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George Lucas

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Image:George Lucas.jpg thumb|200px|George Lucas. '''George Walton Lucas, Jr.''' (born May 14, 1944) is an United States American film director, film producer producer, and screenwriter famous for his epic ''Star Wars'' saga and his Indiana Jones films. He is one of the American film industry's most financially successful directors and producers.

Biography
George Walton Lucas was born in Modesto, California. His father, George Walton Lucas, Sr., ran a stationery store and owned a small walnut orchard and was mainly of British and Swiss heritage. His mother, Dorothy Ellinore Bomberger Lucas, was a member of a prominent Modesto family (one of her cousins is the mother of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman) and was mainly of German and Scots-Irish heritage. Lucas attended Thomas Downey High School, where he was an indifferent student at best and dreamed of becoming a professional race car driver. That early dream ended June 12, 1962, when he crashed his Bianchina. The car was clipped from behind while he tried to make a left turn into his driveway. The car rolled; the racing harness that he had installed snapped, and he was thrown from the car. Had the harness not snapped—and Lucas has said it shouldn't have—he would most likely have been crushed to death by the steering column when the car smashed into a walnut tree. (The force of the impact uprooted the tree). During his recovery, Lucas reevaluated his life and decided to go to college. He enrolled at Modesto Junior College, where he earned an AA degree, then transferred to the University of Southern California's USC School of Cinema-Television School of Cinema-Television. USC was one of the earliest universities to have a school devoted to film studies. There he made a number of short films, including an early version of ''THX 1138'' (the complete title was "Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB"), which later became his first full-length feature film. After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts in film in 1966, he drifted a little, trying to figure out what to do next. He tried joining the Air Force as an officer, but was turned down because of his numerous speeding tickets. He was later drafted by the Army, but tests showed he had diabetes, which killed his paternal grandfather. Lucas was prescribed medication for the disease and does not seem to have required insulin. In 1967, Lucas re-enrolled as a USC graduate student in film production. Eventually he co-founded the studio American Zoetrope with Francis Ford Coppola, hoping to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood Studio system. From the financial success of his films ''American Graffiti'' (1973) and ''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' (1977), Lucas was able to set up his own studio, Lucasfilm, in Marin County, California Marin County in his native northern California. Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light and Magic, the sound and visual effects subdivisions of Lucasfilm, respectively, have become among the most respected firms in their fields. Lucasfilm Games, later renamed to LucasArts, was for many years highly regarded in the gaming industry. ''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' is considered by some to be the first "high concept" film, although others feel the first was Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws (film) Jaws'', released two years prior. Lucas and Spielberg had been good friends for some time and eventually worked together on several films, notably the first Indiana Jones vehicle, ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' in 1981. On a return on investment basis, ''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' proved to be one of the most successful films of all time. During the filming of ''Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'', Lucas waived his up front fee as director and negotiated to own the licensing rights—rights which the studio thought were nearly worthless. This decision earned him hundreds of millions of dollars as he was able to directly profit from all the licensed games, toys and collectibles created for the franchise. In 2004 Forbes Magazine estimated Lucas' personal wealth at $3 billion. In 2005 Forbes.com estimated the lifetime revenue generated by the ''Star Wars'' franchise at nearly $20 billion. Lucas was fined by the Directors Guild of America for refusing to have a standard title sequence in his ''Star Wars'' films. After paying the fine, he quit the guild. This made it hard for him to find a director for some of his later projects. According to some, he wanted his friend Spielberg to direct some of the later ''Star Wars'' movies, but as a member of the guild Spielberg may have been unable to do so. Spielberg has repeatedly stated that Lucas consciously did not let him direct any ''Star Wars'' films, despite the fact that Spielberg wanted to. Other directors Lucas pursued to aid him were David Lynch and David Cronenberg, both of whom declined. On October 3 1994, Lucas started to write the three ''Star Wars'' prequels, and on November 1 that year, he left the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and started a sabbatical to finish the prequels. The American Film Institute awarded Lucas its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2005. He received the award on June 9, 2005 in film 2005. [http://www.afi.com/tvevents/laa/laa05.aspx] On June 5 2005, Lucas was named 100th "The Greatest American Greatest American" by the Discovery Channel. In 1969, Lucas married film editor Marcia Lucas Marcia Lou Griffin, who went on to win an Oscar for her work on the original (fourth) ''Star Wars'' film. They adopted a daughter, Amanda, in 1981, and divorced in 1983. Lucas has since adopted two more children: Katie, born in 1988, and Jett, born in 1993. All three of his children have appeared in the prequels. In 2005, Lucas gave $1 million to help build the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to commemorate American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King Jr..

Innovator
Besides his directorial and production work on movies, Lucas is the most significant contemporary contributor to modern movie technology. In 1975 Lucas established Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) in Van Nuys, California Van Nuys, CA, which was responsible for the invention of the special computer assisted camera crane "Dykstraflex" (named after special effects innovator, John Dykstra) that was used for most of the space fight sequences used in the ''Star Wars'' movies (technology which was later adopted by most other visual effects production units, such as those responsible for ''Battlestar Galactica (1978) Battlestar Galactica'' and ''Star Trek: The Next Generation''). Through ILM, Lucas spurred the further development of computer graphics, film laser scanners and the earliest use of 3D computer graphics 3D computer character animation in a film, ''Young Sherlock Holmes''. Lucas sold his early computer development unit to Steve Jobs in 1986, which was renamed Pixar. Lucas is also responsible for the modern sound systems found in many movie theaters. Though Lucas didn't invent THX, he is responsible for its development. The acronym ostensibly stands for "Tomlinson Holman eXperiment" after its chief engineer, however, it is obviously a reference to Lucas' first film. Now Lucas is spearheading digital photography for movies. Though personal digital photography is now mainstream, most movie studios still use traditional cameras and film for movie production. Lucas departed from this model by filming ''Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones'' almost completely digitally. He showed the result to a select audience of the Hollywood elite, before the movie's general release. For the presentation, Lucas used a special digital projection system. The attendees said the movie had the clearest and sharpest presentation they had ever seen. Despite the successful demonstration of the technology, movie studios are slow to move to this new model, in part because of the high price of the digital equipment..

Controversy
{{main|Lucas Bashing}} and also: {{main|Fan criticism of George Lucas}} Being the creator of an extremely popular work (''Star Wars''), Lucas has undergone severe fan criticism of George Lucas criticism from ''Star Wars'' fans when he has gone back and altered ''Star Wars''. This first occurred with the Star Wars List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases#1997_Special_Editions 1997 special editions, which primarily consisted of cosmetic changes, but had some controversial elements such as the anti-hero Han Solo Han Shot First shooting in self defense instead of in aggression. It occurred again with the List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases#2004_DVDs 2004 DVD release of the original trilogy. In addition, the mixed reviews and an increased level of vocalized disappointment by some fans relating to the ''Star Wars'' Prequel trilogy (Star Wars) Prequel Trilogy films have greatly stoked the debate concerning Lucas' treatment of certain characters and concepts in comparison to the 1977-1983 Star Wars films. Changes Lucas personally made to ''THX 1138'' for its 2004 DVD release further re-enforced criticism from fans who felt that he was spoiling the integrity of his original films. Lucas is also viewed by some to be anti-union. He dropped his membership in the directors guild when they fined him $250,000 for the fact that ''Star Wars'' had no opening credits. He subsequently filmed the remaining ''Star Wars'' films primarily outside of the United States, and primarily with non-union crew. These anti-union allegations, however, have been contradicted by major national unions. The AFL-CIO awarded Lucas with the Top Labor Management Award in 2002.

Filmography

Most notable films
*''THX 1138'' (1970) (director, writer) *''American Graffiti'' (1973) (director, writer) *''Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope'' (1977) (director, writer) *''Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) (executive producer, co-writer, uncredited co-director) *''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (1981) (co-writer, executive producer) *''Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi'' (1983) (executive producer, co-writer, uncredited co-director) *''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' (1984) (co-writer, executive producer) *''Willow (movie) Willow'' (1988) (writer, executive producer) *''Tucker: The Man and His Dream'' (1988) (executive producer) *''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989) (co-writer, executive producer) *''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (1992 - 1996) (story, executive producer) *''Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace'' (1999) (director, writer, executive producer) *''Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones'' (2002) (director, co-writer, executive producer) *''Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) (director, writer, executive producer) *''Indiana Jones 4'' (2007) (story, executive producer) *''Red Tails'' (2007)

Student and short films
*''Look at Life'' (1965) *''Herbie (George Lucas Student Film) Herbie'' (1966) *''1:42:08'' (1966) *''The Emperor,'' (1967) *''Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138:4EB'' (1967) *''Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town'' (1967) *''6-18-67'' (1967) *''Filmmaker (George Lucas film) Filmaker'' (1968)

Other films
*''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978) (story)(television movie) *''More American Graffiti'' (1979) (executive producer) *''Kagemusha'' also known as ''Kagemusha The Shadow Warrior'' (1980) (Executive Producer of International Edition) *''Body Heat'' (1981) (uncredited executive producer) *''Twice Upon a Time'' (1982) (executive producer) *''Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure'' (1984) (executive producer, story) *''Ewoks: The Battle for Endor'' (1985) (executive producer, story) *''Mishima'' (1985) (executive producer) *''Howard the Duck'' (1986) (executive producer) *''Captain Eo'' (1986) (producer, screenplay) *''Labyrinth (movie) Labyrinth'' (1986) (executive producer) *''The Land Before Time'' (1988) (executive producer) *''Hook (film) Hook'' (1991) (cameo as "man kissing on bridge") *''Beverly Hills Cop III'' (1994) (cameo as "Disappointed Man") *''Radioland Murders'' (1994) (story)

Trivia
*Made a cameo appearance (in a film of his own direction) in the ''Star Wars'' series in ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''. *In 1976, Lucas published a novelization of ''A New Hope'', which was initially (like the film) titled just ''Star Wars''. Although Lucas was credited as author of the book, it was later revealed that the book was actually ghost writer ghost written by Alan Dean Foster, who would also write ''Splinter of the Mind's Eye'', the first original ''Star Wars'' novel and, in many respects, the first ''Star Wars'' sequel. *As a tribute to his first film, ''THX-1138'', it is said that each of his films (most notably the ''Star Wars'' saga) contains the number 1138 (number) 1138 hidden as an Easter egg (virtual) Easter egg, and each of his movies are also made with the sound company, THX. It is also rumored that while growing up in California, the last seven digits of his home telephone number were 849-1138, where the 849 corresponds with the letters THX on a standard telephone. *Was an executive producer of the box office bomb ''Howard the Duck''. He disowned the film shortly after its release. *Lucas credits his friend John Milius with introducing him to the films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, whose works (particularly ''Seven Samurai'' and ''The Hidden Fortress'') inspired the ''Star Wars'' films. For example, ''The Hidden Fortress'' includes two ubiquitous and sometimes humorous infantry soldiers who are said to have inspired R2-D2 and C-3PO; an aging master samurai on a quest to deliver a princess back to her people, said to be the inspiration for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Princess Leia in Episode IV; and the hidden fortress itself, belonging to the princess's people, which the dominant clan is trying to find and destroy, said to inspire the rebel base on Yavin and the Empire's quest to find and destroy it in Episode IV. The chief villain in ''Seven Samurai'' wears an outfit very similar to Darth Vader's, particularly the distinctive helmet. *Lucas also based his ''Star Wars'' films on the scholarship of Joseph Campbell, particularly Campbell's 1949 text, ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'', including the idea of common elements across hero mythologies from many or all human cultures. These include, for example, the hero being called on a quest, the hero initially being reluctant to go but then receiving new motivation by unfolding events, the hero being guided by a wise elder who cannot remain to help the hero, and the hero wielding a magic or shining sword; all elements incorporated into the story of Luke Skywalker in Episode IV. Campbell's publisher returned the favor by depicting Luke Skywalker alongside mythological heroes like Gilgamesh and Odysseus on the cover of a later edition of ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces''. *George Lucas was honored by the AFI, and was given a Life Achievement Award for his contribution to the movie entertainment industry. This was awarded shortly after the release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which he jokingly made reference to in his acceptance speech, stating that, since he views the entire Star Wars as one movie, that he could be given the award now that he had finally "gone back and finished [the] movie." *Lucas is a member of the United Methodist Church, though conflicting reports describe him as either stating that he doesn't adhere to a specific religion or as a "Buddhist-Methodist"{{fact}} *In his spare time, Lucas enjoys playing ''Star Wars'' video games with his children. He has also been known to read some of the ''Star Wars'' comic books, including ''Dark Empire''. At one point, Lucas even said that he liked the story presented in the ''Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire'' multimedia project so well, that if he had had the story in the 80's, he might have produced a film based on the events in it. *Has upset some of his long time ''Star Wars'' fans by refusing to release the original versions of the ''Star Wars'' trilogy ion DVD, and has endured some harsh criticism for his handling of the ''Star Wars'' prequels. *Friend Steven Spielberg called Lucas a pure independent filmmaker, as Lucas is very ensconced in Northern California in Marin County and the San Francisco area, and actively rejects the institutions of Hollywood. *He based the character of Han Solo on his friend Francis Ford Coppola. *His nickname in high school was Luke. This later became the name of the hero of his original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, Luke Skywalker. *Sold Lucasfilm's Computer Graphics Division to Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, and it later became Pixar Animation Studios. *Appeared as himself in a cameo in an episode of the O.C. ("The O.Sea", aired May 12, 2005).

External links
{{Wikiquote}} *{{imdb name|id=0000184|name=George Lucas}}
- Write George Lucas and read other fan mail to George
- Star Wars: Bio | George Lucas
- The George Lucas Educational Foundation
- Resource and Entertainment by FilmMakers Magazine
- Inside Skywalker Ranch
- A Tribute for 28 Years of Star Wars, Sign the Letter to George Lucas.
- AFI Life Achievement 2005
- The online bibliography section of "DROIDMAKER: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution"
- Interview with Lucas, including video and full biography at Achievement.org
- "Life On The Screen": The filmmaker argues that students must learn a new language of image and sound in order to succeed from Edutopia
- "Life after Darth": an in-depth look at George Lucas's artistic influences and future aspirations from Wired magazine Wired {{Persondata |NAME=Lucas, George |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American filmmaker |DATE OF BIRTH=May 14, 1944 |PLACE OF BIRTH=Modesto, California |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} Category:1944 births Lucas, George Category:Adoptive parents Lucas, George Category:American film directors Lucas, George Category:American film producers Lucas, George Category:Associate's degree holders Lucas, George Category:Buddhists Lucas, George Category:Celebrities appearing in South Park Lucas, George Category:Diabetics Lucas, George Category:Forbes 400 Lucas, George Category:Living people Lucas, George Category:Movie moguls Lucas, George Category:People from California Lucas, George Category:Star_Trek_fans Lucas, George Category:Star Wars directors Lucas, George Category:Star Wars-related people Lucas, George Category:University of Southern California alumni Lucas, George Category:Worst Director Razzie Nominee Lucas, George ca:George Lucas cs:George Lucas da:George Lucas de:George Lucas es:George Lucas eo:George Lucas fr:George Lucas gd:George Lucas hr:George Lucas ilo:George Lucas id:George Lucas it:George Lucas he:×’'×•×¨×’' ×œ×•×§×?×¡ lb:George Lucas hu:George Lucas nl:George Lucas ja:ã‚¸ãƒ§ãƒ¼ã‚¸ãƒ»ãƒ«ãƒ¼ã‚«ã‚¹ no:George Lucas pl:George Lucas pt:George Lucas ro:George Lucas sq:George Lucas simple:George Lucas sk:George Lucas sl:George Lucas fi:George Lucas sv:George Lucas th:à¸ˆà¸à¸£à¹Œà¸ˆ à¸¥à¸¹à¸„à¸±à¸ª tr:George Lucas zh:ä¹”æ²»Â·å?¢å?¡æ–¯

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