British director Gareth Edwards began his film career as a visual effects artist, working on television shows such as BBCs Heroes and Villains and PBSs Nova. His first feature film was Monsters, released in 2010, starring Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able. Apparently, besides its two stars, the crew of Monsters was no more than five people. Edwards created the special effects for the film personally, without the aid of mainstream visual effects companies such as Weta Digital or Industrial Light & Magic. Thats a pretty incredible accomplishment. Edwards also directed Legendary Pictures 2014 reboot of the Godzilla franchise, which was a financial success and generally considered to be Americas best attempt at revitalizing the character. Maybe thats not difficult considering the egg Roland Emmerich laid, but I digress Gareth Edwards next film will be Rogue One, the first installment in Disneys Star Wars Anthology series. Now, before you get cynical about seeing a new Star Wars film merely one year after The Force Awakens, consider the fact that Edwards has gone on record stating, Star Wars is definitely the reason I wanted to become a filmmaker. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in December of 2016.
Spencer is a Film Studies major at the Rhode Island College in Providence. He is a professional video editor, hopeful screenwriter, aspiring director, and prays that his ambitions aren't just starry-eyed daydreams. Follow him on twitter @NotSpencerSerra
