The Lightsaber Guys is a student group on campus. It is a group of students who have created content based on the Star Wars franchise. The group started in January of 2022. Roommates Micheal and Jake had purchased lightsabers and had gone outside to have a saber fight. From this fight, people started watching and the group has since gained a following.
The group post short video clips of what they call “Bear Wars” to their Instagram, @lightsaberguysofunc. The group often creates a piece of their story out on the Turner Green at night. This allows them to elaborate the story in each season and for followers to watch in person. For students, they can watch the fight from the outskirts of the greens while others can watch from their dorm rooms.
The group said in an Instagram post, “The Lightsaber guys was and continues to be something fun and exciting for us and our viewers as we escape for fifteen minutes on a Thursday night to act like we are in our favorite film series, Star Wars.”
The group creates new characters to add new aspects of their stories. One of the members who had been a part of the first fight, Michael Nolting, mentions that the biggest struggle for the group is finding people to play certain parts for ideas they created.
At the start of season two, the group introduced new members who had fight choreography. According to Nolting, each recorded elements posted on Instagram takes hours to film and edit.
“I think our fights have come a long way since season one, but we’re still experimenting with different moves and sequences,” Nolting said. “We’re really excited to show what we’ve been working on! We are also looking to add a lot more directing in our videos. We’ve been playing with camera angles and other things to make it more immersive for our viewers.”
For each season, Nolting drafts the story. The plan for the season goes into detail about what happens in each episode. Before each episode, the group meets so everyone is on the same page of what needs to be captured. During this meeting, ideas are often welcomed by individuals in the group.
The Lightsaber Guys just started the first night fight of the fourth season on Sept. 14. This night was rainy where many students who chose to watch the action from the warmth of their room. There was a group of students who stood ready to take part in the impromptu fight part of the night.
For the group they appreciate all the recognition from fans, and it means a lot to them when people show up to the fights.
“The group is open to anyone,” Nolting said. “Most people who become characters we meet at our impromptu saber fights, and if we need the help, we get in contact with them. That also goes for extras as we use a lot of those.”
