Local Filmmaker Lucia Taylor Directs Impressive “Lost Padawans”

By Thomas Leturgey

Some 140 family, friends, cast, crew and supporters of Pittsburgh filmmaker Lucia Taylor were invited to a debut screening of “The Lost Padawans” at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley Sunday night. The 33-minute short film is a loving tribute to Star Wars.

Set seven years before George Lucas’ “Phantom Menace,” Taylor’s “Padawans” stars Patrick McClory as Qui-Gon Jinn, a character portrayed by Liam Neeson in the first of the three Star Wars “prequels.” The long-brown-haired McClory is a Star Wars devotee, veteran cosplayer of the character, and has played the role in another fan homage that’s on YouTube.

In this fan-made production taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Qui-Gon Jinn and Master Jedi Jerek Kairos (played by Ryan Bergman) search for the kidnapped Padawan (young Jedi learner) Mira Alden (Lauren Stackhouse). Adventure ensues as the two run into bounty hunters Luke Frederick, Nathaniel Taylor and Ryan Beatrice. Nathaniel Taylor “moved to Alaska” and couldn’t be at his sister’s debut. Lucia placed a toy Chewbacca mask in an empty chair to her left as his placemat during questions and answers.

Later, the heroes encounter the dastardly Xanatos, who is played by Erik Smith.

Taylor, 22, of the North Hills who wrote, directed, and wore many other hats in the production, does a nice job providing personality traits to everyone in the cast, including the card-playing low-ranking bounty hunters. As is the case with the Star Wars franchise, there is always a touch of humor and it is provided by the thugs, one of whom during the post-viewing question and answer session admitted to be outfitted with an arm brace for no real reason.

Filming took place last year in a North Side warehouse, and the grounds surrounding a church in Gibsonia. Taylor said her Christian faith came in handy, most notably when the cast and crew spent two days outside during 2025’s generally rainy summer, and “didn’t experience a drop of rain.”

Stackhouse says she hadn’t acted before but does exceedingly well in two emotional scenes.

Early on, Qui-Gon Jinn uses the force to open a locked door, and the special effects team inserts visible motion waves. At that moment, viewers were clued-in that this production paid attention to details.

Being a Star Wars movie, there are light sabers; they are convincing, and the burning hum of the weapon is spot on. Taylor said it took months to get those special effects right. The whole film took 1 ½ years to complete.

The original soundtrack was provided by Mark Rolfe, a Nottingham, UK-based multi-instrumentalist composer, producer, and academic with more than 25 years of experience. Taylor said this is the first time she’s used a composer, instead of finding material from the public domain.

The unabashed highlight of the film is a well-choreographed and lengthy fight scene between all four main characters. Taylor said the actors spent Saturdays from May until August of last year learning the fight sequence. Bergman, an experienced teacher in fight/stage combat lead the instruction and said everyone “quickly picked it up.” Stackhouse, who didn’t have any fighting expertise, said she enjoyed getting in on the action.

Most of the enjoyable short film features original characters. Taylor said antagonist Xanatos “is canon in books” and has a grudge against Qui-Gon Jinn. “Obi Wan was doing Obi Wan things,” said Taylor.

A common question is how does Taylor—or anyone else—produce a Star Wars film in the $46.7 billion ($10.34 billion in ticket sales), litigious-heavy industry? She says that fans are actively encouraged to develop fan fiction, if they don’t try to make money off their efforts. Taylor is giving this film away. It will be available on YouTube, starting September 7. It will also be entered into film festivals.

This has been a labor of love for Taylor, who has produced more than 300 videos on YouTube under her “Taylor Treasurers Productions” banner. It’s described as a “micro budget film production LLC with a goal “to make high quality and wholesome films, with intentional messages, so you can have a stress-free viewing experience with any age!”

Taylor said wading into sci-fi was different. Most recently, she helmed a 1940’s era short film entitled, “Where Dandelions Fall,” and has acted in a friend’s student short called “Relief of Burden.” She’s also worked as a camera operator on “Spellstone,” a film based in medieval times with a strong mix of live action and CGI directed by first-time director Sean Crist. That film is a product of the CCAC Film Program, where Taylor and Crist took classes together.

Already prodigious, Taylor directed and had roles in “Literary Serendipity,” “In the Midst,” “Me, Myself and I” and “Whispers of Yesterday: Echoes of Today.” Next, she’s piloting “Where the Dandelions Fall” a story about a couple in love during the Korean War.

But she’s already considering a sequel to “Padawans.” When asked what advise she would give to other young filmmakers, Taylor said, “Plan it to death. Plan it to death.” And she added to “get involved in the community” and “keep making your own stuff.”