The Rise of Skywalker: My Breakdown of the Teaser... and Beyond.

First off, wow. That teaser was everything I wanted. Excellent. It's got everything I needed to tide me over until December. As a long time fan of the series (about 42 years now) I feel I can offer some insight into what the trailer revealed about the upcoming movie.

Which planet? Not what you think!

The teaser opens with Rey hanging out on a desert planet. Which desert planet? There are so many options. Your first instinct is to guess Tatooine. They'll want to revisit Luke's or Ben's old place, right? Or maybe ever Jakku? Rey certainly wants to go back there to see if her parents checked in. No.

Jedha.

Yes, Jedha. Check out the rock formations. Check out the vegetation. None of that on Tatooine or Jakku. And this, I believe, is the theme of the Rise of Skywalker. A need to go back to the roots of what the Jedi were. Before the Jedi, or different than the Jedi, since there is a problem with the only "good and bad." The Whills. There is much history on the Whills, but never really talked about. (or written, frankly). I believe this is the movie it "will" make its appearance. And we know that is what Baze Malbus and Chirrut Imwe were all about in Rogue One. They were Guardians of the Whills.

Reading a book in Star Wars? 

We know Rey took the Jedi texts from Ach-To, the island Luke inhabited in The Last Jedi. They were hidden in the Falcon in one scene. I believe she will read these books and try to find the beginning of the "Jedi" before things became "Light vs. Dark," and more of a Balance. These books will point to a very ancient place where there are Jedi remains... and that must be Jedha.

Want another clue? It is not from the teaser, but from Star Wars Celebration. Look at these couches:

recognize these couches/benches from Rogue One? I do!

These were the crates used to carry Kyber crystals off of Jedha

Why make crate couches like these if you're not going to reference the planet they're from? Rey's Lightsaber was busted up during by her and Kylo... it needs several new parts, including a kyber crystal. What better place to get one than on Jedha?

Ok. I'm just getting warmed up here. I'm really excited about the next scene that happens. Rey is carrying the legacy saber, or "Rey's Lightsaber" now. That's awesome. Did she repair it? With what? It looks... different. The black section there is different than the original. But this scene isn't all about the saber. It's also the blaster she has holstered at her side. That is Han Solo's gift to her, as the Lightsaber is Luke's. "We've passed on all we know," Luke says this over the video at this point. I like that this means the knowledge of the Jedi, but also Han's knowledge.

This is a quite deliberate juxtaposition of the Force Luke passed on and Han's craftiness. Don't forget the blaster. It's AS important to her character as the saber. 

Then comes the awesome showdown of "man vs. machine..." A New Hope was a classic approach to this, as Luke trusts himself to destroy a huge Death Star. Rey takes a leaping backflip over an incoming Tie. What? I'm guessing this is only a teaser image and won't be in the actual movie. It's cool though!

First set of goosebumps

Then we've got a solo mission to some hidden city in the mountains. Who's flying that A-Wing? Can't wait to find out. The A-Wing is one of my low-key favorite ships in the series. I'm guessing it's Rey. I have a reason why and it's in an upcoming shot... (more on that later).

Is Rey tracking down Jedi clues? this looks like a remote place some ancient Jedi would hang out in. Maybe Ezra shows up? Wouldn't that be something. 

Then there's a scene of Kylo mowing down someone and repairing that mask he trashed after Snoke shot it down. But it's back, apparently.

Only a little lens flare? C'mon JJ!

Is he the only "bad guy?" I'm sure he isn't. Nothing is shown in this teaser, but I am certain that the Knights of Ren will make a much-anticipated appearance. (My original guess for the new movie's name was "The Rise of the Knights." Listen about their blurbs in the Force Awakens and read "The Art of the Force Awakens" by Phil Szostak. There's plenty I'm going to reference from that book.

Here's a clip of the Knights in the Art of the Force Awakens. A lot of material was developed for them... now is the time to reveal!

Cute droids!

But where's R2? NOBODY puts R2 in a corner. 

Then there was clearly the BEST part of the teaser:

Yeehaw!

And the best ship...

Wait... who reordered the round radar dish?! 

Threepio, Finn, and Poe escaping with some loot/rolled up scrolls (or maybe just their lives?)

Still on Jedha getting Jedi clues... (again, where's R2?!)

Then a cutaway shot to the A-Wing pilot... whizzing past a Star Destroyer? Like an OLD SCHOOL Star Destroyer! What's that doing around still? Some remnants of the old Empire?

I'm pretty sure that's Rey going to take down a Star Destroyer. Here's why I think so...

Remember I said I loved "The Art of the Force Awakens?" There's lots of great concepts that were never used in the first two movies, and this A Wing Star Destroyer scene looks super familiar to me. Rey is whizzing around in an X Wing with the top down and using her lightsaber to slice it up. Don't believe me?

I'm guessing this is going to go down like this. 

Cut to Leia checking out Han's old medal she gave him on Yavin 4...

Probably Han's, right?

Cut to me definitely wondering who's cutting onions in the room...

Looks like they're using her old footage wonderfully. Miss you, Carrie!

And then to the next scene... look where they are. Just look! That's the second Death Star remains! Endor has an ocean!

Are there ocean dwelling Ewoks? Yub nub!

Referencing the book again, there are some COOL underwater images of the destroyed 2nd Death Star. They've got to be looking for something the Emperor had stashed away. Holocrons? Something else? Looks like Rey's scavenging background is going to pay off. Please tell me they're after Darth Vader's lightsaber...

One of 3 underwater scenes in the Art of the Force Awakens...

Does Rey need Vader's saber to repair her own? Like some sort of Skywalker legacy that needs both pieces of the light and dark to become one? Oh please be this. That sounds cool.



And then what else do they uncover there? Something Luke says is really unsettling at this point... "No one is ever really gone..." Who is he talking about? Him? Yoda? Ben?

Thanks Youtube subtitles for confirming that was him. And thanks for my second set of goosebumps. 

Or the Emperor?

Well, that's it. I'm guessing this movie will take Rey and friends from one side of the universe to the other to see a lot of strange things. Collecting Jedi relics, finding a balance to the Force. Meanwhile Kylo Ren will posse up with his gang of Knights of Ren and try to track down the remaining spark of Resistance. The real question for us all to ask is whether or not anyone can ever truly be too far gone down the Dark path...

May the Force be with you. Perhaps we'll see I'm totally off base by the time December rolls around, but maybe not. I'll address this entry in 8 months time, I suppose! And yes, I will vow to not watch another Star Wars trailer and let this be my only musing into the end of the Saga. Too much of a trailer can give much away.

An Interview with Danny Susco: The Voice Behind the Soulkind Series

On March 27, 2019, I published The Soulkind Awakening as an audiobook through ACX. I was lucky to meet Danny Susco, an up-and-coming actor/narrator/all-around cool guy, and he narrated my book(s) for me. I'd like to share an interview I did with him recently about the process, the Soulkind story, and about him in general.

Danny Susco

Tell me a little about yourself. How did you get into narrating/producing?

Well, as to myself, I spent a vast portion of my life with my nose in a book. All through school, I always had one on me, ready to open at the slightest free moment.

This, along with joining the marching band, predisposed me to become what I am today: a huge nerd. Like the vast-stacks-of-books, magic-the-gathering, dungeon-master-and-Warhammer-40k kind of nerd.

As for how I got into narrating and producing, I have been told for some time that I have a good voice for radio (also a good face for radio, but that came from my then-girlfriend/now-wife). I always enjoyed reading, both to myself and out loud, dabbled in acting, and made different voices with my brothers ever since I was little.

Then, I went to college and earned a Bachelor’s of Journalism from Ohio University (Go Cats). They wanted to be sure that we would be able to do whatever we needed to create a news story, from shooting video to editing audio.

Fast forward three years from graduation, and I was freshly laid off from the company I worked at since I left school. I had heard of ACX before, and already had a pretty nice microphone for recording audio, so I figured, why not?

How many books have you narrated and do they have a common thread or theme?

Including the Soulkind Awakening, the number of audiobooks I have narrated comes to a grand total of two. I am, however, hard at work on book number three (The Shadow of the Soulkind – tell your friends!), and loving audio producing.

That said, before securing the Soulkind books, I did look over several other titles for ones I might like to record. One was a cookbook (that I ended up recording), which I thought would be good to cut my teeth on. I also looked at a children’s book and a few sci-fi novels (not nearly as well-written as the Soulkind Series).

There was one book that I was offered, but I decided not to take that one up – I’m not certain how comfortable I would be doing an audiobook of a highly niche erotic novel.

What do you love most about narrating audiobooks?

My favorite thing about making audiobooks is also what I like doing with the rest of my time: I love making things, especially for other people to enjoy. I think my favorite feeling is showing something I made to someone and having them go, “Wow, I love it!” That goes for cooking as well as audiobooks.

How do you select a book to narrate? Do you prefer a specific genre or types of characters?

I prefer to stick with genres that I would enjoy reading. In general, that would mean fantasy or sci-fi. However, I am pretty well-read, and love anything with good content that isn’t too dry. Well, almost, now that I think of the erotica novel.

How do you prepare to read/record a chapter? Do you read a book several times before you record the audio? Or do you just about memorize it?

I like to take it chapter by chapter. Generally, I will read through a chapter once, to get a feel for what the mood is and whether there are any problem spots. Then, I will jump right in. It combines the thrill of a live performance with the low pressure of talking to yourself. Plus, I can swear if I flub a word (and I often do so quite loudly, to the great amusement of my wife).

How do you decide on the specific voice and tone to do for each character (in the SK Awakening for example)? What are your favorite types of characters to voice? (who in this book, and why?) 

Well, step one is to ask the author if they had any thoughts on what a certain character’s voice should be. That’s why in the Soulkind Awakening, Jace’s voice is just my own normal speaking voice – it was an author suggestion. Otherwise, it is based on the character’s age, physical appearance, and personality. For example, Straeten is in his early 20s, is a stalwart friend, and works as a stable hand. That made me think of my older brother (currently farming fish in the California desert), so I went for a deeper voice. Or, there was Stroud, the glowering leader of the Guardians, so everything he says is clipped, as if he’s a little annoyed and impatient.

My favorite character voices, though, are the Darrak. It’s a ton of fun to snarl out sentences like a lizard-man.

Do you have a ritual or routine you do before sitting down to record the audio?

Not so much beforehand, save for reading over the material I’m about to record.

I often dangle one hand down next to my chair while recording, though. One of my cats tends to start meowing quite loudly if he wants your attention. So, if I hang one hand down, he can rub up on it and I will scratch his chin while recording.

Is there a scene you just loved to narrate? Is there a scene that was especially difficult to narrate?

I love fight scenes. It’s a lot of energetic lines, so as I’m recording I’m throwing my hands in the air, belting out the action.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that there was a scene that was especially difficult, save for characters with difficult voices talking a lot. For example, Caspan Dral or Graebyrn both have deep, deep voices, and that can be difficult to keep up.

What tips do you have for aspiring narrators/producers?

Don’t be intimidated. When I first considered audiobooks, I was scared off by the expense and jargon, but with a little research, I was able to make something that great and venerable Audible declared good enough to put its stamp on.

Also, if you don’t know what audio editing program to use, download Audacity – it’s free, there are a bunch of tutorials, and you can get plugins to do just about whatever you need the program to do.

What are your next steps in your career as a narrator? 

Just keep recording! The very next step, though, is the second book in the Soulkind Series.

Thank you very much for your time answering these questions, Danny!

Do you have questions for the author? Me? Comment below and I'll get back to you.


Check out Danny's webpage here, https://modernmidwestman.com/. He'll show you some recipes!


Interested in the audiobook process? Read this post I wrote about the whole process here


The Soulkind Awakening is available on Amazon, Audible, and on iTunes. Thanks for checking them out!