GALLERY OF
Achievement
Hartlepool College of Further Education
PARODY STAR WARS FILM “THE COURSE AWAKENS” GOES DOWN A STORM
Hartlepool College showed it’s a force to be reckoned with in a comical new mini-movie that features some iconic characters from the Star Wars universe. Entitled “The Course Awakens”, the short parody, complete with visual effects, tells the story of an Imperial Stormtrooper who feels he’s stuck in a rut in the Empire and turns to Hartlepool College to try out a variety of different skills. The film was written, directed and filmed by the College’s Creative Director, Gary Kester, and the project gave him a chance to mix his job with one of his biggest passions. Gary explained: “I saw Star Wars: A New Hope as a 10-year old when it first came out, and I’ve loved the original trilogy ever since. In fact, they’re the reason I went into art and design. So, like every other fan, I had a total nostalgia trip when I saw the trailers for the prequel film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
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Gary also noticed something else familiar. “The Rogue One trailers showed that Imperial Stormtroopers still existed mostly to get beaten or blown up, or just walk around a lot in their armour. So I thought that they must get a bit cheesed off about that, and started to think about what jokey things they could find themselves doing if they tried out the various courses the College offers. From that came the script for The Course Awakens”. Gary pitched the idea to Head of Student Recruitment Shaun Hope, who gave him the green light to bring in members of the 99th Garrison, a nationwide charitable Star Wars costuming group, who loved the idea and agreed to take part for a donation to charity. The final 8 minute film was very warmly received, and can be viewed at
bit.ly/UseTheCourse