George Lucas now wants to rape your adulthood...

[Noriko Takaya]

From Reuters

George Lucas' latest project(s)

Now that 'Star Wars' is done, filmmaker on to other things

Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Posted: 10:23 a.m. EDT (14:23 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Think George Lucas is going to take it easy now that he's completed his final "Star Wars" trilogy? Think again.

Lucas revealed Monday that he wants to bring the wonders of 3-D animation to Asia, produce television shows much more cheaply than the rest of the industry, and make sure that his Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) effects house doesn't lose its famed camaraderie and creative spunk.

"I put all of my resources into pushing the evolution in an industry that is notoriously backwards and I enjoy pushing that envelope," Lucas told an audience of thousands during an hourlong Q&A at the Siggraph computer graphics confab at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

"I'm lucky enough that there is never a blank canvas in front of me," Lucas mused. "I have hundreds of projects that I want to do but I am running out of time."

Lucas is producing his upcoming series "Clone Wars" in 3D animation and building a facility in Singapore to "use the amazing artistic talents in the Asian community," he said. "A lot of (Asia) is still trying to move into the 3D age. I set up a plan to speed up the process and to build up the community there. I also look at this as a way to get my foot into anime," he said.

Television is also new frontier for the use of digital tools, he said.

"What would normally cost $20 million-$30 million we can do for $1 million," Lucas promised. He is shooting a live-action series on a small Sony digital consumer camera.

Asked if, like Walt Disney, he wanted to create a media empire, Lucas said: "My life is too short to become a film studio."

"A big company has its downsides," he added. "It's kind of like a shark. If it doesn't swim then it dies. If you grow and get bigger and bigger then you collapse. ILM has reached a level where we don't want to get any bigger. We're the oldest and most advanced visual effects studio today."

Clearly alluding to the growth and competitive strength of rival effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks, Lucas said: "If some studio wants to come along and throw money around they can do that. But we don't want to lose the camraderie and creative environment we have at ILM."

Lucas also said thinks that with advances in voice recognition technology and artifical intelligence, the fast-growing realm of video and online gaming will move well beyond basic first-person shooter narratives.

"I want to get to a point where you can talk to the game and it will talk back, Lucas said.

And there you have it.

[HWR MKII]

He already has his foot in it. Alot of the newer sound mixes for dubs are done at or by skywalker sound. Its not suprising at all.

[Majestic]

Hiring overseas to keep it cheap? I think it's domestic animators who will feel raped.

[bsu legato]

Hmm....the last time Lucas had anything to do with an overseas production, he executive produced Kurosawa's Kagemusha.

[JKeats]

That pic just made my day a little brighter, thanks Bsu.

I don't understand this 3D crap that Lucas is talking about. The last thing I want to see is CG anime. Is he talking about CG anime? 'Cuz if he is ::shakes fist::

[Mr March]

Lucas has always been involved in several industries related to film and computer animation. It is no surprise that he would be interested in various aspects of the japanese film industry, considering his fondness for both groundbreaking technology and japanese film art.

What is rather strange is that he wants to bring fully computer animated productions to Japan. The japanese market has been exposed to fully computer generated productions for over a deacde, but the market has clearly shown the lasting preference for traditional, japanese cell animation. He has his work cut out for him.

[cobywan]

I don't understand this 3D crap that Lucas is talking about.  The last thing I want to see is CG anime.  Is he talking about CG anime?  'Cuz if he is ::shakes fist::

316621[/snapback]

I whole heartily agree with you.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Excellent so when's the 3D CG Macross tv series remake coming out?

I imagine dogfights on the level of zero with the celshaded look of Appleseed but on the scale of a epic star wars movie.

If he can reduce costs this might mean more Macross Zero like stuff. jk

3d imo is better to use for static objects like spaceships and mecha (watch the rotation of the camera sweeps in appleseed - beautiful, MUCH better than a crap "flat 2d landscape with the pan across a static drawing" technique so common in anime) while characters are better as hand drawn animation. (because the "way" something moves gives it's own character - see shrek or toy story for examples. Also 3d character models are in danger of looking lifeless. see the "wooden acting" in Final Fantasy: the spirits within. Barely any emotions on the faces!)

When doing a dramatice rotation shot of two mechas fighting (remember the max and milia battles in Macross?) having them 3d would help. Macross plus also used cg well in the virtual reality vision in the last episode when guld and dyson were fighting in the city. That stuff hand drawn would have taken far more effort to do.

(basically anything with a rotation of camera simulataneously as machines are fighting against each other would benefit)

So what I want to see is a massive scale macross battle scene like that what you see in a typical star wars or indpendance day. Millions of little zentradi mecha fighting against the human race in realtime with detail-infested valkyries that look photorealistic and move realistically. Sort of like in the ending of macross II where everyship was used in a mass attack.

So long as effects don't stick out like a sore thumb (macross Zero episode 1 which shows a hand-drawn anti-un mech instead of a cg one) I'm all for it.

Edited August 3, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[GobotFool]

3d imo is better to use for static objects like spaceships and mecha (watch the rotation of the camera sweeps in appleseed - beutiful MUCH better than a crap "flat 2d landscape with the pan across a drawing" technique so common in anime) while characters are better as hand drawn animation. (because the "way" something moves gives it's own character - see shrek or toy story for examples)

316640[/snapback]

I wholely agree. I saw appleseed a few weeks back, the backgrounds and mecha were great. the characters were meh. Very stiff and lifeless. Though pixar time and again proves it is possible to breath life into CG characters.

[Radd]

"use the amazing artistic talents in the Asian community,"

Hiring overseas to keep it cheap? I think it's domestic animators who will feel raped.

Do we ever. Of course, by now it's nothing new.

[Mr March]

3d imo is better to use for static objects like spaceships and mecha (watch the rotation of the camera sweeps in appleseed - beautiful, MUCH better than a crap "flat 2d landscape with the pan across a static drawing" technique so common in anime) while characters are better as hand drawn animation. (because the "way" something moves gives it's own character - see shrek or toy story for examples. Also 3d character models are in danger of looking lifeless. see the "wooden acting" in Final Fantasy: the spirits within. Barely any emotions on the faces!)

316640[/snapback]

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I couldn't agree more. CG animation seems to make most sense when used as a complimentary process for inanimate objects along side cell-animated characters. I look at all the anime I enjoy featuring CG effects and it's clear that background and mecha art in CG are superior to hand drawn styles, but characters definitely benefit from the more life-like, expressive art of cell animation. Much like the use of CGI in live action films, the best dramatic performances are always from skilled actors, while fantastic creatures and hardware benefit from CGI greatly over models and puppets.

Macross Plus and Cowboy Bebop stand as probably the best use of background, complimentary CGI, while Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex is probably the best example of foreground CG effects for non-character objects. As a fan of anime and CG effects, I applaud the development and evolution shown in SAC as the direction in which I would like anime to take. Not only does it work both stylistically and artistically, but it is a much needed way to reduce cost and propell anime forward as a art/entertainment medium.

Although I don't care for the anime, I must say that Yukikaze displays the most vivid and visually exciting use of CG animation in an anime that I've ever seen. In the hands of better writers and skilled director, CG animation such as that of Yukikaze would impress even CGI-weened western audiences of the virtues of anime.

[Mr March]

Though I have less faith in Lucas making any kind of story good anymore, my hope is his push will make technology advance and make it cheaper, so that other aspiring up and coming directors and animators get a chance to make a film or complete a project.

316645[/snapback]

Actually, this is more or less what I can see as likely, given my limited understanding of the asian anime industry. I can see Lucas introducing the writers, artists, and producers of anime to a wealth of new technology and techniques for making better product with cheaper production costs. Even as a box office whore, Lucas knows how to make the most of his budget. He made the prequels for extremely modest sums, considering the outrageous level of uber-expensive FX in the new Star Wars. How he managed to make them for $115 million each when other sci-fi flicks with a third of the effects cost $200 million plus is beyond me.

However, I can't see his own material of mono-CG film and television being successful in a market which has proven time and again that it prefers traditional cell animated works even when offered a high quality CG alternative. Gawd, that made me sound like a narrow-minded, Hollywood studio executive, but I gotta go with my gut. I hope for Lucas' success, but expect better ancillary benefits for the japanese animation industry as the likely result.

[Sarensaas]

I think it is mostly about advancing things, which I am all for. Everything as far as new material is headed towards digital, so why not expand the technology and let those with the talent use it. I know some people are wary of digital stuff, but I think Lucas pushing it this way will help make things more streamlined, and help digital effects evolve faster. This will be good for Sci-fi or fantasy fans, because stories TV or movie companies would ordinarily turn down because of budget reasons will get green lights now that digital production will bring the cost of things down.

I like this quote:

"I want to get to a point where you can talk to the game and it will talk back, Lucas said.

hehe...so you are playing Grand Theft Auto and suddenly the game tells you to get your sad behind off the couch and take your girlfriend out to dinner.

[grss1982]

I think it is mostly about advancing things, which I am all for. Everything as far as new material is headed towards digital, so why not expand the technology and let those with the talent use it. I know some people are wary of digital stuff, but I think Lucas pushing it this way will help make things more streamlined, and help digital effects evolve faster. This will be good for Sci-fi or fantasy fans, because stories TV or movie companies would ordinarily turn down because of budget reasons will get green lights now that digital production will bring the cost of things down.

I like this quote:

"I want to get to a point where you can talk to the game and it will talk back, Lucas said.

hehe...so you are playing Grand Theft Auto and suddenly the game tells you to get your sad behind off the couch and take your girlfriend out to dinner.

316660[/snapback]

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I can see lots of uses for this in RPG though.

Imagine telling the shopkeeper the items you need instead of selecting them from menus?

The shopkeeper might ask what items you have for trade and you just read out the type of item and the number of them you wish to sell instead of using menus.

In a FPS you can talk to your bot team mates to stay here and stuff without having to push buttons leaving you free to do other things with your hands.

In the days of ultima you had to actually type text out to perform lots of functions and even when you talked to npcs you had to type in what you wanted to say. (nowadays it's menus with selection of topics to usein a conversation. This is a dumbed down version of the use of keywords that you typed out to get the information from npcs since it takes the guess work out of what to talk about, but its advantage is the convenience of getting things done quickly)

Voice might make it easier and more user friendly for newbie people who can't stand that type of complicated interface. (a game that is wholly controlled by nothing more than voice might be one extreme example)

In Knights of The Old Republic 10 you might tell a chewbacca-like wookie NPC to bash a c3p0-like droid in the head to shut him up. No need to do everything on your own.

So in a rpg world you can still control yourself but chat to the people to order them around, get information from them, or trade stuff instead of menus and button combinations which might take up space and time as well as use more effort.

Edited August 3, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Commander McBride]

Ah, it's too bad I missed the lecture, I went today. Cool show, though, the Emerging Tech section was awesome. Tons of innovative, crazy, and TOTALLY USELESS Japanese inventions, lol. I got myself the new Razer ProSolutions mouse, not on the market until late Oct, and it's really cool. 7 buttons, 1600DPI, and on-the-fly sensitivity switching, 16 levels! (As opposed to MX 515's 3)

[Keith]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if he wants to get into anime, he should let Leiji Matsumoto remake all of Star Wars.

[EXO]

Goerge Lucas can do anything he wants... he took from other people and gave them credit. A lot of other people were inspired by him, even in the anime world. If you think it's gonna be horrible, don't watch it.

[ComicKaze]

Damn you Lucas!

I love 2D traditional cels. You have never produced anything good in 3D. Digital blows, even the new anime looks too digital and it's all digitally colored.

Take a look at Batman Begins, where they spent the effort to do almost everything they could the traditional way. They even had a real film development firm develope the film in a traditional way and it turned out great. They did they have a 3D Batman hanging onto a monorail? No! They just filmed a guy, launched across a 5-block soundstage attached to a rope with a huge hydraulic hammer. Did they have a 3D vehicle? No, they built real ones!

The SW Prequels have been horrible efforts in creating unrealistic and uninteresting 3D and digital imagery that never engages the audience.

Edited August 3, 2005 by ComicKaze

[Max Jenius]

Awesome! I can't wait to see what they can come up with!

I also love how ppl are turning this into another SW hate thread. *yawn*

I've been wanting a Star Wars anime for quite some time, however I would love to see the 6 Original Dune Books done anime style. Hell, it would be awesome if they did ALL of the books that way... /drool.

Oh... but I think this is awesome news anyway. I love hand-drawn anime, but when CG is integrated intelligently, I love it.

[EXO]

People naturally think that it's gonna be awful because Lucas isn't japanese... I agree that he's not a great director, but other than directing he and his companies pushed every other boundaries farther than anyone in the business. Music, sound, effects, video games... all these things have progressed because of his companies. Anime is just another field to conquer.

[Black Valkyrie]

He said it before. I always wanted a Anime SW since the manga came out.

[glane21]

Hiring overseas to keep it cheap? I think it's domestic animators who will feel raped.

316616[/snapback]

I agree with this. Is there still any traditional animation done in the US? I don't think even Disney has a studio anymore. Look for the same thing to happen to CG animation within 10 years if this comes true. I'm not a CG animator but I hate to see any industry drummed out of the US.

[Majestic]

Goerge Lucas can do anything he wants... he took from other people and gave them credit.  A lot of other people were inspired by him, even in the anime world.  If you think it's gonna be horrible, don't watch it.

316757[/snapback]

Hopefully the overseas stuff will be pre-prequel quality (heh).

Still haven't seen Episode III yet. So much for the "fanboys (sic) will be first in line" theory.

Before the fragile egos of Lucas apologists get their collective panties wadded up in futile insult-spewing rage, understand that, like yourself, I also consider Lucas capable of making cinematic greatness. Who am I kidding, this is the internet, so by all means rage away and post your usual "lol"-atry and "teh funny" pics to sustain your self-aggrandized opinions.

Note: Not aimed at EXO by the way! I'm optimistic about new stuff from the Lucas camp.

Edited August 3, 2005 by Majestic

[Majestic]

I agree with this.  Is there still any traditional animation done in the US?  I don't think even Disney has a studio anymore.  Look for the same thing to happen to CG animation within 10 years if this comes true.  I'm not a CG animator but I hate to see any industry drummed out of the US.

316831[/snapback]

Hadn't really thought about CG animation, but I'll bet you're right. Hopefully at least Pixar will remain profitable (and decent?) enough not to succumb to this trend.

I suppose its the inevitability of globalization. Companies will continue to seek cheaper labor in the name of competition and profit at the expense, or perhaps benefit, of the home country.

Where that leaves the hopes and dreams of prospective american animators is anybody's guess.

[bsu legato]

Before the fragile egos of Lucas apologists get their collective panties wadded up in futile insult-spewing rage, understand that, like yourself, I also consider Lucas capable of making cinematic greatness. Who am I kidding, this is the internet, so by all means rage away and post your usual "lol"-atry and "teh funny" pics to sustain your self-aggrandized opinions.       

Note: Not aimed at EXO by the way! I'm optimistic about new stuff from the Lucas camp.

316840[/snapback]

Heh...I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that this is directed at me, despite the fact that my "apology" and "self aggrandizing" consisted of mentioning Kagemusha. Hey, believe it or not Maj (can I call you 'Maj'?) everything I post is not an attack on you, regardless of my distaste for you. But by all means, since this is a thread ever so loosly related to Star Wars, take it personally and try to pick yet another fight, only to mask it with smileys.

[Duke Togo]

I am still trying to figure out where rape fits into all of this.

I really don't see what the big deal is, besides the usual kneejerk fanboy griping about anything Lucas does.

[Majestic]

Heh...I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that this is directed at me, despite the fact that my "apology" and "self aggrandizing" consisted of mentioning Kagemusha. Hey, believe it or not Maj (can I call you 'Maj'?) everything I post is not an attack on you, regardless of my distaste for you. But by all means, since this is a thread ever so loosly related to Star Wars, take it personally and try to pick yet another fight, only to mask it with smileys. 

316846[/snapback]

Boy you sure got me pegged BSU. But by all means, take it personally and try to pick yet another fight, only to mask it with the aire of "oh, my post wasn't directed at you, you're the one getting upset". Maybe it would be best if you ignored my posts entirely since my opinion doesn't line up with yours?

Sorry you managed to miss the point of my post: That I consider Lucas capable, and that that is a quality that presumably you and I share. Consensus! Gasp!

As I've already said, I expect nothing less than LOL-arific thinly-veiled insult posts with their inevitable funnay intarnet pictars attached, so by all means continue with the awesome comedy - it seriously doesn't bother me as much as my opinions appear to bother you, nurturing your "distaste".

(can I call you 'Maj'?)

- Sure thing. I'll call you "'Leg", it will make it sound like we're in a buddy cop movie.

[bsu legato]

But by all means, take it personally and try to pick yet another fight, only to mask it with the aire of "oh, my post wasn't directed at you, you're the one getting upset". Maybe it would be best if you ignored my posts entirely since my opinion doesn't line up with yours?

316864[/snapback]

But my post was directed at you. I thought I was clear on that point. What you also seem to misunderstand is that I made no reference to anybody who disagreed with me. I merely stated that Lucas' last involvement with a Japanese production was Kagemusha, which was no Seven Samurai but was leagues beyond current summer fare like Torque and xXx2: State of the Union. Hence my "Oh noes" picture, which seems to be the root of what this is about. But in spite of that you seem to feel the need to drag out the old "anti-apologist" routine. I think its clear that you're the one with the bone to pick, and I don't see how you can argue otherwise. Seriously, just let this one go.

Sure thing. I'll call you "'Leg", it will make it sound like we're in a buddy cop movie. 

No deal. The Chief knows that I work alone, especially after my last partner died in that explosion. Damn it Manny, I told you not to cut the red wire!

[Pat Payne]

I am still trying to figure out where rape fits into all of this.

I really don't see what the big deal is, besides the usual kneejerk fanboy griping about anything Lucas does.

316854[/snapback]

Personally, I wish people would drop the rape metaphor altogether when talking about Lucas/HG/BSG/Uwe Boll/etc. It sounds like we're trivializing a supremely traumatic event by claiming that "our childhoods were raped by (insert object of gripe)".

I'll get off my soapbox now, before the mob comes after me.

[Duke Togo]

Don't worry, they'll come after me before they come after you.

[Ed.Coli]

produce television shows much more cheaply than the rest of the industry,

How do you make Japanese TV animation cheaper than it already is? TV anime is already horribly underbudget and pathetically produced.

[Druna Skass]

Personally, I wish people would drop the rape metaphor altogether when talking about Lucas/HG/BSG/Uwe Boll/etc. It sounds like we're trivializing a supremely traumatic event by claiming that "our childhoods were raped by (insert object of gripe)". 

I'll get off my soapbox now, before the mob comes after me.

316875[/snapback]

Yeah really, you some of you people are being too overly dramatic with this, to the point where you can't be taken seriously.

Anyway, who really cares what he does? Sh!t everytime he has a new project or something going on I see someone here b!tching up a storm. If he advances technology and what not, cool. If he tries to write a new story, don't watch it.

[Agent ONE]

Awesome.

GL has a vote of confidence from me.

[Mr March]

Personally, I wish people would drop the rape metaphor altogether when talking about Lucas/HG/BSG/Uwe Boll/etc. It sounds like we're trivializing a supremely traumatic event by claiming that "our childhoods were raped by (insert object of gripe)". 

I'll get off my soapbox now, before the mob comes after me.

Don't worry Pat, you make a good point. If for no other reason than "<whatever> raped my childhood" has long ago outlived its 15 minutes.