HQ Education Columnist
You don't often think of missed opportunities when you think about George Lucas' Star Wars saga. The six movies are testament to one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history. But, believe or not, Lucas did lose out on some Star Wars business, and in a big way.
Lucas and his staff designed many of the greatest innovations in computer animation and digital editing while creating Star Wars. Due to lack of interested clients beyond Star Wars, Lucas sold most his innovations to other companies, companies that became industry leaders like Pixar and Avid.
No Obvious Profitability in Animation Programs
George Lucas' frustration with the state of animation and editing technology when he created Star Wars has become industry legend. After filming the first Star Wars movie, George Lucas spent millions to develop a complete digital editing system to better populate his sequels with armies of X-wing fighters, storm troopers, and more believable light saber beams.He was ahead of his time however. Much of the innovations he spearheaded had no market at the time except for the creation of Star Wars sequels. So he sold the technology and the divisions that created them.
Animation Jobs Ahead of Their Time
"We were 10 years ahead of the commercial reality," said Bob Doris, co-general manager of Lucas' computer division during the mid-'80s, in the Los Angeles Times. "He inspired some very worthwhile ventures ? but the innovations weren't close to paying for themselves."So Lucas sold his pioneering technologies at cut-rate prices ? technologies that would later appear in music stereos, cell phones, medical imaging devices and virtually every Hollywood studio.
The most notable sale was to Apple Computer Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who paid $10 million for the team that became Pixar Inc., the movie company that went on to make $3 billion (and counting) at the box office.
George Lucas, who isn't exactly starving, always said he wasn't in the movie business as a business man. "I'm not a venture capitalist," he is famous for saying, but he seems just fine anyway.
Sources: http://www.latimes.com
About the Author Alex Russel is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Since graduating from Syracuse University he has worked at many different media companies in fields as diverse as film, TV, advertising, and journalism. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in English and History.
