George Lucas Essay

No different 20th century conductmaker has had a greater impingement on the snap indus endeavor than George Lucas. His cockiness for innovation beat a novel relationship surrounded by entertainment and engine room that revolutionized the art of exe cold shoulderion pictures. His un gitny mortalal credit line acumen dour choose licensing and selling into a multibillion-dollar indus listen. And his genius Wars trilogy ushered in the era of the Hollywood mega-blockbuster. soaring 2In 1967, Lucas re-enrolled as a USC graduate assimilator in film performance. Working as a teaching instructor for a class of U.S. Navy learners who were being taught accusative cinematography, Lucas directed the short film electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB, which won archetypical evaluate at the 196768 National student Film Festival, and was later adapted into his initiatory full-length feature film, THX 1138. Lucas was awarded a student scholarship by Warner Br some others to obs erve and practise on the making of a film of his choosing. The film he chose was Finians Rainbow (1968) which was being directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who was lordly among film train students of the time as a cinema graduate who had do it in Hollywood. In 1969, George Lucas was ane of the camera operators on the classic Rolling St champions design film Gimme Shelter.Slide 3Lucas was natural(p) in Modesto, California, on May 14, 1944. As an adolescent who, as he says, scarce squeaked through high rail, Lucas aspired to be an railroad car racer. He switchd his mind ab turn start a racing career, however, when a near-fatal accident low-pitched his lungs and sent him to the hospital for tierce months upright days in the beginning his high school graduation. The experience changed Lucas. I realized that Id been living my life so close to the edge for so long, he says. Thats when I decided to go straight, to become a better student, to try to do something with myself. Lucas enrolled at Modesto Junior College, where he developed a fascination with cinematography. decision making on a career in film, he applied to the prestigious University of s bulgehern California (USC) film school. USC was a milepost for Lucas. Suddenly my life was film-ein truth waking hour, he says in a 1997 Playboy interview. He concentrated on making lift science fiction films and mock documentaries, which caught the attendance of director Francis Ford Coppola, who invited Lucas to sit in on the shooting of Finians Rainbow. Coppola too persuaded Warner Bros. to make a film of wizard of Lucas student movies. The full-length feature, THX-1138, a smuggled Orwellian tale, was chemised in 1971 to modest reviews and a lukewarm reception at the thump pip. But studio executives were impressed with Lucas open talent.Slide 4THX-1138 had earned Lucas a reputation as a versatile only when mechanised filmmaker destitute of humor and feeling. Founder Lucasfilm and released his foster film, American Graffiti, which was based on his give birth culmination of age in Modesto, would change that. take on a shoelace cypher of respectable $780,000, the film became a interrupt hit soon afterwards its release in June 1973 and eventually grossed $ cxx one one million million million million. The film got rave reviews and made Lucas a Hollywood sensation. It similarly proved to be a defining moment for Lucas, as two a filmmaker and a businessman. studio honchos pulled rank and made changes to Lucas lowest version. The changes were minor, simply the scars were lasting. Im precise aware(p) as a imaginative person that those who apply the means of merchandiseion control the inventive vision, he says.Its not a matter of verbal expression Youre going to let me birth the lowest cut, because no matter what you do in a contract, they will go somewhat it. Whereas if you own the cameras and you own the film, at that places nothing they can do to anticipate you. And thats exactly what Lucas brand out to do. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which he created in 1975 when he couldnt keep an outside company to do supernumerary effects for magician Wars. ILMs archetypal breakthrough was a motion-control camera, which could revolve repeatedly around stationary objects while rest in constant focus, thus simulating flight. To fall in cash, Lucas saturnine ILM into a service company. Having created a market for special(prenominal)(prenominal)-effects-laden films, he began taking on work from other filmmakers. This way he could keep developing techniques while other people funded his research. Charging up to $25 million per movie, ILM was almost immediately profitable, supplying the special effects for much(prenominal) blockbusters as Jurassic Park and Twister. Lucas funneled ILM profits into related businesses that sprang from his research.Skywalker salutary emerged as the constancys vizor audio post-production company , then branched out to providing a digital sound dodge for theaters and homes under the name THX (in honor of his first film). And with the founding of LucasArts Entertainment, Lucas moved into video games, producing such spinning top-sellers as the head teacher Wars-inspired Rebel Assault, X-Wing and iniquity Forces. When negotiating with 20th Century throw in 1975 for his next movie, Star Wars, Lucas cut his guiding fee by $500,000 in transmogrify for things Fox regarded as well wasted ownership of the films merchandise and all disaster rights. It turned out to be a promising move, one that assured Lucas the real independence and creative control hed been seeking.Star Wars shattered all buffet office records, earning Lucas most $40 million in its initial release-merchandising would later charter him tens of millions more. close to important, Lucas owned the sequels, and thus a franchise. To maximise its value, he financed his first sequel, The pudding stone Stri kes Back, himself, espousal heavily to c everywhere the $30 million production costs. Given the advantage of Star Wars, it was a good bet, but a huge risk-if the film bombed, Lucas would be bankrupt. conglomerate did exceptionally well, however, as did the deuce-ace film in the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, which Lucas excessively financed.Everybody has talent. Its just a matter of moving around until youve discovered what it is.-George LucasNo other 20th century filmmaker has had a greater impact on the film industry than George Lucas. His zeal for innovation forged a new relationship between entertainment and technology that revolutionized the art of motion pictures. His uncanny business acumen turned film licensing and merchandising into a multibillion-dollar industry. And his Star Wars trilogy ushered in the era of the Hollywood mega-blockbuster. Lucas was born in Modesto, California, on May 14, 1944. As an adolescent who, as he says, scarce squeaked through high school, Lu cas aspired to be an railroad car racer. He changed his mind most a racing career, however, when a near-fatal accident abject his lungs and sent him to the hospital for three months just days before his high school graduation. The experience changed Lucas. I realized that Id been living my life so close to the edge for so long, he says. Thats when I decided to go straight, to become a better student, to try to do something with myself. Lucas enrolled at Modesto Junior College, where he developed a fascination with cinematography. decision making on a career in film, he applied to the prestigious University of grey California (USC) film school. USC was a milestone for Lucas. Suddenly my life was film-every waking hour, he says in a 1997 Playboy interview. He concentrated on making lift science fiction films and mock documentaries, which caught the heed of director Francis Ford Coppola, who invited Lucas to sit in on the shooting of Finians Rainbow. Coppola also persuaded Warner Bros. to make a film of one of Lucas student movies. The full-length feature, THX-1138, a black Orwellian tale, was released in 1971 to modest reviews and a lukewarm reception at the calamity office. But studio executives were impressed with Lucas unadorned talent. THX-1138 had earned Lucas a reputation as a skilled but mechanical filmmaker devoid of humor and feeling.His gage film, American Graffiti, which was based on his own coming of age in Modesto, would change that. Filmed on a shoestring budget of just $780,000, the film became a smash hit soon after its release in June 1973 and eventually grossed $120 million. The film got rave reviews and made Lucas a Hollywood sensation. It also proved to be a defining moment for Lucas, as both a filmmaker and a businessman. Studio honchos pulled rank and made changes to Lucas final version. The changes were minor, but the scars were lasting. Im very aware as a creative person that those who control the means of production control the creative vision, he says.Its not a matter of saying Youre going to let me have the final cut, because no matter what you do in a contract, they will go around it. Whereas if you own the cameras and you own the film, theres nothing they can do to stop you. And thats exactly what Lucas set out to do. When negotiating with 20th Century Fox in 1975 for his next movie, Star Wars, Lucas cut his say fee by $500,000 in exchange for things Fox regarded as n ahead of time worthless ownership of the films merchandising and all sequel rights. It turned out to be a brilliant move, one that assured Lucas the real independence and creative control hed been seeking. Star Wars shattered all box office records, earning Lucas about $40 million in its initial release-merchandising would later bring him tens of millions more.Most important, Lucas owned the sequels, and thus a franchise. To maximize its value, he financed his first sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, himself, borrowing heavily to cover th e $30 million production costs. Given the success of Star Wars, it was a good bet, but a huge risk-if the film bombed, Lucas would be bankrupt. Empire did exceptionally well, however, as did the third film in the trilogy, Return of the Jedi, which Lucas also financed. Lucas further increased his component in the 1980s by producing the three inch Jones movies, for which he earned well over $100 million. Then, at the very top of his game, he largely abandoned moviemaking and poured his fortune into digital experiments that, he sensed correctly, would transform the movie business.Slide 5* He quit an earlyish career when he realized it wasnt right for him (he precious to be a race-car driveruntil he almost got killed in a crash) * He made a type of product he loved and cared deeply about (movies) * He madeand learned from gobs and lots of different products (There were many Lucas movies before Star Wars) * He evolved (Lucass early movies were artsy non-commercial films) * He studied and learned from the high hat mentors (Francis Ford Coppola, among others) * He became friends with other extremely talented people in the industry (Steven Spielberg, among others) * He was shrewd (He sold his directing services to Fox Studios for Star Wars for threepennybut kept all the merchandise, licensing, and sequel rights, which Fox didnt want) * He was very, very patient (Unlike many of todays entrepreneurs and investors, Lucas wasnt looking for a fast(a) flip. Lucasfilm was founded in 1971, 41 years ago)Slide 6There are three lessons to take away from reading about how George Lucas achieved success. One, grow a thick fell and be prepared for criticism and early failures. Every time you start a business, risks will be involved and sometimes things do not go your way. The delineate to a successful entrepreneur is how that person responds to the situation. Does he persevere through the tribulations? The second lesson is that every entrepreneur should know his or her stre ngths and weaknesses to give him or her the best find out at success. Knowing what skills need usefulness will help limit authority pitfalls for you and your small business. The third lessonjust as Mr. Lucas was innovative in bringing out-of-this-world special effects to his films, entrepreneurs should also work nasty to be innovative. What special effects can you use to amaze your customers?