George Lucas talks Lord of the Rings, Film, HD and more (1 Viewer)

[Max Leung]

Ouch! That must have hurt (the sound of flesh ripping away as the frozen mask is pulled off...).

I guess in such extreme environments neither medium would work that well...but at least with the mechanical IMAX camera you don't have to worry about any electronics being exposed to humidity.

 

[Brandon Conway]

No modern camera, even an IMAX one, is 100% mechanical. They don't turn a crank to run the film through, you know.

 

[Max Leung]

You sure it's not 100% mechanical? Don't they use a gasoline engine to keep to crank the film (I guess in less harsh environment they could use a box full of rabid weasels to supply the mechanical crank force).

How do they power film cameras anyways? Batteries? A portable generator? Hamsters?

 

[Kevin_H]

The 16mm film cameras I use in film school use battery packs which are wore around your waist. Though I have on occasion used a Bolex, which is non battery and you crank and you only have thirty seconds for a shot.

 

[Kevin_H]

I do think Lawrence Kasden is the star of the Original Trilogy. He made both "Empire" and "Jedi" work, and also "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

Though it is interesting that everyone knocks Lucas as a writer, he has two Academy Award nominations as a writer, for "American Grafiti" and "Star Wars". Dislike of writing does not nessessarily make you a bad writer. I think Lucas's problems both writing and directing "Episode I" and "II" have more to do with being horribly out of practice than being a bad writer. Writing like anything else requires constant work to stay in top shape at it. Lucas's last screenplay (as opposed to screen story) was "Return of the Jedi", and he odviously had a lot of help from Kasden since Kasden is the first credited author of the "Return of the Jedi" screenplay. Lucas's last solo effort was "Star Wars", 22 years before "Episode I".

My guess who the ghost writer for "Episode III" could be, either Kasden (who is still Lucas's friend) or Frank Darabont (Darabont was working on Indy 4 at the time and I could see Lucas asking him to work on a few scenes for "Episode III").

 

[Robert Anthony]

Word is it was Tom Stoppard.

 

[Kevin Grey]

The rumor on AICN is that its Tom Stoppard. Stoppard has worked with Spielberg several times and I think he supposedly ghost wrote some of Last Crusade.

*EDIT*- Robert just beat me to it!

 

[Adam_R]

“For me, digital effects are necessary to my craft — an enhancement to tell stories. Everything we did was driven by that goal — finding better ways to tell stories,” Lucas says."


I saw good effects. So, what happened to the good storytelling part with Episodes I and II?

Just a question. No flames please.

 

[Brandon Conway]

I think the basic stories are good. The telling at times is weak, but so was RotJ's. The man is imperfect. I deal with it, others just can't seem to get past it and just have some fun. That's the way it goes, I guess.

 

[Grant H]

That quote should be plastered on every thread where people tear up the transfer quality of Aliens instead of accepting the grainy nature as what was captured on film. Most of it was shot in extremely low light after all. The look of the film from what I understand was completely intentional. Too bad they keep digitally filtering it.

Personally, I'd watch Aliens with a couple sets of pantyhose stretched over the screen before sitting through Alien 3 or Resurrection with crystal-clear images.

 

[oscar_merkx]

what else has Tom Stoppard done ?

 

[Robert Anthony]

He's a pretty well known playwright. hold on, I'll hit IMDB:

Brazil
Empire of the Sun
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Billy Bathgate
Shakespeare in Love
Enigma

that's not his entire output by a longshot, but that's some of his more better known screenplays.

Lord knows what he did on the script for Episode III--Jonathan Hales input on Episode II was minimal, apparently, and from what I understand, Lucas re-wrote a lot of his stuff anyway. But he did write one of my top 3 movies of all time (Brazil) so I can't help but be a little optimistic

 

[Dome Vongvises]

I agree. I really like the guy, but like my own friends I get critical of him sometimes. But I find myself defending him more than not. I will give him this definitely: he finds a way to surround himself with great talent either in the form of actors or digital artists.

 

[Kevin Grey]

From what I understand he's also one of Hollywood's more sought after script doctors so its likely that his stamp is on a lot of work he isn't credited on.

 

[oscar_merkx]

Thanks Robert for the info.

I always thought Brazil and Enigma were marvelous films

 

[Max Leung]

Interesting tidbit on the grain for Aliens. And it seems the special effects guys preserved the grainy look for the model shots too!

I had no idea the Leigh Brackett's work was pretty much discarded for ESB (didn't she co-wrote Casablanca and The Big Sleep?). Anyways, I agree that Kasden is one of the reasons for ESB's continued popularity...

 

[Joe_G]

I didn't know either until I read the SW Annonated Screeplays.Lucas says that she was taking the story in a complete opposite direction to what he wanted or something like that.I think she wasn't able to finish the screenplay because she passed away from an illness.Lucas put her name in the credits out of respect and because he liked her.Anyway,production was getting near on the ESB and Lucas didn't have a script,so he started from scratch and wrote the 2nd and 3rd drafts of ESB.Lucas then brought in Kasden for help on the final draft.

 

[Dan Kaplan]

Going back to the first post:

Brilliant reasoning. Everyone knows Lamborghini's are so much more economical than Hyundai's.

I now understand the travesty that is the Star Wars prequels...

Dan

 

[Brandon Conway]

Way to take his analogy and twist it around.... :rolleyes

 

[Dan Kaplan]

Any more twisted than the statement itself?

Dan