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How to Build the First Lightsaber Ever Made

Shanks FX recreate the original lightsaber with the materials used during its original 1977 conception.
Screencaps and GIFs by the author, via

Since it was first introduced in Episode IV: A New Hope, the lightsaber has slowly been making its way into our homes in the form of plastic renditions courtesy of toy companies like Hasbro. Plastic toy models of the iconic weapon have seen quite an evolution over the years, getting better and more realistic with each new film. In a new How-To video posted to YouTube this week, members of PBS Digital Studios’ Shanks FX, the DIY effects artists that brought us a real life Ghostbusters Photon Beam and Picturesque Sand Paintings, show viewers how to recreate the original lightsaber beams using the same materials and methods George Lucas and his crew used on the set of Episode IV back in 1977.

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According to Shanks FX, the cinematic effect of the lightsaber was initially created by wrapping a highly reflective tape called “Scotchlite” around a three-sided stick that was attached to the saber’s handle, a modified 3-cell Graflex Flashgun from the 1940s:

The team at Shanks FX lay out the blueprint for one of the most recognizable movie props in hollywood history. Check out some shots of the video below:

More from Shanks FX, here.

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