Around the Web
Sometimes it's good to remember that Star Wars is just a movie. Behind all those rumors and hype about the prequels is a really fun series of movies. Some websites, it seems, tend to forget that. BlueHarvest.net isn't one of them, though, with tons of movie clips, rare pictures, interviews, and sounds, and even a Gonk tribute section. I recently was given the chance to ask the site's creator, Sofia Höglund, a few questions.
Your website is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Has
the work you've put into it been worth it to you?
I think so, yes. I started BlueHarvest.net as an excuse to learn HTML
and today I work as a webdesigner, so it's been a good investment of my
time.
Unlike most Star Wars sites, you avoid talking about news and rumors.
Why did you choose to do that?
The heart of BlueHarvest.net is it's behind the scenes sections. The
focus is on rare images, videos, cut scenes, spoofs and other fun stuff.
When I started the site there were no other sites that dealt with those
things really so I wanted to fill the void.
I'm leaving the news and rumor stuff up to people who can easier stay
updated. Those sort of things tend to take a while to reach us over here.
I believe last year, your website became sort of famous around the
holiday season because you posted the Star Wars Holiday Special online.
Why did you take it upon yourself to make the movie available for online
viewing?
A lot of people, including myself, never got to see the holiday special
when it aired. It was like the holy grail of Star Wars... only much more
tacky of course. ;-) So when Michael over at lucasfan.com let me know that
he had it, and didn't want to host it anymore I offered to take it off
his hands. It's really him we have to thank (or blame) for it.
Did you have any legal problems posting it?
Not so far. (Knock on wood.) Fortunately BlueHarvest.net is small enough
to escape most lawyer's probing eyes.
What do you feel is more important to a website: design, content,
or graphics?
Content - hands down.
A nicely designed site with spiffy graphics can make you drool, but
if they only offer the same old content as everybody else then what's the
point?
What do you feel is different about being a Star Wars fan in Sweden
rather than the United States?
The hype is much less here. We have our fair share of hard core fans
here too but it's no way near as intense as in the US.
A Star Wars movie opening is less of an event here (witch takes away
a bit from the experience unfortunately). Magazines, books and other Star
Wars stuff takes longer to get here. On the other hand... we don't have
to stand in line for weeks to get tickets to the première, so that's
good. :-)
Out of curiosity, do you own any of the real Blue Harvest t-shirts
and stuff they made during ROTJ's filming?
Nope, I'm not a collector so shelling out whatever small fortune something
like that would cost doesn't really interest me.
Why the obsession with Gonk?
It's a walking, talking box! What's not to love? ;-)
You've made some techno Star Wars songs (which I love, btw, I have
them burned onto CD's). Did those take much effort?
Not really. Combined, they all took about a day to put together. That
was the point with the experiment of making them. I wanted to prove that
anyone (even a no-talent-hack like me) could make that sort of music without
much effort.
Do you plan to make more?
People keep asking me that... the answer is; "Clouded the future is."
You never know.
The whole idea of making them sort of back-fired when I realized that
people were making CDs with them, playing them in clubs and sending them
to radio stations. They were made as a joke and were never meant to be
taken seriously. :-)
Do you own any other websites?
Nope. Since webdesign is my chosen profession I like to do other things
in my spare time these days. Running BlueHarvest.net is plenty.
What other websites do you visit, Star Wars or otherwise?
The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) is a site that I visit almost
religiously. It's a wonderful resource for a movie-buff like me. As for
Star Wars sites it's hard to pick just one favorite. I'd say any of the
links that made it into BlueHarvest.net's link section is well worth a
visit.
Where do you find all those crazy little Star Wars facts at the bottom
of your site? Some of those are really weird!
I have a scary knack for remembering worthless trivia. The facts and
quotes come from interviews and documentaries mostly, some of which are
available on the site. I picked those in particular that took me by surprise
or made me laugh. Seems like most people feel the same way. They've caused
quite a stir.
Be sure to drop by BlueHarvest.net to enjoy one heck of a cool Star Wars site!
Nate Raymond