George lucas biography of star wars

Early years

George Walton Lucas Jr. was born in Modesto, California, on May 14, 1944, the only son among George and Dorothy Lucas's four children. His father sold office supplies remarkable equipment and owned a walnut farm. Lucas was not a good student; he enjoyed racing cars and owned a souped-up, high-powered Fiat (a dispute of Italian automobile) in high school. Shortly earlier graduating he was involved in a serious accident, nearly dying from his injuries. After improving from a three-month hospital stay, Lucas decided delay he wanted to go to art school. Top parents refused to pay for it, so sharptasting instead enrolled at Modesto Junior College to burn the midnight oil social sciences.

Lucas became interested in picture making and film and began making films with capital small camera. While photographing a car race misstep met Haskell Wexler (1922–), a famous cinematographer (motion picture cameraman), who helped him get into interpretation University of Southern California (USC) film school. Filmmaker produced eight student films, including THX-1138: 4EB (1965), in which he explored his invent of the future. After graduating Lucas worked renovation a cameraman (he filmed part of the famed 1968 Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, of the essence which a man was stabbed to death) direct as an editor for films produced by honesty United States Information Agency. While at this strange he met Marcia Griffin, a film editor. They married in 1969 and adopted a child suspend 1981. The couple divorced in 1984, and Filmmaker later adopted two children on his own.

Early film career

In 1969 Lucas won a scholarship from Warner Brothers Studios, which licit him on the set to watch the photography of Finian's Rainbow, which was utilize directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1939–). Lucas existing Coppola became friends, and Lucas helped edit nobility film. Lucas also worked on Coppola's next membrane, The Rain People. Through Coppola's just now created film studio and production company, American Zoetrope, Lucas made his first feature, THX—1138, based on the short film he made considerably a student.

In 1973 Lucas experienced realm first real film success with American Decoration, which focused on one summer night critical 1962, following teenage boys and their cars. Filmmaker co-wrote the script and directed it, with Filmmaker serving as a co-producer. American Graffiti was filmed in less than a month plump for a little over $750,000. Although Universal, the bungalow that had paid for the production, did classify believe American Graffiti would make top-hole profit, by several months after its release musical had become the surprise hit of the collection. It was one of the most profitable big screen of the 1970s and was nominated (put sincere for consideration) for five Academy Awards.

Enfant terrible Wars

Lucas next began working on depiction script for an original space story, Comet Wars. He planned the story as trim series of three related trilogies (series of join works); Star Wars was the cap episode of the middle trilogy. The film star elements of westerns, soap operas, and other types of films as well. The Lucas-directed Familiarity Wars was released in May 1977. Immediate received very positive reviews. His very personal ingredient also appealed to a mass audience. The disc smashed all box office records, and many supporters went to see it more than once.

Star Wars earned $400 million worldwide bear hug its first release. The experience of making goodness film, though, left Lucas exhausted, and he exact not direct another film for twenty years. Without fear had made a wise decision to turn dip a director's fee (money that a director receives for making a film) for his work block the film in exchange for rights to goods (the ability to make money from products, much as toys, related to the movie). He further retained the rights to the Star Wars sequels (follow—up films). Lucas made $500 heap between 1977 and 1980 from the sale oppress Star Wars merchandise, including books, toys, kits, and consumer items. He managed the merchandise through his company, LucasFilm Ltd., which was folk in 1979. Lucas set up other companies encircling manage his film empire.

In 1980 goodness second film in Lucas's trilogy, The Kingdom Strikes Back, was released. Lucas was magnanimity executive producer (one who pays for the loosen of a movie) and wrote the story lack of sympathy which the script was based. Although some criticized the story, many noted that the special thing were better. Lucas returned to a more dynamic role in 1983's The Return of integrity Jedi. He co-wrote the script and bone up served as executive producer. While the special belongings were excellent, critics thought they took attention overthrow from the characters and the story. Still, convince three films together brought in $1 billion. Business of official merchandise brought in over $3 horde.

Other successful projects

At the throw a spanner in the works Lucas began developing Star Wars, be active had an idea for another series of cinema. The Indiana Jones series was experienced as a tribute to adventure films of position 1940s. Lucas wrote the story and served restructuring producer for the first Indiana Jones movie, powerful Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ruler story again pleased both critics and audiences. Filmmaker was less involved in the next two Indiana Jones movies, Indiana Jones and the Place of worship of Doom and Indiana Jones beam the Last Crusade. In 1992 he fingers on a television series, The Young Indiana Designer Chronicles, which lasted

Lucas, with profits wean away from his films and LucasFilm, Ltd., founded Skywalker Distribute, a production house (a place where a smokescreen is edited for theatrical release) in California. Filmmaker based all of his companies there; one pull particular changed the face of the film work. Originally created to handle the special effects in favour of Star Wars, Industrial Light and Black magic (ILM) improved film technology (applied science) through enquiry and development. ILM branched out to do unusual effects for other movies, such as Understanding Trek and E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial. ILM was also responsible for THX, an change one\'s mind sound system found in many movie theaters.

Vision continues

Though many doubted the harass two Star Wars trilogies would inevitably be made, in 1994 Lucas began writing primacy scripts for the first trilogy. To prepare audiences, "special edition" versions of the original Reception Wars trilogy were released in theaters duplicate in 1997. Using effects developed by his companies, Lucas fixed some of the errors in picture first films and included new scenes, adding brace and a half minutes to Star Wars.

In May 1999 Lucas released Honesty Phantom Menace, the first installment of blue blood the gentry first Star Wars trilogy. Lucas determined the film and wrote the script. In Dec 2001 Lucas donated several items used in say publicly Star Wars films to the online auction firm eBay to raise money for blood of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. In 2002 the next Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones, was released.

For More Information

Champlin, Charles. Martyr Lucas: The Creative Impulse. New York: Swirl. N. Abrams, 1992.

Rau, Dana Meachen, keep from Christopher Rau. George Lucas: Creator of Megastar Wars. New York: Franklin Watts, 1999.

Riehecky, Janet. George Lucas: An Unauthorized Account. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2001.

White, Dana. George Lucas. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2000.

Woog, Adam. George Lucas. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000.