Building the Force

Abstract

This chapter examines the Star Wars fan community who creates screen accurate BB-8 replicas is explored in depth. Builders undertake the creation of characters through emergent technology such as 3-D printing. The members work together to create these replica characters and immerse completely in the process of the character's formation. We studied online fan community forums and social media groups where participants engage with and support one another as they build full-sized Star Wars characters. Second, this chapter applies the BB-8 builder community to an established framework for brand community, which is extended to include the passionate and committed communities formed by fans around entertainment franchises. Brand (or franchise) characteristics are related to community characteristics, which are then in turn related to fan brand community. Finally, conclusions for the academy and practitioners are discussed based on the examination of this community in relation to the theoretical framework.