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George Lucas: Innovator
Besides his directorial and production work on movies, Lucas is the most significant contemporary contributor to modern movie technology. In 1975 Lucas established Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) in Van Nuys, CA, which was responsible for the invention the special computer assisted camera crane "Dykstraflex" that was used for most of the space fight sequences used in the
Star Wars movies (technology which was later adopted by most other visual effects production units, such as those responsible for "Battlestar Galactica" and ""). Through ILM, Lucas spurred the further development of computer graphics, film laser scanners and the earliest use of 3D computer character animation in a film, Young Sherlock Holmes. Lucas sold his early computer development unit to Steve Jobs in 1988, which was renamed Pixar.
Lucas is also responsible for the modern sound systems found in many movie theaters. Though Lucas didn't invent THX, he is responsible for its development.
Now Lucas is spearheading digital photography for movies. Though personal digital photography is now mainstream, most movie studios still use traditional cameras and film for movie production. Lucas departed from this model by filming ' almost completely digitally. He showed the result to a select audience of the Hollywood elite, before the movie's general release. For the presentation, Lucas used a special digital projection system. The attendees said the movie had the clearest and sharpest presentation they had ever seen.
Despite the successful demonstration of the technology, movie studios are slow to move to this new model, in part because of the high price of the digital equipment. But digital movie photography has several advantages:* Digital editing is much easier and less expensive since the movie is already in digital form.* Delivery of movies to cinemas is much cheaper since the digital media is much smaller than traditional reels which can weigh hundreds of pounds.* Movies stored digitally are less susceptible to decay and degradation in quality.* Transferring digital movies to DVD is much cheaper since both forms are digital.
As time goes on, Lucas is expected to make more contributions to modern moviemaking technology.
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Latest Film News
Latest news on George Lucas
Video GamesForce Unleashed being loosed onto big screen?
Los Angeles Times quotes LucasArts' Hayden Blackman as saying "it's not impossible" George Lucas might turn the hit game into a seventh Star Wars film.
Published: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:01:12 GMT - Source: Gamespot.Com - Read the articleSystemsCatch ?a vision of a new world of learning? on iTunes U
Now on iTunes U, Edutopia, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, provides ?success stories from the field? that educators can put to use in their own classrooms. By watching the materials available in the ?Project Learning,? ?Technology Integration,? ?Integrated Studies,? and other curricula, you?ll find a rich collection of valuable educational resources.
Published: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:40:33 GMT - Source: Deimos.Apple.Com - Read the article
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