Exile (2009 film)

Exile was an animated Star Wars fan film released in 2009. The film was originally made available in episodic segments or "parts" during its lengthy production and re-released in feature form upon its completion with extended and re-integrated deleted scenes. Exile was a joint production of Impossible Films, Orange Media and Bad Apple.

Synopsis
After the first war of the Sith the Galaxy experienced an eerie twenty years of uneasy peace. Meanwhile, the servants of evil swirled and writhed with eager anticipation as a self-proclaimed Dark Lord unveiled his wicked plans against the light. The only creature that could stand in his way retreated into the uncharted outer regions of the Galaxy as the Sith desperately hunted him. It was then that a cavalier Jedi Master and his padawan discovered him; this exile who hid in the shadows on the eve of war.

Behind the scenes
Exile was animated using professional 2d animation software Toon Boom Studio and edited with Final Cut Studio 2. The original score was composed by Jason R. Johnston who incorporated leitmotifs by John Williams from the Star Wars films.

Development
Exile had been in various states of development since 2005 as intended to be a live-action short film. Jason R. Johnston was originally going to handle editing and special effects but after a long hiatus, he decided to begin work on his own Star Wars tale as an animated short: |Dark Lord, a re-imagining of Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side.

Upon hearing of Johnston’s plans, director Gabriel Ramirez decided in September of 2008 that Exile will be animated as well with Jason R. Johnston directing the animation. Johnston, also a knowledgeable Star Wars fan, decided to help re-write the story with Ramirez to fit it squarely in Star Wars lore and make the execution of the story decidedly more epic.