This is how to recreate Star Wars within a single piece of software

With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker doing the cinema rounds right now, what better way to indulge than with a very effective fan trailer, made with FXhome's HitFilm software.

The short trailer, called Rise of the Dark Side shows off the power of the company's HitFilm software. Everything from X-Wing fighters sequences to forest chases with laser firing all over are recreated. But it's more than just a showcase project. The team has also released a comprehensive set of tutorials showing exactly how they made it.

These include how to create a Star Wars style title, how to use 3D tracking (including a free AT-ST model to download), a Force lightning effect, how to create a digital double for stunt sequences, compositing simulations from Blender, as well as a BTS video showing the filming process.

The trailer is very short, but as you can imagine, making such a thing with minimal budget and time vs that of a full blown Hollywood movie is not easy!

The results are super impressive given that this is all effectively produced from within a single piece of NLE software. With the results it is capable of in the right hands, it's surprising that HitFilm isn't more mainstream. As it is, its dedicated user base is growing, and on every release the software just gets better.

View the short trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments!