Master Yoda tutored a new pupil for "Star Wars" Day – Southlake DPS officer Micah Davis.
On Monday, May 4, officer Davis ventured into Yoda’s hut on Dagobah and learned the ways of social distancing. Directing him to wear a mask and social distance by at least 6 feet, the voice of Yoda in Southlake DPS’ video does not belong to Frank Oz, but rather Public Information Officer Brad Uptmore.
"I grew up with 'Star Wars,' back before it was cool," Uptmore recalls fondly. "Liking 'Star Wars' in 1993 was usually something you didn't tell people. I'm so thrilled that it's so mainstream now and that the public loves celebrating it all."
Southlake DPS pushes out different "Star Wars"-themed messages every year, whether they feature landspeeders, podracers or even Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Uptmore says this year’s PSA came to him early in the morning, and he completed filming with officer Davis in about 30 minutes.
"Each year we try to top what we previously did the year before," Uptmore says. "We tried to make it snappy and quick so the audience doesn't lose interest, so there weren't that many lines. We just want to keep putting out the safety messages that we think the public needs to hear, and doing it via pop culture and fun themed days is usually a winning combo."
You can watch the full video on Southlake DPS’ Facebook or Twitter page.