This project was a commission for a serious Star Wars fan. He specifically requested a theme related to the scene from The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke Skywalker travels to the Dagobah Swamp where he first encounters the Jedi master Yoda. This was a particular challenge owing to the multiple locations in this scene.

In the end, I created a wide Shelf Nook designed to showcase the scenes which included Luke’s downed X-Wing fighter, Yoda’s hut, and the training ground where Luke, Yoda, and R2-D2 are present. A multitude of swamp trees fills the space, creating the choking claustrophobia of this alien world. A wide array of special LED lights helped to set the mood, creating eerie background lighting for the  swamp itself, as well as the various flashing lights present on Luke’s X-Wing as well as R2-D2. A sound module, hidden at the back of the display, plays an atmospheric soundtrack of the swamp noise, straight from the actual film. I also built a miniature fog machine. When operated, the fog rises up through the roots of the trees and slowly disperses across the swamp.