranks," Lucasfilm's Andi Gutierrez asks Taylor Gray, voice of Ezra, if adult stormtroopers could complete the training in the Imperial Academy. "No...I'm going to say they can't do half the things that they think they can," he jokes. Executive producer Dave Filoni adds that clone troopers are more effective soldiers than stormtroopers; clones are bred for combat, while stormtroopers have to serve. He also reveals that the training grounds were based on the Kamino facilities seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as the bounty-hunter gauntlet from the episode "The Box." Regarding the design of Star Wars Rebels' stormtroopers, Filoni says that the goal was to make them look familiar to what we've seen in the films. While there was talk of having them appear closer to Ralph McQuarrie's stormtrooper designs, it was decided that McQuarrie's conceptual versions were too different from the troopers' classic look. For this week's Twitter question, @mike_audette asks a question regarding the Inquisitor's use of Luminara's remains to draw Kanan into a trap in "Rise of the Old Masters": "How the heck can the Inquisitor do that with Luminara?! Are there more dead Jedi like that?!?" Pablo Hidalgo of the Story Group fills in some of the backstory regarding Luminara, as well as what made Kanan think she was really still alive...
Ep 6Inside "Out of Darkness"
In Rebels Recon #1.06, StarWars.com talks with the creators of the Star Wars Rebels episode "Out of Darkness," looks at the character-design process, and shows a special preview of “Empire Day.” "Out of Darkness" finds Sabine growing frustrated with Hera and Kanan’s secrecy. The Mandalorian demands to accompany Kanan on a rendezvous with a mysterious contact, but the two find that their meeting place is infested with deadly fyrnocks. They escape, and Sabine learns to have faith in Hera’s leadership. At the Art and Science of Lucasfilm panel in partnership with the San Francisco Film Society Education, the Star Wars Rebels team spoke with local students. Art director Kilian Plunkett showed the design process for Chopper and Kanan; it begins with 2-D illustrations, and both characters went through significant evolutions. Chopper originally had a very Artoo-like dome, and Kanan did not always have his trademark ponytail and goatee. Sculpted maquettes finalize the process, showing how the character looks in three dimensions. In “Out of Darkness,” Hera and Sabine take center stage. Pablo Hidalgo tells Lucasfilm’s Andi Gutierrez that Hera is “the true believer of the show. She has the absolute unquestioning faith in the cause of what they’re fighting for.” Dave Filoni, executive producer, thinks she’s interesting because she’s a mother figure, but also has a pilot’s swagger and toughness. Sabine has her own strengths. “I think Sabine’s really good at thinking on her feet,” says co-creator and associate producer Carrie Beck. “While other people may get caught up in the moment…she’s able to dive in head first and figure her way out of a situation.” Hidalgo asserts that she’s also highly educated, and that will be explored. For this week's Twitter question, @a_targaryen asks about what the Empire has in store for the kyber crystals it’s after. Hidalgo says that as kyber crystals are used to focus energy to create a lightsaber blade, giant kyber crystals could be used to create a very dangerous weapon…
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