Beast
11-20-2003, 03:20 PM
I just saw that someone that posts at HTF, attended Lucas' film class at USC. And that Lucas was there for a Q&A just the other day. Figured I'd repost what he posted, from the notes that he took. Nothing super intresting, and unfortunatly noone asked about the DVD's. So still no confirmation whether they are coming in Sept. of 2004 as of yet. Though I have a feeling it's true. :)
Okay, I'm back. I'm slightly annoyed because almost all the questions were things that would be answered if people read the many interviews etc in our course reader.
Nobody asked about DVDs, sorry. I'm just as disapointed as you all.
I didn't get my question asked, (and I would have asked about dvds of SW, original originals and the young indy dvds), but there was some other interesting stuff. Nothing big about episode III (noone asked a single question about it). brackets indicate where I've not a precise quote only fragments, and I'm putting together the gist of what he said from memory. All questions are reconstructions of approximantly what was asked.
On the episode III front, George did talk about his day and he said that after editing the picture (with ben burtt on the sound and action sequences and the other guy doing the regular editing of it) in the morning he grabs a sandwich, goes upstairs and works with the Grievious guys doing that all digital character.
here's my notes:
Question: why did he stop directing in the eighties.
Answer: To break away from the system, he thought it would be less work producing, but it turned out to be more work and more stressful, so he has settled back into the directing role because he's always been more happy with his films when he has directed them.
Q: why have Greedo shoot first when in the original Han comes across as much more hard core?
A: "It was always meant to be that way, I just made it clear. In the original there were two shots and I've separated them to make it clear for the audience"
Q: HD versus film
A: "I'm biased. film is not as facile or cheap as digital, and quite frankly the quality is better."
Q: When will all the Star Wars films be finished in your mind?
A: Artists have the right to continually change their works in all other mediums but film. Now we're finally at the point where we're capable of doing that for film as well, and DVd has helped find the money to allow that to happen. No film is ever finished. As to fixing the old ones. Well the old ones are fine, they're already fixed. I did what I wanted to do but couldn't because I had a studio to deal with. The new ones don't need fixed because I have the control to do what I want.
Q: What is the impact of digital, what will it be?
A: Digital has opened everything to a filmmaker. [A filmmaker on any level can make fantastic epics like Doctor Zhivago because digital is so cheap]. Even here at this film school
Q: What do you think of the expanded universe of books?
A: The books are in a different universe. I've not read any of them, and I told them when they started writing I wouldn't read any of them and I blocked out certain periods [they couldn't touch where the real story happens].
Q: How satisfied are you with your independence?
A: I'm totally satisfied with my independence.
Q: on integration of digital and digital archiving of movies
A: The studios are fighting it every which way they can.
Q: What about the third trilogy? I read an interview where you said there was a third one.
A: The third trilogy is a manifestation of the media. [I was discussing Star Wars and they asked about sequels, I explained that it was a trilogy so there were two more sequels. Then they asked if there would be any sequel trilogies and I said not really, I have a backstory laid out that could be another trilogy before these movies, but the story is complete with those two. they asked if I would you do a sequel trilogy following this first one and I said it's a possibility, but I don't really have any idea or story for any more. In the interview that was published it became that there were three trilogies, but there never have been. At this point in my life I"m tired of doing Star Wars and have gotten older. I'm not so sure I want to be doing star wars when I'm seventy]
Q: I love the clone wars series, and I was wondering what you thought of them.
A: With a little luck maybe they'll do some more . I've seen them all and really liked them, and I love samurai jack [and the guy who does that]
Q: in that vein, is it possible we'll see more Star Wars TV product.
A: Because I"m retiring from this part of my creative life, I'm open to more TV Product. but not more feature films, the story is complete. [and any other story wouldn't be my philosophy and views,] the books are not the same philosophy as the movies.
Q: How was it working with rascals like Jake Lloyd.
A: [well critics didn't really like the performance. But none of them recognized that it was done on purpose.] These are films very much in a Hollywood forties style, [and that's an accurate style of acting from the forties]--it's very old fashioned.
There was also a comment on restoration, and someone asking Lucas if he should be the guy to be pushing studios to do it. He said [I"m not the guy to do it and when I founded the film society, I tried but it didn't do much good, although things have improved in the last ten years] When studios were selling their libraries, they'd have a computer print out and that was their library. No one had ever gone to check to see what they had, and they discovered that they didn't have most of it because it was crumbling to acetate dust in the cans. [Digital archiving is very important and] the negatives the studios say about it are all lies. Marty has it put in [every one of] his deals that they will restore one movie of his choice from their library.
MTFBWY and HH!!
Jar Jar Binks
Okay, I'm back. I'm slightly annoyed because almost all the questions were things that would be answered if people read the many interviews etc in our course reader.
Nobody asked about DVDs, sorry. I'm just as disapointed as you all.
I didn't get my question asked, (and I would have asked about dvds of SW, original originals and the young indy dvds), but there was some other interesting stuff. Nothing big about episode III (noone asked a single question about it). brackets indicate where I've not a precise quote only fragments, and I'm putting together the gist of what he said from memory. All questions are reconstructions of approximantly what was asked.
On the episode III front, George did talk about his day and he said that after editing the picture (with ben burtt on the sound and action sequences and the other guy doing the regular editing of it) in the morning he grabs a sandwich, goes upstairs and works with the Grievious guys doing that all digital character.
here's my notes:
Question: why did he stop directing in the eighties.
Answer: To break away from the system, he thought it would be less work producing, but it turned out to be more work and more stressful, so he has settled back into the directing role because he's always been more happy with his films when he has directed them.
Q: why have Greedo shoot first when in the original Han comes across as much more hard core?
A: "It was always meant to be that way, I just made it clear. In the original there were two shots and I've separated them to make it clear for the audience"
Q: HD versus film
A: "I'm biased. film is not as facile or cheap as digital, and quite frankly the quality is better."
Q: When will all the Star Wars films be finished in your mind?
A: Artists have the right to continually change their works in all other mediums but film. Now we're finally at the point where we're capable of doing that for film as well, and DVd has helped find the money to allow that to happen. No film is ever finished. As to fixing the old ones. Well the old ones are fine, they're already fixed. I did what I wanted to do but couldn't because I had a studio to deal with. The new ones don't need fixed because I have the control to do what I want.
Q: What is the impact of digital, what will it be?
A: Digital has opened everything to a filmmaker. [A filmmaker on any level can make fantastic epics like Doctor Zhivago because digital is so cheap]. Even here at this film school
Q: What do you think of the expanded universe of books?
A: The books are in a different universe. I've not read any of them, and I told them when they started writing I wouldn't read any of them and I blocked out certain periods [they couldn't touch where the real story happens].
Q: How satisfied are you with your independence?
A: I'm totally satisfied with my independence.
Q: on integration of digital and digital archiving of movies
A: The studios are fighting it every which way they can.
Q: What about the third trilogy? I read an interview where you said there was a third one.
A: The third trilogy is a manifestation of the media. [I was discussing Star Wars and they asked about sequels, I explained that it was a trilogy so there were two more sequels. Then they asked if there would be any sequel trilogies and I said not really, I have a backstory laid out that could be another trilogy before these movies, but the story is complete with those two. they asked if I would you do a sequel trilogy following this first one and I said it's a possibility, but I don't really have any idea or story for any more. In the interview that was published it became that there were three trilogies, but there never have been. At this point in my life I"m tired of doing Star Wars and have gotten older. I'm not so sure I want to be doing star wars when I'm seventy]
Q: I love the clone wars series, and I was wondering what you thought of them.
A: With a little luck maybe they'll do some more . I've seen them all and really liked them, and I love samurai jack [and the guy who does that]
Q: in that vein, is it possible we'll see more Star Wars TV product.
A: Because I"m retiring from this part of my creative life, I'm open to more TV Product. but not more feature films, the story is complete. [and any other story wouldn't be my philosophy and views,] the books are not the same philosophy as the movies.
Q: How was it working with rascals like Jake Lloyd.
A: [well critics didn't really like the performance. But none of them recognized that it was done on purpose.] These are films very much in a Hollywood forties style, [and that's an accurate style of acting from the forties]--it's very old fashioned.
There was also a comment on restoration, and someone asking Lucas if he should be the guy to be pushing studios to do it. He said [I"m not the guy to do it and when I founded the film society, I tried but it didn't do much good, although things have improved in the last ten years] When studios were selling their libraries, they'd have a computer print out and that was their library. No one had ever gone to check to see what they had, and they discovered that they didn't have most of it because it was crumbling to acetate dust in the cans. [Digital archiving is very important and] the negatives the studios say about it are all lies. Marty has it put in [every one of] his deals that they will restore one movie of his choice from their library.
MTFBWY and HH!!
Jar Jar Binks