A Word from Trey Stokes
Director of "THE PINK FIVE TRILOGY"

I suppose making a Star Wars fanfilm was inevitable for me, considering the way the original film affected the course of my life. In 1977 I was a high school junior with no idea of where I wanted to go to college, or even what I wanted to do as a career. But Star Wars fixed that - one year later, I was a freshman film student at USC (because that's where George Lucas had gone to school). And a few years after that, I was working in the industry as a visual effects artist. Thanks for the idea, George.

Pink Five was created as a personal project in April 2002. Originally it was never intended to be seen by anyone at all - it was just an excuse to practice some low-tech bluescreen compositing. So the script was almost an afterthought; it was simply the end product of twenty-five years with every frame of the original movie imprinted on my brain. (Actually, I did watch the movie again, just to make sure I'd put everything in the right order.)

It was also an excuse to work with Amy Earhart, an actress with whom I've collaborated on literally dozens of video projects. She read the script for the first time in the car as we drove to the bluescreen stage, and then nailed the character in just a couple of hours of shooting. Take my word for it - the secret to good directing is good casting.

Pink Five wouldn't have worked without Amy, so it's only fair that I make some room here to let her give her take on it. Over to you, Amy...

I was born in 1980, the year that The Empire Strikes Back was originally released in theatres (sorry if I just caused anyone to have a senior moment...) and it wasn't until the trilogy's re-release some fifteen years later that I actually saw all three films in their entirety. Unfortunately, I still felt as though I had missed out on the initial invitation to enter that wonderfully weird and fantastic world.

But now thanks to Trey, his persistence in getting this film made, and his neverending patience in explaining all the jokes to me that I didn't get, I truly feel a part of something unique and magical. Thanks to all for your kind and supportive words, and most of all for laughing at Pink Five along with us.

Best Wishes!

Okay, me again. (Amy just gave ME a senior moment . 1980? Ouch.)

A final thought - it wasn't until after Pink Five was completed that I discovered there was such a thing as a Star Wars fan-film-making community. I'm glad Pink Five originally found a home at TheForce.Net, where it can be seen by the folks who are most likely to enjoy it. Or who will at least understand all the jokes.

Thanks for watching, and always remember to pick up your visual scanning...

Trey Stokes

Director, The Pink Five Trilogy