Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2014/03/14/george-lucas-tells-filmmakers-to-not-forget-basics/" target="_blank"><b>3/14/14: George Lucas Tells Filmmakers to Not Forget Basics</b></a>
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA In his speech at USC, Lucas said: “ Don’t forget the basics. Don’t get enamored with new technology, because it’s not new. Just the medium we’re working in is new, but that doesn’t change anything. The art of what we do is exactly the same. It’s beyond technology. It’s the art of movies.” Too bad he didn't take his own advice when he filmed that last 'Star Wars' movies.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Yeah, really. Seems like too much emphasis was placed on technology instead of character development with regard to Jar-Jar. "Ooh me thinka I no look so good in 8 bit." If it wasn't for the heavy emphasis on leading edge technology, the first Star Wars film never wouldn't have owned the box and made Lucas a small fortune. Technology made the SW franchise what it is today.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The thing about the original 'Star Wars' is while it did employ cutting edge technology, it did not drown out the story and the characters. To me 'The Empire Strikes Back' is still the best in the series, as the characters were still the focus. And since Lucas did not direct it, it was even better. Yes the AT-AT scene on Hoth is amazing, and the special effects were jaw dropping for the time, but remember that Yoda was done by Frank Oz using a Muppet character right there on set. And Yoda in that movie is still better than the CGI version. It's the same problem that the last Indiana Jones movie ran into. Compare that with the original 'Raiders' where, in that opening sequence, Indy is running through an actual set from an actual boulder . Far better than that CGI spacecraft that rises out of the ground in 'Crystal Skull' Here's hoping that J.J. Abrams understands the balance for the new 'Star Wars'
Originally Posted By fkurucz I always thought that Lucas' biggest mistake was making prequels and not sequels to the original trilogy. We all knew that Anakin becomes Vader before watching the prequels, and everything else was filler. The horrible scripts and acting didn't help either. What we wanted to see was Luke becoming a master and rebuilding the Jedi Order (while facing down new baddies)
