George Lucas Biography And Works Essay, Research Paper
Part I, Drumhead:
THX 1138, American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back the list goes on and on. Although many have non heard of each of these movies, everyone surely has to cognize the adult male behind them. George Lucas has, in many instances, written, produced, and directed, non to advert edit, his ain movies. His vision was the driving force that imagined and created these films. All have made back the cost of the movie and most have received 1000000s of dollars in net income.
Although it sounds as if he had an easy life, in world, Lucas had to fight in order to acquire in front. Not being interested or involved in school, Lucas turned his attending to autos. When he reached driving age, his male parent gave him a nice, little, safe auto. However, passionate about autos and racing, Lucas revved up his engine and turned it into a hot rod. Each twenty-four hours following, he went cruising about town, drag rushing frequently. However, this passion led him to a drastic alteration in his life. It finally led him to success.
Lucas was in a auto clang in 1962, which ended his rushing calling before it even started. He missed his graduation ceremonial at his high school, but joked that the lone ground he got a sheepskin was because his instructors felt sorry for him. As a consequence, Lucas looked for other options to make full his nothingness in life. Since his classs were non good plenty for a four-year college, he decided to travel to junior college. For the first clip in his life, he hit the books. He fell asleep seeking to gain the highest classs he could in order to hold a hereafter for himself.
During junior college, Lucas formed other involvements. Alternatively of racing, he filmed them on a 8-millimeter camera his male parent gave him. A old friend, John Plummer, told George that he should use to the University of Southern California. His friend remarked that it was non that hard to acquire into as repute indicated. Lucas applied, and was accepted, for his junior twelvemonth.
Although the thought was unpopular with his male parent, Lucas was non stopped in pursing his calling. At school, he realized that he had to work his but off to remain on top. He did non mind the difficult work. Lucas really felt relaxed remaining up all dark redacting movie. Even when a batch of college pupils got high on drugs, Lucas got high on movies ( 1, 45 ) .
When assigned to do movies in school, everyone wanted to be in George s group. Even though the most desired occupation was the writer-director, Lucas most likely got the portion. However, his movies were non good because he stayed within the guidelines. Lucas broke the regulations. He and his friends broke into the redaction room and edited all dark. Besides, he went manner overbudget and far away campus to hit his movies, though none of his instructors objected. His movies were ever the best by far in the full category.
After having his unmarried man of humanistic disciplines degree from USC in 1966, Lucas had to make up one’s mind what to make with his hereafter. He contemplated whether to enlist in the Vietnam War, but when he tried to fall in the air force, he was rejected for his constabulary record. All of the speeding tickets he had received when he was younger were coming back to stalk him. Unable to make up one’s mind, Lucas eventually had to confront the bill of exchange for the ground forces. However, he failed because he was diagnosed with diabetes.
Soon Lucas was hired to make some redacting work by Verna Fields, a veteran movie editor, to work on a movie about President Johnson s trip to the Far East. Unfortunately, he hated the limitations the authorities bureau put on his work and was upset when they cut out some of his footage. Then, the thought of going an independent film maker began to look really attractive.
At this clip, Fields hired an helper editor named Marcia Griffin. Lucas and Griffin were non ab initio attracted to each other at first, but as clip went on, antonyms seemed to pull, and they went out on a few day of the months. George and Marcia finally fell in love with each other and got married.
In the autumn of 1966, Lucas decided to learn a preparation plan for navy film makers. This manner he could do his movie, an thought he had turn overing about in his caput, called THX: 1138:4EB. After 12 hebdomads of authorship, cinematography, and redacting, the movie was eventually done. I didn t expect it to turn out so good, Lucas said ( 1, 68 ) . This small movie was what made Hollywood notice George Lucas.
After this success, Lucas won a scholarship offered by Columbia Pictures and manufacturer Carl Foreman for work on the film McKenna s Gold in Arizona. He, along with one other victor, had to do a 10 minute, 16-millimeter movie that related to the film. Besides, before traveling to Arizona, he entered a scholarship competition sponsored by Warner Brothers. He won and was able to take a studio in Hollywood to detect for six months. Unfortunately, merely one studio was unfastened at that clip and he was unable to work in Warner s life studio. Alternatively, he observed a musical called Finian s Rainbow, directed by Francis Coppola, a adult male that would hold a enormous impact on his life.
After speaking to Coppola about his programs to do THX a two-hour characteristic, the manager warned him that the studios would merely rend him off. He so offered to Lucas that, if he took a lasting occupation on Finian s and his following screenplay, The Rain People, Coppola would assist him on the THX screenplay. Lucas agreed and Coppola made a bundle trade with Warner Brothers. They would acquire The Rain People and an option on THX. They besides advanced Lucas $ 3,000 to work on the screenplay.
Besides at that clip, Lucas decided to do a documental picturing the existent people behind the camera of Rain People and how difficult it is to do a film. Filmmaker, the docudrama, remains one of the best docudramas about the production of a film, as fresh and insightful today as it was in 1968 ( 1, 77 ) . This, excessively, besides helped progress Lucas in his calling.
In add-on, Coppola was in the mists of puting up American Zoetrope, a production company, with George s aid. This company made a trade with Warner Brothers to do five movies for $ 3.5 million dollars, including Lucas s THX. Coppola, nevertheless, made George compose it, but it came out awful. As a consequence, Coppola hired Oliver Hailey, a author, to work with Lucas. Unfortunately, it was non the narrative Lucas wanted. Finally, Walter Murch, who edited the sound effects in Rain People, helped George compose the book and it came out merely right. Warner Brothers said yes to the film and Lucas got to direct it. Sadly, Warner Brothers did non like it and it was turned over to another editor. As a consequence, the studio canceled the following seven undertakings.
Even though THX was a commercial failure, it still remains Lucas s favourite movie. The experience was thwarting and character-building for Lucas, who had spent the better portion of two old ages doing a really personal film that had been dumped into the market place without attending or attention ( 1, 98 ) . Marcia Lucas stated, Directing that film [ THX ) was a great thing for George. It was a discovery. Now he was truly a film maker ( 1, 98 ) .
After THX, Lucas wanted to do a film that would chase away his image as a technobrat, a cold, mechanical film maker devoid of heat and wit ( 1, 101 ) . He offered the film, American Graffiti, to United Artists, tungsten
hose president suggested a two-picture trade ( the other being Star Wars ) . Lucas had Richard Walters, a schoolmate at USC, write the movie with Gary Kurtz as manufacturer. After he read the book, Lucas was disappointed. He so had Bill Huyck and Gloria Katz, close friends, write another book. Finally, Universal Studios was the one to finance and let go of the film.
At the prevue of the film, the audience loved it. However, Ned Tanen, a representative from Universal, hated it. After a few redaction alterations, which Lucas was really angry about, another prevue was held. The audience loved it, once more, and Universal released it, doing more than $ 117 million in tickets.
Finally able to work on Star Wars, Lucas wrote a outline of the narrative which was really different from movie that was released. Desiring the movie to be released by Fox Studios, Lucas had to foremost offer it to Universal since they had an option on it. After they rejected it, Fox bought it, giving it a budget of $ 3.5 million. However, this shortly skyrocketed to $ 8.5 million dollars. After completing the book, he gave it to Bill Huyck and Gloria Katz to sharpen the duologue.
Unfortunately, Lucas had many jobs with Star Wars. Alec Guinness ( Obi-Wan Kenobi ) threatened to discontinue because his portion was shortened drastically, the Millennium Falcon and R2-D2 looked excessively futuristic, the automatons would non work, and production was ever behind agenda. As for the dramatis personae, he wanted new, fresh faces. Lucas did non desire any veterans ( except Alec Guinness ) in the movie.
Lucas was rather candidly ne’er anticipating Star Wars to be a large hit. He merely thought that the movie would interrupt even with the cost. He and his married woman, Marcia, were in daze to see long prevarications of people seeking to acquire into the theatres to see Star Wars. However, after three months, the movie grossed $ 100 million which is faster than any movie in Hollywood s history.
Lucas realized that if he made two more Star Wars films, he would hold adequate money to hold fiscal security and Skywalker Ranch ( 1, 191 ) . Skywalker Ranch would be a topographic point where full movies could come together. Writers, managers, sound sociables, etc. , would wholly be under one roof. In kernel, it would be another version of USC s USCinema, a group of friends that George was with in college that worked on movies together. Besides, in order to do the subsequence to Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas decided to finance it himself so that he would hold concluding say in the film and non Fox.
Unfortunately, bring forthing his ain movie was non every bit easy as it seemed. Although originally believing that he would hold adequate money, Lucas shortly came into a immense debt. The budget for his film kept traveling up and up and his company, Lucusfilm Ltd. , demanded a $ 1 million paysheet each hebdomad. Borrowing $ 25 million from two Bankss, Lucas was able to merely hardly finish the film and pay his employees. However, within three months, Lucas recovered his $ 33 million investing. The Empire Strikes Back had sold more than $ 300 million worth of tickets and $ 165 million dollars in movie leases. Bing the generous adult male that he was, Lucas shared the net incomes with his dramatis personae and crew members for all of his films, and even with all his employees that worked for him, although non straight related to the film, for The Empire Strikes Back.
After this success, Lucas turned his attendings to Plunderers of the Lost Arc, which sold about $ 335 million worth of tickets and $ 49 million in movie leases. Besides, he focused his attending on Industrial Light and Magic, his particular effects company, and Lucusfilm Ltd. Furthermore, Lucas eventually released of Return of the Jedi, the 3rd movie in the Star Wars trilogy.
Even after all his success, Lucas was still non certain if he had fulfilled his intent in life. He was non certain if it was Star Wars, Skywalker Ranch, or something else. He had been successful because he was able to set his visions on movie. However, afterwards, he felt that his visions were excessively large for him. Lucas was afraid that God would state to him when he dies, You ve had your opportunity and you blew it. Get out ( 1, 277 ) . This is really improbable. He saw what he had to make and he did it. There is no attempt, Yoda lectured Luke. There is merely do or make non. When it came down to that pick, Lucas did ( 1, 278 ) .
Part 2:
One of the most interesting things that I discovered about George Lucas was that he originally wrote a different secret plan for Star Wars. I ever thought that the film was the original image in George Lucas s head. I believed that there were minor alterations such as altering some of the duologue, cutting out some scenes, or possibly even rewriting an full scene, but to hold the full secret plan to be about wholly rewritten a few times was discontinuing a surprise to me.
Another interesting thing that I have learned is that George Lucas wrote a film prior to American Graffiti. Even though THX:1138 bombed, I thought I should hold at least heard about it when The Star Wars Trilogy was re-released, but I heard nil relating to it or any other film, such as the hit American Graffiti. Although, THX:1138 was non a great success, I still have a desire to see it, merely because George Lucas made it.
It ne’er even occurred to me that George Lucas had a unsmooth clip before he made it large. He was consumed with monolithic debts and emphasis before, and even after, Star Wars hit the screen. Particularly when Lucas decided to finance The Empire Strikes Back himself, he had to borrow $ 25 million dollars in Bankss merely to pay his employees.
Another surprising facet about George Lucas is that he is a really quiet and reserved adult male. He ever blends into the background and no 1 of all time thinks he is the adult male in charge. When people foremost met him, they thought that he was ran errands or something to that consequence. I have ever thought of Lucas to be a loud and chatty adult male. However, he is rather the antonym.
Finally, one ne’er realizes how difficult it is to do a film. When you see one on the large screen, everything expressions so perfect and in sync. However, to acquire to that quality of the film, there was much emphasis and many jobs everyday on the set. Of class, there is the occasional reverse to set shooting behind agenda, but one does non truly cognize how much force per unit area there is in doing a film until one really produces and directs one.
I recommend this book because it fundamentally changed my whole position of George Lucas. He has had a more absorbing and interesting life than I had of all time imagined. This book is well-written and ne’er retarding forces on. Sometimes when I was reading it, I could non set it down. I ever used to believe that lifes where drilling, but, because I read this book, my sentiment has changed. I enjoyed reading this book every bit much as other fiction books I have read. I besides feel that I can associate to Lucas because of the fact he is quiet and reserved. Normally, I have a fright of being the centre of attending and fell in the background. However, that is likely the lone similarity between us. I hope that one twenty-four hours I can be every bit successful as he is with his calling and derive his great sum of enterprise and finding to acquire where I am traveling in life.
Work Cited
1 ) Pollock, Dale. Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas. New York: Harmon
Books, 1983.
