Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III (2005)

The ‘making of a movie’ is a guaranteed staple on TV even before the film hits the theaters. It is advertising; it’s raising the hype; it’s showing every little tidbit of how our beloved stars go about in their job. Did he do his own stunts; how much was she paid; what new things did he learn – they all show this in 'the making'.

My interests are more than what happened behind the scenes. As a mass communication graduate, I have developed an interest in the technical aspects of film making. I do love to learn what my favorite stars do on films like any other fan but since I have made some school film projects of my own with my classmates, intellectual curiosity made me more curious as to how professional make theirs.

Within a Minute: The Making of Episode III, in my mind, is the ultimate in-the-making specials you will ever see. The only catch I think is the availability. I saw it on my original copy of Episode III and memory eludes me if this special of if this special of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith ever made it in any form on TV as regular movie advertisement.

Unlike other in-the-makings that I have seen, Within a Minute gives you technical step by step accounts of how the fight scene of Episode III was made. It was called Within a Minute because their primary focus was on the fight scene of Obi Wan and Anakin, particularly the part when they came on a narrow ledge which then broke of because of the lava.

Even if they focused on a minute, it goes without saying, that the movie making process is true throughout the film.

What astounds me in this special was that it took more than an hour to finish. The topic was only about a minute’s worth of the final product, the movie we all love, but explaining how that minute was made actually took longer than the title would suggest.

Movie making is not all point and shoot as we all want to think of Hollywood; all the glamour and big bucks. Making millions through a film is a long arduous process.

There are many people and many stages than one goes through in filmmaking even just one short portion of it. You have directors, producers, assistant directors, sound editing costume, carpentry, stuntmen, make-up, concept artist, production assistants, welders, painters, catering . . . How long the list is may actually bore you but each is an integral part of film making.

Every part, step, manner of film making is explained in a concise manner in Within a Minute. From the script to the re-shoots, every person responsible for the stage of production explains how and why they do it, and somewhere along the lines you’ll have some actor’s inputs too.

Unlike other ‘in the makings’ which act like a empty meaningless photo shoot only with a moving watching this special can give you more understanding of the film Episode III and film making as well.

If there is anyway that you can see this special other than buying yourself an original DVD then do so, but if not then buying the original is not a bad buy really. Who knows maybe you’ll end up making films one day . . .