Designing a Death Star Theater
Three separate rooms, one starfield, and a life-sized Han Solo are just a few of the things that help two super "Star Wars" fans get their geek on in this theater.
A long time ago in a home theater far, far away—well, outside of Seattle anyway—began one of the greatest “Star Wars” spectacles to ever exist outside the doors of Comic-Con.
Super-fans Vic Wertz and Lisa Stevens used to run the Official Star Wars Fan Club and even the “Star Wars Insider” magazine. But even though they’re both out of that business now, they still pay homage to their dark lord and master each and every day—thanks to their incredibly impressive and geeky home theater.
Darth Vader wouldn’t call in an Ewok to do his dirty work, and neither did this couple. Instead they recruited Doug Chiang, the lead designer on “Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace” and “Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones.” Stevens met him during her days at another game company, Wizards of the Coast. “When we decided to do this project, I wanted to make sure I had the right designer, and he was at the top of the list,” says Wertz. Sure, but was he gettable? “He was pretty busy at the time, so it almost didn’t happen, but at the last minute, he was able to schedule a block of time for the designs.”
Three designs later, the couple brought in Mike Dillon and his custom design and fabrication company, Dillon Works, to do the icing on the cake. “We can design and fabricate just about anything,” he says. And he wasn’t kidding.
For more info, as well as a complete equipment list and photos, go to
[Link: electronichouse.com]
