Yahoo News: Cool Star Wars finds: Rebel Force Radio
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Jimmy Mac onstage.at Star Wars Celebration VI in Orlando in 2012
Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Jack Oughton | Yahoo! Contributor Network
I'd like to say I'm still amazed at the types of fan dedication we have in the Star Wars community, but really I'm not. The hardcore elements of the community take dedication to new heights, and I'm always kinda impressed by their example. But I guess by this point I've just taken it for a given that these guys are passionate, skilled and extremely well organised.
Take, for example, my most recent discovery in the Star Wars audio sphere, RebelForce Radio, and it's energetic host Jimmy 'Mac' McInerney. Jimmy's the producer, co-host and (quite obviously) a bona-fide Star Wars fanatic to boot. Here's a man with a radio industry background who's turned his skills and experiences in the business into a show that basically centres around Star Wars...
A radio show based completely around Star Wars, you say? Yup. You don't see that every day!
OK, obviously, I couldn't resist finding out more about it. And as a Star Wars fan I guess feel it my obligation to share such interesting finds with the community at large…
Here's a little chat with Jimmy. In part 1 of this interview I'll speak to him about why you might be interested in RebelForce Radio, and we'll also get a little 'behind the scenes' into what putting together the show is like (it sounds like a lot of fun).
What the show all about, and what do you offer to listeners?
RebelForce Radio is a weekly radio show/podcast featuring all Star Wars commentary, analysis, news, comedy, and more. Co-host Jason Swank and myself tailor the show to a mainstream audience of Star Wars fans - From the casual to the hardcore. We are professional broadcasters / marketers with significant inside connections to the Star Wars universe - From actors to creators...Writers, artists and more!
Over the past seven years, we have interviewed just about every major player in Star Wars, including George Lucas, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. Many stars and creators from the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars are recurring guests on our show, including James Arnold Taylor, Sam Witwer and Supervising Director Dave Filoni. We are involved in the Star Wars fan community to a significant degree and we support an all-inclusive vibe.
As Clone Wars actress Ashely Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano) recently remarked on the show: "You guys really lead the charge in our community and I am just so excited with this new podcast!" We want to use our connections to bring Star Wars closer to all fans. The bottom line is that we like to have FUN with Star Wars and we believe that comes through in every show. Like a party for your fandom!
Jimmy and Star Wars actor / Skywalker Sound Supervising Sound Director Matthew Wood (General Grievous)
What's the experience & process of putting a show together like?
Since we are full time Star Wars fans, the show is always growing and evolving. As for the ins and outs of pre-show prep, I treat it just like producing any radio talk show. I have been producing radio programming for the past 20+ years on radio stations in Chicago and, for a few years, in LA. So I always keep my eye on breaking Star Wars news, we organise the top stories to suit our show, and try to come up with interesting or funny angles to present the material.
I look for guests to book that are involved in current hot Star Wars projects. I love audio production, so I often spend time in a studio working on sounds to make RebelForce Radio sound professional and polished. It's a lot of reading, listening, editing, networking and watchin g, but it's all Star Wars, so it's non-stop fun!
Got anything coming up over the coming months?
In April, RebelForce Radio will be broadcasting from the popular C2E2 entertainment convention in Chicago. Our coverage of the event will be heard on 1530 WCKG AM in Chicago and available as free downloadable podcasts at www.rebelforceradio.com.
And, of course, we will be continuing to provide coverage of all things Star Wars on RebelForce Radio every week. Look for new shows every Friday!
Jimmy with Clone Wars actor Stephen Stanton (Tarkin)
Any thoughts for the future?
It's an exciting time for Star Wars fans and we plan on continuing to provide the best coverage possible. We are going to be covering the production and return of Star Wars films into movie theatres, and we hope to see our show grow into something bigger and better. I think Star Wars has a mass appeal and a show like ours would be great on XM Sirius satellite radio.
