CS Weekly Archive > The Big Picture > 03/30/07

Paley Fest '07:
An Evening with George Lucas

By danny munso

Star Wars mastermind George Lucas visited the Directors Guild in Hollywood to discuss his storied film career as well as his forays into the small screen, including what he still has in store for Star Wars and why he thinks the industry's future is in television.

Although best known for his work in the feature film department, including helming that little series that took place in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas is no stranger to television. In 1992 he created The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, a two-season adaptation of his popular film franchise. Young Indy, as it's often referred to, alternately focused on Indiana Jones as both a 10-year-old boy and a young adult in his late-teens and early twenties. The series followed Indy on both his father's journeys around the world and his own experiences in the military, which allowed him to run into historical figures as varied as Picasso or Wagner.

Now, over a decade later, Lucas is planning on returning to television, only this time with his beloved Star Wars franchise, both in animated form and as a live-action series, giving the Museum of Television & Radio a perfect excuse to bring The Bearded One in for a chat.

Following a lengthy clip package of Young Indy, the restless audience finally got their chance to welcome Lucas, giving him an extended standing ovation when introduced by moderator and MT&R President Pat Mitchell. Mitchell, who could perhaps sense the crowd itching to probe Lucas with endless Star Wars questions, assured them they would have their chance. The first portion of the talk was solely on Young Indy, something that had to please Lucas, given his enthusiasm for the project. "Making the show was like making an independent movie every week," he said, explaining that because of the show's modest budget, multiple setups were required, causing the crew to shuttle between several locations in a day.

Lucas explained he would often sit in his large office with the group of writers (Frank Darabont and Jonathan Hales among them) and present them the 20 or so stories he had written in his notebook. "They would tell me which ones they liked and which ones they hated," laughs Lucas, "and we'd do our best to hand each writer the story they really latched onto."

Lucas went on to describe his current pet project: the Young Indy DVDs. What really excites the filmmaker is not the show itself, but rather the supplemental materials, which include 30- to 60-minute documentaries on each of the historical figures Professor Jones had the fortune of meeting in his travels. Produced during the mid-'90s, Lucas explained he has been fighting for over a decade to release the project, but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears at the Paramount Home Video department. But, "I think we've finally got a regime in place there that sees the potential for the project," he said. Although he hopes casual viewers can enjoy them, Lucas said the documentaries were produced mainly with education in mind. "They're really for schools," he said, elaborating that he hopes teachers will implement the docs into their curriculum.

After close to 90 minutes of Young Indy coverage, the conversation steered towards Lucas' signature films: the two Star Wars trilogies, which were celebrated with a nice clip package of their own, and were often greeted with cheers at fans' favorite spots. (Oddly, not many of these favorites included Jake Lloyd.) When asked what his thoughts were as he watched the package, Lucas deadpanned, "a lot of work." Lucas was also quick to comment on his plans to split his franchise off into not one, but two different shows. Of the animated one, Lucas was somewhat tight-lipped, but did say that it will focus on The Clone Wars, and that there's "nothing on TV quite like it."

Lucas went on to say that he plans to produce 100 episodes of the series and then decide to shop it to a network. He opened up a little further to Creative Screenwriting on the red carpet before the event, describing the freedom he has to "experiment with the universe a little more. Some episodes will focus just on Kit Fisto or Shaak Ti," he said, describing two fan-favorite Jedis who are rarely seen or heard in the films. Back in the event, Lucas was even more cryptic regarding the live-action incarnation, saying that the series was still "years away" and that he did not know what characters would be the focus. He wouldn't say anything further.

When asked why he is keen to enter the television fray as opposed to films, Lucas did not hesitate with his response. "With features, the risks are so high, and the odds are so great," he said, "that it takes the fun out of it. In TV, nobody seems to care. You just get to do whatever you want to do," adding that he wasn't even sure television critics existed, and if they did, no one reads them anyway. That may be good or bad news, depending on how you feel about Lucas as a filmmaker, although he did not close the door on features altogether. He is currently in pre-production on Red Tails (which he may or may not direct) and continues to insist that he will soon go off and make small movies "just for me."

As for those future filmmakers in the audience looking for a little wisdom from their hero, George Lucas had only this to offer: "Being a filmmaker is not a lucrative profession," the father of the Star Wars sextology said, encouraging them to pursue a career in film only out of passion. "This is not a good way to make a living," he explained before adding, "I may just be the exception."

Danny Munso graduated from film school in 2004 and can currently be found on his computer working on one of his many half-written screenplays. Or, more likely, he's on the Internet checking the scores of his beloved Bay Area sports teams.

Photos courtesy Kevin Parry/MTR

From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Art of Craft
Screenwriting experts discuss how to approach various aspects of writing and the writing life. A mini-seminar each week from the people who write the books and teach the classes. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Big Picture

Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Expert Witness
A panel of experts assembled to provide the facts about the screenwriting business. Readers will be able have their questions answered by an agent, producer, entertainment attorney, and WGA representative—and without paying that 10% commission. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Son of a Pitch
A weekly tutorial on how to write a script. Each week deals with a different element of creating a script, with the ultimate goal to provide a step-by-step instruction manual for new writers. The guide for this is a writer just diving into screenwriting himself, who asks the pros questions any new screenwriter would have about this brave new world. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE

DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE