🔊 - The marketing mind of George Lucas w/ recent 'Star Wars' fan MacKenzie Green of 'The World Needs Nerds' podcast (S1/E12)
+ the 'Skeleton Crew' trailerBen Burtt's recent Hollyood Reporter interview and other adventures in media!
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Tim and Jim chat about the Skeleton Crew trailer and Ben Burtt’s recent revelations about the “Wilhelm scream” before Tim's deep-dive convo with MacKenzie Green of The World Needs Nerds podcast about the evolution of George Lucas’ marketing prowess and what it’s like to be a newcomer to Star Wars fandom!
Episode Credits:
Hosts: Tim Barnes, and Jim Fagan
Guests: MacKenzie Green
Theme Song: Matt Maher
Announcer: Carolina Ravassa
Podcast Art: Joel Jackson
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Email questions and thoughts to: yubnubpod [at] gmail [dot] com
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
The generational power of Star Wars, Star Wars from a marketing P.O.V., and the pitfalls of toxic fandom
Skeleton Crew trailer & Ben Burtt on the “Wilhelm scream”
MacKenzie Green: A Star Wars Story
MacKenzie Green very recently became a Star Wars fan — as explained in this episode of her The World Needs Nerds podcast:
She currently serves as Vice President of Social for Who What Wear/Clique Brands. She has over 12 years of social media and digital marketing experience working for brands like Betches, Telemundo, and BET+. MacKenzie graduated from the University of Miami and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. She is a member of the US board for the Shoebox Project, the immediate past president of the University of Miami Young Alumni Council, the University's alumni board of directors, and the board of the Girls Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. She is a proud member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a cohost on The Taylor Strecker Show, and hosts The LA Comic Con Podcast. Green is a proud blerd, marathon runner, dog mom, and memory athlete.
Discussion Highlights:
The generational power of Star Wars…
Star Wars is a near-global generational institution, the likes of James Bond and Batman.
Tim points out realizing how institutional the Batman franchise is after learning how much is late grandfather was into Burton’s 1998 version.
There is this weird sort of like familial lineage thing with Batman in particular and all of its permutations.
- Tim Barnes (Yub Nub, 2024)
Mackenzie notes that her mother saw the original Star Wars trilogy despite not caring all that much about it:
She was like, “Mackenzie, it was the 70s. It was the 80s.” Like, “There was nothing else anybody was talking about.”
Speaking of Batman — we talked about that franchise in connection to silent cinema and Star Wars a few episodes back!:
Star Wars from a marketing point of view…
MacKenzie points out that the true marketing genius of Star Wars is that it’s rarely focussed fully on adult interests. Instead of aging with its original fans, it remains focussed on the new ones coming in.
“…you could argue that's Harry Potter, right? Harry Potter… you enter it as a child you come out of it as an adult.”
- MacKenzie Green (Yub Nub, 2024)
The pitfalls of toxic fandom…
MacKenzie is ultimately glad she decided to take the dive into Star Wars movies and lore — which required overcoming fears around the toxic element of Star Wars fandom…
“I've always run from Star Wars because the fandom scared me. Because I did watch 7, 8, 9, the John Boyega, Daisy Ridley ones, and I enjoyed them. I was like, this is a fun time. Now, mind you, I don't know what's happening. I don't know who these people are. People are making cameos. People are in the theater gasping, crying, cheering. I'm like, is that somebody? Are we excited? But I loved it.”
- MacKenzie Green (Yub Nub, 2024)
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What’s “Yubbing” Our “Nubs”
TV: ‘Skeleton Crew’ Trailer
This trailer has filled Jim with child-like wonder!
“…it's like the Indiana Jones world of Lucasism and Spielbergism, but it's also got that labyrinth vibe that like… It's for kids, but it's dangerous. That irreverent Jim Henson, kids can handle being scared kind of vibe.
- Jim Fagan (Yub Nub, 2024)
INTERVIEW: ‘Star Wars’ sound designer Ben Burtt explains the “Wilhelm scream” (LINK)
Tim read this awesome interview with Ben Burtt about creating iconic movie sounds and his infamous use of the “Whilhelm scream.”
Shout out to Eric Michael Hambury who compiled every use of the scream in Star Wars!
What makes it so fun is that Burtt doesn’t seem so thrilled about his use of the scream being one of the most well knowm things about him:
Well, I do this as it was an in-joke to myself and a few friends that got out of control and escaped into the world. I never intended that. If you Google me, the first thing it says is: “Ben Burtt, creator of the Wilhelm Scream.” I say to my wife: “Is that what I’m known for?” It was a joke I made once and now I can never live it down. - Ben Burtt
Also, probably worth reminding you that we covored more about Ben Burtt earlier this season with mastering engineer Justin Marra!
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