Movatterモバイル変換

Lucas's films celebrate the boundless potential of the individual toovercome any limitations - something he firmly believes. This themeis strong in the early movies that marked the start of hisprofessional career. In 1971, using San Francisco production studioAmerican Zoetrope and long-time friend Francis Ford Coppola asexecutive producer, Lucas transformed an award-winning student filminto his first feature,THX 1138.

Lucas's second feature film, the low-budgetAmerican Graffiti (1973),became the most successful film of its time, and garnered the GoldenGlobe, the New York Film Critics' and National Society of FilmCritics' awards. Pushing the boundaries of storytelling into newdirections,American Graffiti was the first film of its kindto tell multiple stories through interweaving narratives backed by asoundtrack of contemporary music.

It was Lucas's third film,1977'sStar Wars that changedeverything. A deceptively simple morality tale of good versus eviltold across a fantastic landscape of exotic planets and bizarrecreatures,Star Wars became an international phenomenon,despite the fact that few saw its potential during production.Refusing to accept the limitations of filmmaking at the time, Lucascreated his own visual effects company,Industrial Light & Magic, to deliver the more than 300 shotsrequired to make his vision a reality.Star Wars broke allbox office records, set new standards for sophistication in filmvisuals and sound, garnered eight Academy Awards, and inspired ageneration of young people to follow their imagination and dreams.The success ofStar Wars allowed Lucas to remain independentand continue operating in Marin County, California.

Lucas hasbeen storywriter and executive producer of a series of box-officehits beginning in the 1980s, starting with the continuation of theStar Wars saga,TheEmpire Strikes Back in 1980 andReturn of the Jedi in1983. In 1981, he created the classic adventurerIndiana Jones, and co-wrote and executive-produced the successful series consisting ofRaiders of the Lost Ark(1981),Indiana Jones and the Templeof Doom (1984) andIndianaJones and the Last Crusade (1989), a trilogy that won eightAcademy Awards. Later, the television series,The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles won 12 Emmy Awards.

In 1987, Lucas served as executiveproducer for Disneyland's launch ofStar Tours, an innovativeattraction based on theStar Wars films that now entertainscrowds in all four Disney theme parks worldwide.

Lucasexecutive-produced two very different films in 1988. The adventure-fantasy filmWillow was based onLucas's original story and directed by Ron Howard.Tucker: The Man And His Dream wasdirected by Francis Coppola. Each film received three Academy Awardnominations. Later films have included 1994'sRadioland Murders, SpecialEditions of the classicStar Wars Trilogy in 1997, and thefirst two prequels to theStar Wars saga.Star Wars: Episode IThePhantom Menace, was the top box office hit of 1999. Threeyears later,Episode IIAttackof the Clones, was the first major live-action movie to beshot entirely digitally. Lucas is currently in post production onthe third and final prequel,Star Wars: Episode III, which is scheduled to be released inspring 2005.

Lucas expanded Lucasfilm, of which he isChairman of the Board, to encompass a number of major divisions.Industrial Light & Magic has continued togrow, delivering visual effects for scores of films.ILM reached the limits of standardphotochemical visual effects processes, and began trailblazing theworld of digital imagery. In 1985, ILM developed the first digitalcreature -- an animated stained glass knight inYoung SherlockHolmes -- and in 1988 debuted the "morphing" effect forWillow. ILM continued breaking new ground with the waterypseudo-pod inThe Abyss, the liquid-metal killer inTerminator 2: Judgment Day, and the amazingly lifelike dinosaursofJurassic Park. The computer graphic research division ofLucasfilm was spun-off in 1986 and became Pixar Animation Studios.

Skywalker Sound has appliedits own perfection and devotion to the crafting of a film'ssoundtrack and post-production editing.Lucasfilm post-productioninnovations, including the SoundDroid and the EditDroid, pioneerednon-linear video editing and became the basis of the standardediting platforms used in film and television today.

Lucasfilmalso includesLucasArts EntertainmentCompany, a leading developer of home computer and console-basedentertainment, andLucas Licensing, which has expanded theStar Wars andIndianaJones brands into best-selling novels, toys and merchandise.

Lucas has taken a leadership role in applying his technical andstorytelling expertise to the classroom, engaging students throughinteractive multimedia environments. He is Chairman of the Board oftheGeorge Lucas EducationalFoundation, and serves on the board of the Film Foundation andthe USC School of Cinema-Television Advisory Board.

In 1992,the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts andSciences honored George Lucas with the Irving G. Thalberg MemorialAward, which is presented to "creative producers whose bodies ofwork reflect a consistently high quality of motion pictureproduction."