Star Wars: The Next Generation

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

The one movie that affected me more then any other is Star Wars. Yes I was and remain a child of George Lucas' imagination. It was 1977, and I turned thirteen. I was prime pickings for a tale of epic proportion where good and evil fought for control of the universe. All my movie going experience never prepared me for what I was about to see. Galaxies, star ships, hyperspace, robots, stormtroopers, and the force all had a serious impact on me. Not only was it a great story, but the effects were revolutionary. It was the effects that lead me down the path to filmmaking. I was already interested in movies, and I was experimenting with my Super-8 camera. I'd film epic battles in my backyard with GI-JOE's battling lizard men. But it was Star Wars that set me on the path in exploring the world of special effects and how they did it all. I found out about mattes, split screens, stop-motion, and miniature photography. I remember my frustration in not getting it right, and wanting to do more. It's when I discovered Single-8 from Fuji camera that I realized what I could do. You see Single-8 could be back wound, so I could shoot mattes and put my miniature spaceships in space and do all kinds of effects.

I would devour any article on filmmaking that I could get my hands on. Even my uncle helped me get more info on how they did certain effects. His company Oxberry which was based in New Jersey made equipment for special effects technicians such as optical printers and animation stands. I even got a chance to meet some effects technicians at a place called the Optical House in NY. While there I exhausted the technicans with my questions about how they did what they did. I even saw them doing an effect for Brian DePalma's "Blow-UP". This would lead to college where I studied film production and eventually my obsession with film as it is today.

So yes here it is almost thirty years to the date when Star Wars premiered, and who do I see watching the movie that inspired me? My own boys! Even today the Star Wars saga inspires. My boys are a bit too young to realize the technical end of filmmaking, but I do get a certain glee of watching them get involved in the story. It's the story that really propels it all. George Lucas may not make another film again, but he will always be a person who inspired a generation, and who keeps on inspiring other generations. Right now for the boys it's fantasy at its best, and their imagination is being cultivated. Imagine a world of storytellers who grew up with the Star Wars saga playing on their local cable channels.

With technology changing year to year who knows what this generation will come up with? Their limits will be the limits to their imaginations, and to think George Lucas may be responsible for paving the way for these future storytellers.

Thanks Mr. Lucas. You constantly invigorate the young & old alike, and for that I'm eternally grateful.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Megan (2022)

Image
The film Megan is a sci-fi/horror film with a lot of dark humor, which makes the movie so interesting to watch.  I had to say this was not on my radar to see.  I thought maybe one day on cable or streaming, but my youngest wanted to see it and so I was game.  I'm glad I did see this and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was.  I should also say seeing this at he movies was a treat.  The direction, the cinematography, and the whole feel of the film gave me an appreciation of this film that I would not have gotten otherwise. To label this a horror film would be a mistake.  It has horror elements in it but it's science fiction more than anything else with a dash of horror.  I do like that the film takes the old Frankenstein myth and updates it to the digital era.  I think because of this the film is a better for it.  The graphic violence is played off screen which works.  If you're a gore hound you will be disappointed, but it does not ...
Read more

Avenger's EndGame (2019)

Image
Okay you've heard by now this movie is doing fantastic business.  The studio has passed the two billion mark worldwide, and it's still growing. I'm also sure you've heard all the spoilers now.  Amazing now that we have to contend with "spoiler" alerts now.  I mean what would Hitchcock of done with "Psycho"?  I remember the campaign back then had people NOT to tell the ending to the people coming out of the theater.  Now you're a tweet away from making that happen. But I digress.  So how is the film?  One word "FUN!" If you're a fan of Marvel, and you've seen most if not all the movies you'll love this film.  I can only imagine the box-set coming out for this.  It would be huge.  Now if you're not a fan then this is not the movie for you.  Clocking in over a little over 3 hours long it certainly does not feel like 3 hours, and that's a good thing.  The filmmakers Anthony Russo , and Joe Russo do an extraor...
Read more

Laundrea Thomas

Image
I just found out that Ms Laudrea Thomas died on August 9th of this year in Los Angeles California. It seems that she took her own life. She was 32 and she was way too young to leave this earth. I'm not going to say that I knew Ms Thomas very well. She was in my movie "Deadly Obsessions", and she was a pleasure to work with. I had hoped some how that someday we would work together again because it's so hard to find real good talent who have a passion for what they do. To say that I was taken a back by this news of Laundrea's death is an understatement. I can still remember Laundrea's first day of shooting Of "Deadly Obsessions" it seems that she had car problems and her car broke down on the PA Turnpike on the day she was suppose to check in to shoot her scenes. Her father managed to rescue her, and drive her to the hotel where I had some of the cast & crew staying. Laundrea still made it on time and even brought some props that she thought we cou...
Read more