George Lucas Biography

The George Lucas biography shows a young man with humble beginnings who followed a dream. Fortunately for movie audiences, Lucas discovered a love of filmmaking, but he didn't start out on that path.

Early Years
Lucas was born in 1944 and grew up in Modesto, California. As a young man, he wanted to be a racecar driver. He hung around garages and even spent time in the underground racing circuit. His love of fast cars and experiences growing up as a hotrodder became the basis for American Graffiti, one of his most critically acclaimed movies.

Lucas originally enrolled in college to study anthropology. It was while at college that he discovered a passion for cinematography. Soon, he began frequenting film festivals and art houses. He dropped out of the anthropology program and enrolled in the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts. At the time, this was one of the few schools in America to offer courses on filmmaking. While at school, he formed a friendship with other film students, including Steven Spielberg.

Electronic Labyrinth
After graduating from college with a degree in fine arts, Lucas tried unsuccessfully to join the military. He then re-enrolled in USC as a graduate student in the film production program.

While working as a teaching instructor for a class on documentary filmmaking, Lucas made a short film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB. The film went on to win first prize at the National Student Film Festival. Years later, George would adapt the film into the full-length feature THX 1138.

A Fortuitous Friendship
Lucas won a student scholarship from Warner Brothers to observe and work on a film. He chose to work on Finian's Rainbow, directed by Francis Ford Copolla. A partnership between Lucas and Copolla grew out of the experience. Together they founded the American Zoetrope Studio. He and Copolla wanted a place for young filmmakers to work that was free of what they perceived as oppressive control from the major studios.

American Zoetrope produced Lucas' films THX 1138 and American Graffiti. Lucas' relationship with Coppola soured for a time, after Coppola recut THX 1138 at the studio's request. Lucas was unaware of the edits until the film's release, and felt that Coppola had harmed the story.

Still, these films gave Lucas the reputation and wealth he needed to begin work on Star Wars. When Star Wars ran over budget, Coppola offered financial help, paying for the shoot of the famous cantina scene.

The Birth of the Blockbuster
During the 1970s, Hollywood films were still released on a regional basis. Studios would strike some film prints, then send them from place to place around the country. Coppola and Lucas believed that films could be more successful if they were released on the same day throughout the country. With Godfather II and The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas and Coppola proved their theory, and a new method of film distribution became the norm. Today, most films are released throughout the United States on the same day.

Lucas also saw movie merchandise as an untapped source of revenue. He pushed for tie-ins to capitalize on the succees of Star Wars, including toys, linens and clothing. By keeping part of the licensing fees for these products, Lucas was able to build enough wealth to make his films outside the Hollywood system, relying on the studios only for marketing and distribution.

The special effects techniques used by Lucas in Star Wars became the standard in the industry. His team formed its own company, known as Industrial Light and Magic. Lucas also developed reference standards for audio and image reproduction, known as THX Certification. Today, his company, Lucasarts, is involved in every aspect of film production and restoration, as well as television production and video game development.