UPDATE! Concept Artist Doug Chiang on George Lucas, J.J. Abrams and Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Doug ChiangDoug Chiang is an American film designer and artist. During the late 1990s Chiang served as design director for Lucasfilm on Star Wars Episode I and Star Wars Episode II. Now he is the driving force behind the visual design of this year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as all the other Star Wars feature films currently in the works. In a recent interview the artist spoke about his mentor George Lucas and the new Star Wars era…

 

 

From Canoe.ca:

 

On George Lucas.

“The terrifying part is we don’t have George,” Chiang said in an interview this week.
“It’s very demanding. It’s very hard,” said Chiang, who now serves as vice president and executive creative director at Lucasfilm. “We’re still trying to figure out, what is Star Wars? Without George, it’s a very tough challenge.

 

“We all think we know what it is, but really, Star Wars is George. George is the only person who really knows it very well. We’re all trying to create something in his playground, but it’s his playground.”

 

doug chiang

 

“He could scan a wall full of art and almost instantly identify the one or two or three images he really liked,” said Chiang. “When I finally had the courage to ask, it was probably the biggest lesson for me. He said, ‘I’m basically judging it by shapes and understanding.’ What George was really doing was he was looking at those designs through an audience’s point of view.”

 

On Star Wars.

 

“I grew up drawing things like X-wings and TIE fighters, and I’m finally getting an opportunity to do that,” Chiang said.

 

“When I was working with George, we had designed a huge universe, and only a small portion was used because the stories he was telling only used a little bit of it. And now we’re able to utilize all that other richness,” said Chiang.

 

“I think the audience is going to be really surprised. There’s so much out there still.”

 

 

Doug Chiang will be attending Star Wars Celebration next week. Stay tuned for our coverage of the event.

 

 

Chiang

 

UPDATE!

 

In another interview Doug Chiang also talked about J.J. Abrams and the highly anticipated The Force Awakens.

 

From TheStar:

Lucas has taken a similar leap of faith with The Force Awakens or Episode VII, as it’s often referred to. He’s turned over the directorial reins to J.J. Abrams who Chiang says is trying to stay true to Lucas’ vision with the original Star Wars trilogy, while also taking the franchise to new places.

 

“Episode VII is probably closer in kin to EpisodesIV,V and VI in terms of design esthetics for what’s being created” Chiang says.

 

“It’s interesting in the sense that J.J. is a huge admirer of George and of course everybody is really trying to live up to George’s vision. What I find fascinating is that, even without George guiding everything, we’re (still) in that role of trying to fill George’s shoes and trying to be a filter.

 

doug chiang george lucas

“And it’s a really tough task. After spending seven years with him, I thought I knew Star Wars. But George always surprises me.”

 

And Lucas and company evidently intend to keep those surprises a secret, at least for now. I begin to ask Chiang about the colourful “ball droid” seen unveiled last fall in the teaser for The Force Awakens, which looks like a distant cousin of R2-D2.

 

But before Chiang can answer, he’s interrupted by a publicist who has been listening to the conversation and who declares the topic off-limits.

 

One thing is not a state secret, and that’s how much fans are looking forward to seeing The Force Awakens, the first new Star Wars movie since the prequel trilogy concluded with Revenge of the Sith a.k.a. Episode III in 2005.

 

Chiang judges the fan frenzy for The Force Awakens to be “almost exactly the same, if not even more” than for The Phantom Menace in 1999. And George Lucas is no doubt every bit as eager to see what Abrams and his team come up with.

 

 

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Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.

Born on April 24, 1980.

Val Trichkov (Viral Hide)

Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.Born on April 24, 1980.

127 thoughts on “UPDATE! Concept Artist Doug Chiang on George Lucas, J.J. Abrams and Star Wars: The Force Awakens

  • April 9, 2015 at 3:37 pm
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    Chiang did a great job creating and contributing to the Era of the PT-Galaxy with his design…I may be more of an OT-Fan but his world design was never the problem.

    • April 9, 2015 at 4:23 pm
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      I always felt that the look of the PT was better than the PT itself. I recently re-watched all of the special features on both the DVDs and Blu-rays then watched the films themselves. Okay the story and dialogue may not be the best, but the designs i feel are beautiful to look at even to this day.

      P.S. when i say “may not be the best” i mean compared to the OT. I heave in the past and probably continued to defend the PT because i personally don’t find them to be as bad as people make them out to be.

      • April 9, 2015 at 4:33 pm
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        I agree really glad that he was kept by Lucasfilm to design The Force Awakens.

        • April 9, 2015 at 6:11 pm
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          He’s great, and as the time goes by I really appreciate his contribution to create the visual style of the republic era, with its organic shapes.
          The problem, visually, was the CG fest of episodes II and III, completely out of place, because The Phantom Menace, the introduction of the PT; is visually far better than II and III and ties-in with the original trilogy. They just went back to The Phantom Menace to put the CG Yoda. Instead, they should have been back to Clones and Sith and put some noise and texture to the picture. Shots like ObiWan walking through Kamino’s amenities are totally insane.

          • April 9, 2015 at 7:22 pm
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            Totally agree, at least a lot of TPM appears to have natural depth in the environments, whereas Ep 2&3 look insanely flat. It takes me right out of the world it’s trying to establish.

          • April 9, 2015 at 7:34 pm
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            good one guys…. the article is about Chiang and design, and you turn it right back into “I hate the prequels.” Can you think of anything else?!

          • April 9, 2015 at 8:01 pm
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            Oh quit throwing a hissy fit! So someone criticizes an aspect of the Prequels – so what?!

          • April 9, 2015 at 8:47 pm
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            Not sure how to tell you this but it’s the prequel bashers in this case that are suffering from the “hissy-fit”

          • April 9, 2015 at 11:35 pm
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            Anonymous, get a name, at least to refer to you in some way.

            It’s not prequel hating, I’m telling you how good was The Phantom Menace visually, isn’t it?

            I think I am objective by telling that two of the six films of the saga are visually unconsistent with the rest, and it’s about the amount of CG rather than design.

            The Phantom Menace: around 700 cg shots.
            Attack pf the Clones: around 2000 cg shots.

            Time og post-production: the same for both.

            Now take a shot of Naboo city in The Phantom Menace and tske the shot of the lake palace in attack of the clones. The first looks loke a real city, while the second looks like a cartoon castle paste on a lake picture.

          • April 10, 2015 at 4:55 am
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            the PT is shizer, never enough opportunity to make the fact

          • April 15, 2015 at 5:33 am
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            Looks top notch to me. That’s what I call good cgi. And it adheres to all the rules of good cgi. It’s basically an animated matte painting and it’s completely believable. As for the pastel issue, you can’t blame the cgi for that; that’s the work of the editors.

          • April 15, 2015 at 4:25 pm
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            Ok! No problem, just two different points of view. And yeah, I wasn’t blaming CG for the noise/texture problem, but just mentioning that it would have helped to make II a d III closer visually to the rest of the films. Planets like Felucia (because of its CG, color grade and texture) look good in TCW, but for me pushed the films in the wrong direction, specially being episodes in the midle of a saga. Watching IV after III it’s kinda shocking 😉

    • April 9, 2015 at 6:48 pm
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      I have to agree. Not a fan of the PT but I always say the music, visual designs and costumes were amazing. I mean the Destroyer Droids, Lucrehulk and so much were impressive.

    • April 9, 2015 at 8:01 pm
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      I always thought that Chiang’s designs for TPM were extremely influenced from the pre-WWII visions of the future. It was very classical and almost expressionistic in its shapes.

      I know people loved the “lived-in” universe that the OT established, but one of the things that was smart about TPM was how it showed a glorious period where things were clean and maintained.

      • April 9, 2015 at 8:03 pm
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        The Empire kept itself cleaned and maintained. Not everything in the OT was Tatooine.

        • April 15, 2015 at 2:30 am
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          People often attribute the “cleaner look” of the PT to the “glorious days of the Republic”, whereas in the OT everything looks old and worn out because the galaxy is in a state of decline because of the Empire’s oppression. I don’t look at it this way. I think that the OT looks like it does because we see more of the Outer Rim which is generally poorer, less populated, and more isolated geographically. In the PT we see more of the Core world which are generally wealthier, more technologically advanced, and more densely populated. It’s also been made clear in the new canon that the empire favored the core world that were loyal during the Clone Wars over the outer rim world that sided with the Separatists. Read ‘Tarkin’ for examples.

      • April 15, 2015 at 12:50 pm
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        And he is not a god…posting again today.
        I like Lucas, yet he is no god.
        Do I agree with everything he is about?
        No, definitely do not.
        Posting here again on a Star Wars fan site.
        Lucas himself is a Love Hate issue with many.
        I can still love Star Wars which was created by many artists.
        I can also Hate much of the subliminally laced concepts in Star Wars as well.
        I don’t have to worship the fundamental essence of a Blog to respond in its comment section.
        Its about communication between people about a given subject, is it not?

    • April 15, 2015 at 3:44 pm
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      I don’t think the designs are as good as Ralqh Mcquarrie’s. They are out of character. Too smooth and cartoony.

  • April 9, 2015 at 3:39 pm
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    I love BB-8 and the new X-Wings. I am excited to see what the Imperial Star Destroyers will look like. I am excited for what is to come in Star Wars The Force Awakens, when it comes to design.

    • April 9, 2015 at 8:04 pm
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      I hope the Star Destroyers are the same. Those battleships have to be so insanely expensive and after the expensive destructions of two Death Stars and the Executor, it would make more sense for the SDs to be retrofitted and enhanced especially if the war since Endor has been continued and escalated as the Rebels got more money, equipment and support.

      • April 9, 2015 at 8:46 pm
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        Great thought!

      • April 10, 2015 at 8:11 am
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        Agree!

  • April 9, 2015 at 4:12 pm
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    I hope to see him at CVII AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

  • April 9, 2015 at 4:50 pm
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    Doug is a FANTASTIC artist, and I was so impressed by his imagination and ability that I bought the box set of his TPM litho’s that I plan on having him autograph at C7…It’s going to be great!!

  • April 9, 2015 at 4:58 pm
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    Never liked his designs much for star wars, always thought they looked too sleek, more like Star Trek or something. Hopefully this wont be the case here

    • April 9, 2015 at 5:51 pm
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      Yes and No. It´s far more sleek than the OT. That is right, but they are mechanical and have enough geometrical shapes that would never be considered typical or fitting for Star Trek.

      Chiang also had to design something new and old and keep in perspectiv that his design has to logicial evolve into the OT-Era design too. So kudos to him.

      The only design problem with the PT was that by the middle of the Clone Wars, the devolution of the GFFA and evolution wasn´t fast or clear enough.

    • April 10, 2015 at 1:32 am
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      You understand he was designing under the guiding hand of George Lucas, don’t you. It’s pretty obvious Lucas wanted a “Flash Gordon” vibe to the prequel ship designs.

      Also, everything in the finished films was pointed at by Lucas, and he said “yes, that’s fine”.

  • April 9, 2015 at 5:45 pm
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    Chiang’s design sense is a big problem for me. From the Outrider to the any of the Naboo ships to the drop ships it’s a snooze fest. I’m not saying that all the OT designs were the best, but there was nothing outstanding when it came to the PT design. It was all too one-off: Bladless helicopters, airplanes, jet engines, or just twists on older designs (somewhat understandable given the circumstances and I blame Lucas more for that one).

    I like the guy personally but his continued presents doesn’t bode well for imaginative design in the future of Star Wars. Evidence of that so far is the boring popsicle speeder Rey drives in the trailer.

    • April 9, 2015 at 5:51 pm
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      Agreed!

    • April 9, 2015 at 6:20 pm
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      I figure the popsicle speeder is deceptively bulky.. like a portable moisture vaporator is gonna pop out of a side hatch or something

      • April 11, 2015 at 12:03 am
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        How do u get on & off that thing. Another poor design.

    • April 9, 2015 at 7:35 pm
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      get yourself glasses, dude.

      • April 9, 2015 at 7:41 pm
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        Retrotek can’t even see the nose on his face looking in a mirror.

    • April 9, 2015 at 8:38 pm
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      When I heard Doug Chiang was involved in TFA as designer my heart sank. I like the prequels, but one of the biggest problems of the prequels were that their designs always seemed a bit lifeless and bland. There weren’t any iconic designs like in the OT. The designs of the ships and characters never felt like they belonged in the environments, unlike the designs in the OT. From what little I’ve seen from TFA it looks like more of the same as in the PT. Hope I’m wrong.

    • April 10, 2015 at 1:36 am
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      How did all that design get past GL, I wonder.

      Did GL throw his hands up and say “Meh, that’s good enough, what do I know”?

      Or did he personally advise and approve EVERY ONE OF DOUG CHIANG’S DESIGNS?

      • April 10, 2015 at 5:28 pm
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        Doug’s personal work doesn’t show much difference from what Lucas approved. Check out Robotica.

    • April 14, 2015 at 3:40 pm
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      Excuse me what are you talking about?
      E.g. Clone turbo tanks in episode III where supposed to be instead of the AT-ATs on hoth.
      I guess the problem is with having royal ships, military and such… In the original trilogy we’ve seen just military cruisers, starfighters and smuggler ships. There’s nothing of the same type you can refer these to…

  • April 9, 2015 at 5:55 pm
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    I never liked what he did with the prequels, however I think he’s really good at his job. Did you see what he did with the Stormptroopers’ restyling? This guy is a genius.

    • April 9, 2015 at 5:58 pm
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      In this case I sightly dislike the sleeker Stormtrooper design…But suprisingly fresh too…

    • April 9, 2015 at 6:26 pm
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      I hate the design of the new stormtrupper (as well the all sequences in teaser) it fell so NO Star Wars.

      • April 9, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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        That blows my mind… I thought the new Stormtroopers were amazing. Like beyond amazing. How often do you take an iconic design… keep it recognizable and fresh all at once?

        Stormtroopers were a VERY sensitive subject for me… and I loved the end result.

        • April 9, 2015 at 8:11 pm
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          “The end result”? You mean from the teaser? ^_-

          Look, I’m not saying you’re not going to love the stormtroopers in TFA, but it’s still way too soon to tell.

  • April 9, 2015 at 6:06 pm
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    PT design by Chiang are clean and simpler , which are OK , I think. Because these are not affected by War and reasonably differentiate from OT design.For ST, he will take different approach, more like OT design.

  • April 9, 2015 at 6:14 pm
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    sounds like the typical slave custom. Work harder, gain nothing.

  • April 9, 2015 at 6:23 pm
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    The blindness and the lack of humility of Disney and JJ will bring us the first Star Wars movie without his creator George Lucas.

    My hype for this bunch of new movies is next to zero, incredible if I think about it.
    But probably it will be the best way to approach this new movies.
    Star Wars without Lucas is just pure madness.
    It is just like a John Williams score not written by him, a Lord of The Rings without Tolkien (and we have seen the Hobbit movies..) etc…

    SW is not a Marvel or a 007 movies.
    TFA will be a good movie (I hope), never the less is very sad that we will never see the sequel trilogy authorized by the creator of the saga.
    And in the best case, TFA will be just a diluted personal interpretation of another person about SW.
    I fear that Dough Chang is right:

    “We all think we know what it is, but really, Star Wars is George. George is the only person who really knows it very well. We’re all trying to create something in his playground, but it’s his playground.”

    How dare Disney!?!?!

    • April 9, 2015 at 6:40 pm
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      They did LOTR without Tolkien. Peter Jackson made the absolute best adaptations possible without Tolkien to advise him. Have a little faith, buddy.

      • April 9, 2015 at 6:41 pm
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        And even with the Hobbit being bloated and a little misguided, it doesn’t cheapen the achievement that was the first three films.

      • April 9, 2015 at 6:48 pm
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        There is a book sequel of LOTR trilogy written by another author that can stand up to original tolkien work?

        Ok, more easy … another Harry Potter book not written by J.K. Rowling ?

        Ok, more stupid, A Divina Commedia 2 not written by Alighieri?

        Can you get the point?
        Can you get the importance of the statment of D. Chang?

        • April 9, 2015 at 7:39 pm
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          The Hobbit movies were awful.

          • April 9, 2015 at 8:06 pm
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            They’re not awful. Unlike the Prequels which have severe structural and characterization issues, the Hobbit movies have a great story and wonderful performances. Yes, I agree the CGI went a little overboard as most do, but trust me when I say that fan edits will turn a mediocre trilogy into a couple of great movies that deserve to stand next to the LOTR movies.

          • April 9, 2015 at 8:57 pm
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            The Star Wars Prequels > The Hobbit Trilogy.

        • April 9, 2015 at 8:17 pm
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          Anon @ 18:48 PM

          “Can you get the point?
          Can you get the importance of the statment of D. Chang?”

          George Lucas helmed the entire Prequel Trilogy, and look where that got us. I place no stock in Chang’s comments.

          • April 10, 2015 at 11:59 am
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            I am 40ty something right now.
            I am grown up with OT.
            Today, I really feel that TPM is the most accomplished SW movies ever released.
            It is a masterpiece, an incredible and harmonic canvas full of everything, drama, adventure, mystery, plot, actions, great characters, incredible music, amazing visual, and an incredible coherent and rich universe. A masterpiece.

            I also feel that as a trilogy, the prequels are up there with OT, with probably a more deep and detailed story arc than OT but with a superior number of flaws here and there.
            And if we talk about flaws, OT is full of it, but we still tend to watch that movies with our youngest and pure eye.

            But, in truth, the greatest achievement of George Lucas is the 6 movies as a whole.
            How PT and OT talk to each, how they interact visually, thematically & emotionally, is something that no one has achieved before. And probably never will.
            And doing this over an arch of 30 years is something that is next to the impossible.
            But Lucas managed to do it.

            Somehow, it hurts to see how blind many people has become, and how many fail to see the greatness of what George Lucas was able to accomplish.
            Ancient Romans use to say “Nemo propheta in patria”.
            His genius, his mind, his accomplishments, will be re discovered in the future.

            Yes, I am more than sure that what Lucas has left will be matter of study in all Art and Cinema academies around the world.

            But for now, let the internet troll rule this world and time with their meme, already made slogan, JJ, Marvel etc…

          • April 11, 2015 at 12:07 am
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            OMG, Is this a joke???

          • April 11, 2015 at 3:18 am
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            No, it isn’t funny that George wanted to accomplish greatness but failed. He tried a lot to see if it would work, too bad he tried it in the final product.

          • April 14, 2015 at 3:50 pm
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            Tell me where did it fail?
            I think personally that all these OT fans simply are so nostalgic that they don’t want to have anything than episode IV and V. Cause to them Seeing Vader unmasked, maybe the most touching part of the whole saga, in VI sucks.
            Or they just hated the fact that those stories they invented in their mind are not real.
            Maybe they’re cold hearted? The Phantom Menace deals with a kid that in order to furfill his dreams must leave his mother. Then attack of the clones had both battle, and a love story that is wider than Han-leia. I mean, in V they just randomly get together after fighting each other for a bit. Revenge og the Sith has a Jedi that influenced by visions has to choose between what is right to do… Also the whole thing is covered by a political-like plot that we have ending when Tarkin says to the death star council that the senate is ended in episode IV.

            I really don’t get it. Just because it’s not about action all the time you can’t say a movie sucks this way.

          • April 21, 2015 at 3:22 pm
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            I agree with you. I prefer the OT to the PT, but the PT was amazing. It tells a gripping story that sadly is only enjoyed by people who enjoy plot over action. Were there flaws, yes and guess what the OT has flaws too. The PT allowed us to see a time that Obi-Wan talked of with many Jedi and Palpatine using politics and subterfuge to take over “his” galaxy. The sequal shows us how average joes pick up the slack with the Jedi being a memory and the majority of the galaxy under Palpatine’s control. I will say I am excited for the new trilogy, but its sad that fanboys caused Lucas to loose his spirit and sell the series to Disney. Pro: Disney has lots of money and can afford to put the effort necessary to make a great film. Con: Disney tends to run series into the ground favoring making a buck over a good product. I apauld Lucas for his creative masterpice and for having the foresight to get and accept help from other visionaries.

          • April 14, 2015 at 3:41 pm
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            I am glad to finally see that someone says this.

          • April 14, 2015 at 5:02 pm
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            I have to disagree completely. The problem with PT is obvious to me. It’s the lack of humanity. I really felt like GL discovered a new playground with CGI and spent way too much time creating new robots, spaceships, planets, landscapes, and totally forgot about the most important things : the story, the dialogues, the characters, the relation between them. Someone you can identify yourself to. Everyone in the PT is so stiff and bland. No one comes close to Han Solo in coolness, no iconic villain as Darth Vader.
            I have great faith in ST because I know that JJ got that. As a fan. He’s intelligent enough to go back to basics. You’ll see.

          • April 15, 2015 at 12:12 pm
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            You wish to have another Han Solo and anothe Darth Vader also in PT.
            Your imagination is unlimited for sure..

      • April 9, 2015 at 9:32 pm
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        Not the same thing at all. Tolkien had already laid out the entire story for Jackson to work on. Not saying whether the ST will be good or no (though I’m also keeping expectations low), but that’s a HUGE difference right there, as these films will not be penned by Lucas.

      • April 9, 2015 at 9:36 pm
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        Jackson wasn’t writing anything new based on Tolkien’s Middle-earth; he was adapting a story already written by Tolkien to the screen.

        That’s a HUGE difference right there, so your comparison doesn’t fit.

      • April 9, 2015 at 9:38 pm
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        Jackson wasn’t working on a brand-new story set in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. He was merely adapting The Lord of the Rings to the screen.

        That’s a HUGE difference with the ST, since Lucas’ input will be minimal, if any. So your comparison doesn’t make sense.

      • April 10, 2015 at 12:49 am
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        @Mods: none of my original attempts at a comment made it when I first posted it. And now there’s a whole batch of them. I’d appreciate if the double (and triple!) posts could be deleted. Thanks.

    • April 9, 2015 at 7:01 pm
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      No. Just… no. George has been lifted up to this mythic level when there has been more than ample evidence that perhaps he’s not exactly the best storyteller or director.

      Is he a unique individual? Absolutely. Very eccentric. Is his vision of Star Wars some unassailable concept? No not at all.

      I really can’t even fathom why people cling to the man. I think we may be in for the greatest era of Star Wars yet.

      • April 9, 2015 at 7:29 pm
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        I completely agree. After seeing the prequels (and liking them in general minus a few dopey things and poor story) it became clear that Lucas was moving away from what the original fans such as myself fell in love with. As much as I love Star Wars, I feel in a guilty way that it is somehow going to be better without him involved. I understand also the changes that were done in the Special Editions were to make it closer to what his vision was. I always knew he hated the cantina scene. The changes in it weren’t too bad, but the whole scene with Jabba was not necessary and redundant with the scene with Greedo.

        I just feel better with him not involved. The movies were created for the people and when you change what the people fell in love with, you are naturally going to get bad feedback.

        • April 9, 2015 at 8:21 pm
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          I concur, without the guilt.

          • April 9, 2015 at 9:38 pm
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            while the new ones may be just as good or better off without him now (im not so sure) i just hope people realize the guy CREATED star wars. younger people tend to dismiss lucas now as if star wars would have been almost better off without him from the start or that he had little hand in designing or creating the things that were iconic. its sad to me. yeah im an old guy now (43), and my 5 year old butt was in the chair in 77 to have my face blown off, and i grew up when lucas and speilberg ruled the world, no questions. Lucas may have lost it to some degree or another, but indeed, he IS star wars. Watch Empire of Dreams and see all he went through to get star wars done. the whole world was against him, his own movie crew, everyone, and he did it.

            i still admire him as much as i did the day my lil face was blown off in 77 by the greatest thing anyone had ever seen on screen. im saddened by the newer generations perception of him.

            no hostility intended here, just a ramble 😛 i just grew up when lucas was the imaginative king of the universe. a wonderful time, an extraordinary visionary…

          • April 9, 2015 at 11:12 pm
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            Yeah, I was there too right from the beginning, so what?

            This notion that Lucas IS Star Wars really does need to stop. Yes the initial idea and developed direction is all his and no one is going to forget that.

            What’s in danger of being forgotten is that he had help and I worry that future generations will buy into push by Lucas his his acolytes to re-write history that he did it all by himself and had it all worked out from the beginning.

            Ah, no. The contributions of Marcia Lucas, Collin Cantwell, Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, Gary Kurtz, Lawrence Kazdan, Ben Burt, and many others must not be white washed.

          • April 10, 2015 at 2:46 pm
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            I don’t want to mix franchises but it is like saying that Star Trek was only good when Gene Roddenberry was involved and most of us would agree that this is not the case. I also agree that there were many other people involved that should not be forgotten, some of which are working on The Force Awakens. I’m very excited about this movie.

          • April 14, 2015 at 4:49 pm
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            Very true. I feel what made Star Wars truly great was Empire Strikes Back, thanks to the writer and director, plus William’s score and Ben Burtts sound. Lucas brought the overall story and mythology but others took it and created from it. The prequels just felt poorly done overall and episodes 2 and 3 were used to test out digital cameras and green screen technology, newer cheaper and faster film making methods which most definitely took away some of the magic from those films. This was a misguided idea from George and should have been tested on smaller new projects, not the sequels to the biggest franchise in history.

            George created Star Wars and if course the fans will never forget that, but its time that other, dedicated modern film makers had a chance to create new adventures, with style and substance and I fully trust JJ to manage this. The new films I feel will automatically supersede the droll episodes 2 and 3 and return us back to that space where everything is cool, mythical and legendary. My overriding memory of episodes 2 and 3 was of a descent to the dark side by an already creepy skinny dude to the backdrop of political meetings. POLITICAL BOARD ROOM MEETINGS. Was awful. Let’s get some excitement back!

          • April 10, 2015 at 3:09 am
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            Very well articulated. May 20, 1977 changed every idea I ever had about sci-fi. I thank you for identifying. M.T.F.B.W.Y.

          • April 10, 2015 at 4:08 am
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            Unless you were at an advanced screening, I think you meant May 25th, 1977. If you did see an advanced screening, I’m so jealous.

    • April 9, 2015 at 7:19 pm
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      Lucas didn’t create or write Star Wars in a bubble. He had lots of help and input. It was a team effort. Now it’s even MORE of a team effort. And since the PT showed what Lucas was about without any real significant input from others, I worry least about this.

      If the ST is bad, it won’t be because Lucas is absent. That I’m sure of.

      • April 9, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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        Ageed. He had the help of brilliant minds that elaborated and expanded on his core vision of what it should be. I think with 6 Star Wars movies and all of the seasons of Clone Wars it is pretty obvious what his vision was. Stay true to his original vision and thank him for what George Lucas has given us.

        • April 9, 2015 at 8:26 pm
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          I hate George’s original vision.

          I can’t even watch the PT or TCW without being bored out of my mind. I respect George for giving us Star Wars and everything else, but I’m so glad he’s gone.

          Disney taking over gave me hope in Star Wars again.

    • April 9, 2015 at 7:58 pm
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      Just gotta say this again. George is the one who gave up on Star Wars and sold it. If he really cared about making the next movies his way he wouldn’t have sold the property. Oh poor George Lucas who stopped caring about Star Wars years ago and now sold the rights to an evil empire.

      I hope episode VII is amazing and I think it will be now that there are people who want to make the best movie possible, and aren’t shuddering in the corner afraid to tell Lucas their actual opinions on the Script, characters, ect…

      That’s why I am excited for this movie, it’s the first collaborative SW movie since ESB. After that time George had total control and no one to share actual opinions with.

      • April 9, 2015 at 9:44 pm
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        lucas didnt “give up” on it. the guy has poured a tremendous portion of his life into it. he created it, and i thank the gods he didnt take it to the grave with him in stubborn fashion. its a gift that he handed the keys over, and the best thing that could have happened. im so sick of the vilification of lucas, the man who brought us this incredible universe.

        enough already, the guys been beat to death since 99 and the internet dissent that has been spewed against him is so ludicrously over the top its insane. i wont argue some missteps or his shortcomings, that any human would have.

        he should be honored as the guy who created star wars and we should all be happy he handed it over for more generations to enjoy. there’d be NONE of this if not for the CREATOR.

        Hail Lucas. Amen 🙂

      • April 10, 2015 at 11:53 am
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        You have misconceptions.

      • April 10, 2015 at 12:09 pm
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        I simply cannot immagine a Star Wars movies without Lucas.

        People on this board like to tell themself stories about Disney, JJ, Lucas lost his touch, betrayed the fanbase.
        Bullshit!

        Star Wars is George Lucas.

        I do not care about JJ made up story, or D.C. designs if the Creator of the Saga is not behind that authorazing it.

        How Disney wasn’t able to understand it?

        Disney clearly wants more movies and more money, bigger audience.

        TFA enthusiasts good luck at you!

    • April 9, 2015 at 11:56 pm
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      I’m sorry. Lucas is the most important figure in this saga, no doubt about it, and keeps being a God for me, for his movies and achievements.

      Nonetheless, for me it’s far more important to have Kasdan on board than Lucas. You just have to rear the making of books pf the OT and find out how Kasdan put Lucas in the right direction in many ways.

      • April 10, 2015 at 12:33 pm
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        George Lucas is not a God…not even close.
        Worship of a mortal plaided or the sweater driven fashon of the aforementioned in particular who’s intentions in wearing such, inform all his alignment in garnering this self impossed uniform, especially in the choice of garbs to dress oneself in is not only frightening but illustrates that he is a follower. A Proletarian follower.
        And that you use the term GOD of anyone who could attempt to fiost others to believe a man who hire’s men that flicker images on a screen is a deity is ludicrous.
        Dude if George Lucas is your God, You are not a free thinker, and are a Slave…be sheepoled

        • April 14, 2015 at 11:28 pm
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          Well, I said he’s my God to prepare readers to what I was about to say. I just admire him a lot, I found him a very inspiring person, the same one that created something almost 40 years ago and you’re posting on it today.

          • April 15, 2015 at 12:36 pm
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            And he is not a god…posting again today.
            I like Lucas, yet he is no god.
            Do I agree with everything he is about?
            No, definitely do not.
            Posting here again on a Star Wars fan site.
            Lucas himself is a Love Hate issue with many.
            I can still love Star Wars which was created by many artists.
            I can also Hate much of the subliminally laced concepts in Star Wars as well.
            I don’t have to worship the fundamental essence of a Blog to respond in its comment section.
            Its about communication between people about a given subject, is it not?

    • April 10, 2015 at 7:56 pm
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      When you watch the making of TPM video where George raves, “Jar Jar is the key to all of this,” your faith in his mythos drops pretty dramatically.

      And his reaction after seeing the rough cut. He went off the deep end and he knew it.

      • April 21, 2015 at 3:11 pm
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        The statment that Jar Jar is key is in reference that Jar Jar gives Amidala the hope of an aliance that is needed to free her world. As we see in the sequal Jar Jar was also the person tricked into calling for the Republic army to be created and does so out of his loyalty to Palpatine. Jar Jar was goofy and is reviled by people who see pseudo-racism as a way to cover up their own racist beliefs. Lucas’ prequal trilogy told the story of how the galaxy got to where the original trilogy takes place. Was it expertly made, no but that does not change the fact that it tells a gripping story.

  • April 9, 2015 at 6:57 pm
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    I’m neutral to Chiang at the moment.
    I agree that the PT was a little too left-of-center, but it is a very striking aesthetic that trumps most other “Sci-fi” films of this era. Overall I think I like the PT aesthetic even though it’s not what I would consider a proper prelude to the OT. It’s a totally different animal, which brings me to the next point:

    It is important to differentiate the designer’s style from the client’s request.
    Lucas ASKED him to veer away from OT in every way possible, and he delivered.

    The question is where does his mission end and his method begin? How much of the PT’s not-ANH aesthetic is directly due to Chiang’s personal repertoire? And how much of it is due to Lucas’ request.
    We’re about to find out.

    I wonder what he’ll come up with now that they’ve asked him to turn a 180* and post-OT. As a creative type, I’m very interested to see what they’ve come up with.

    Personally I thought the Teaser was PERFECT in every way. The design I feel is definitely different, but I’m actually okay with it feeling like it’s made by a new set of film makers.

    Kind of like how I’m okay with the fact that Daniel Craig plays Bond completely differently than Sean Connery did 30 years ago.
    I’m cool with Star Wars’ Form evolving, as long as it doesn’t lose its Heart.

    I’m on the fence about Chiang, but if he put out the designs I saw in the Teaser, well, the guy’s got range. We’ll see how this plays out…

  • April 9, 2015 at 7:37 pm
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    I almost forgot that Doug Chiang was still alive….. from what you hear on these forums you’d think everything was being done by Ralphn McQuarrie.

  • April 9, 2015 at 7:51 pm
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    Doug Chiang helped GL to create a beautiful and immersive visual world in the PT which was a perfect compliment to, and set-up for the OT. I believe with Chiang’s imprint the visual transition from the OT to the ST will be equally as amazing.

    Thank you to those of you who don’t like the PT and yet don’t feel the need to bash it. I grew up on the OT in the 80s and have embraced the PT for being an equal part of everything that is Star Wars. It irritates me to no end to come to this site and other Star Wars fan sites and read the anti-PT tripe.

    • April 9, 2015 at 8:34 pm
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      The Prequels divided the fan base. It’s beyond silly to come to a Star Wars website and not expect some of the fans to criticize those films.

      • April 9, 2015 at 8:54 pm
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        Oddly enough, I see it differently. Star Wars, as with most other fictional creations, is meant to be an escape from the real world troubles we encounter in everyday life. A “fantasy” if you will.

        With all of the real life/real world issues to be negative about, I find it perverse to come to a site devoted to an entity which provides pure positive escapism from reality just to be negative about all or part of that entity.

        Just my two cents, obviously, YMMV.

        • April 9, 2015 at 9:07 pm
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          Just because Star Wars is an escape doesn’t mean it’s beyond criticism. Lucas taking full creative control over Star Wars is what caused it to move away from what so many of us loved about it in the first place.

          • April 9, 2015 at 9:49 pm
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            i think the point is the criticism has been hammered home a thousand times and then some. we all know the shortcomings, maybe we could all embrace that is good. im sick and tired of the endless pt and lucas bashing. yeah people have the right, but geez, enough criticism has been thrown at lucas to destroy an entire planet. yes we know, hes not perfect. yes, he writes campy dialogue.

            99% of the people leveling criticism at him couldnt possibly imagine what it took for him to get the movies created, couldnt imagine the heart and soul and time and energy poured into star wars.

          • April 10, 2015 at 12:10 am
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            I fully respect George Lucas, but I find overly stupid to have to come here to say how good is StarWars like this was a religion. To begin, if there’s no debate, why the heck are this forums about?
            And you even have the brilliant idea of telling people we are perverse for being critic with this films with all the problems out there. What a shame.

            Can I like Star Wars, have seen hours and hours of Lucas’ interviews, and be critic with the PT all at once?

            I do think who take it too serious is you, guys, comparing the ludic activity of posting in a fan site with the problems of this world.

          • April 11, 2015 at 5:18 am
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            What have you done to fix the problems of the world?

  • April 9, 2015 at 8:38 pm
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    I can accept moving on without Lucas and reserve opinion on that decision until we see how the new SW movies turn out.

    The fucked up thing Disney (or whoever) did in the beginning was putting out to the public that George would serve as a “creative consultant” moving forward. It’s quite obvious no one is consulting George about shit with the new SW (Chang’s comments prove this) and it was wrong to try and deceive fans into thinking that Lucas would be involved somehow. Of course, for those who wanted Lucas out, it’s great news.

    But, it’s time to move on and just hope the new SW is cool-ass. It’s not like Lucas would be around in decades to come anyway. Either way, the mf was going to eventually not be involved anymore either due to old age or death so wtf.

    • April 9, 2015 at 9:14 pm
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      A far as I’m concerned, they gave Lucas a fair chance with his treatments, but then they decided they weren’t good enough.

      Lucas loves being in full control anyway, so he’s better off retired.

  • April 9, 2015 at 9:25 pm
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    “We all think we know what it is, but really, Star Wars is George. George is the only person who really knows it very well. We’re all trying to create something in his playground, but it’s his playground.”

    Just because it’s his playground doesn’t automatically mean he knows it best. We’re talking about the same guy who divided the fan base with his “masterpiece” Prequel Trilogy.

    George created Star Wars but not on his own. He moved away from it by taking way too much creative control and making a bunch of poor decisions that resulted in mixed reactions. Meanwhile, Disney is returning to Star Wars’ roots by making them collaborative efforts and by doing them more like how the originals were made.

    Can’t wait to hear Chang’s comments when post-Lucas Star Wars blows the Prequels out of the water.

    • April 9, 2015 at 9:51 pm
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      bullshit. lucas damn well DOES know star wars best, he CREATED IT.

      • April 9, 2015 at 10:51 pm
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        He also created the Prequel Trilogy, which successfully divided the fan base.

        If Lucas’ Prequels were universally loved and Disney’s Sequels were the ones that had actually divided us, I would agree that Lucas knew best. He does not not. Disney was smart and brave enough to realize this. Rather than follow Lucas out of fear, they went their own way.

    • April 10, 2015 at 1:13 am
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      I’d wait to hear the ENTIRE world’s reaction to the ST before making such a bold statement.

      Until the films are actually out, there’s a risk that the ST might suck…yes, even more than the PT.

  • April 9, 2015 at 9:29 pm
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    Chiang is a genius, and his work on the PT is gorgeous as demonstrated in the “making of” books. His inclusion in this movie is one of few things that gives me confidence in it at this point.

  • April 10, 2015 at 12:15 am
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    So many expert film makers leaving their informed opinions here. If you really understand the craft that well, step up and lets see your contribution to the world of film.

    • April 10, 2015 at 4:45 am
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      No, it’s their job to please the audience. This audience is filled with people who know what they like and why.

      You don’t tell the patron to make their own sculpture. It’s the sculptor’s job to please the patron.

      • April 10, 2015 at 4:37 pm
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        Nonsense.

        NO artist who takes him/herself seriously could ever aim to please an audience. That’s impossible. You can only try to please yourself and hope for the best.

        We’re not talking about a specific customer requiring a specific creation here, as in your example with the sculpture. This is a product that will be aimed at millions. Good luck finding just 2 people who feel and think exactly the same way, let alone millions of them.

        You and I are the perfect example of this, as our views on this subject couldn’t be more polarizing if we tried, yet we’re both here, talking about SW, which I assume we both love.

        Creative work should NEVER be treated like mass production coming from an assembly line, even if/when you think you know what the audience likes and expects.

        • April 10, 2015 at 5:41 pm
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          Let’s be real here. The purpose of creating this movie is to make money; not vanity.

          If an artist or author wants to make money, he better know his audience. That’s what genre is all about. That’s what market research is all about. That’s why Lucas (While wanting to create a movie he wanted to see) also targeted Star Wars toward teenage males.

          Now granted you can’t hope to please everyone and that was not what I was saying in the least, but if you want the widest possible appeal as Disney sure does, you better consider your audience. Any Hollywood writer worth his salt will tell you that.

          • April 11, 2015 at 2:47 am
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            Yeah, let’s be real here.

            I’ve been doing artistic, creative work for a living for nearly 25 years. So as Yoda would say, my own counsel I will keep on what should/shouldn’t work here.

            Creative work has nothing to do with vanity. You do it because you love it. If you’re good, that’s when the money comes. You’re either born a sensitive, creative person, or you’re not. It’s as simple as that.

            Genre also has nothing to do with it. You write what you feel like writing, regardless on whether your work ends up labeled sci-fi, fantasy, or general fiction.

            In fact, SW could easily be said to be all these genres rolled into one. Guess SW is the reason why someone came up with the genre “space opera”, though I could be wrong on this.

            As for market research, unless your an indie, self-published author who has to do all of the work yourself, there’s a whole different department to take care of that for you.

            Your problem is that you’re looking at SW as if it were a box of cereal, lol. But that doesn’t mean this is how creativity works.

          • April 11, 2015 at 7:44 pm
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            I’m not going to get into a pissing contest with you about who has more cred on the subject of creativity and commercialism but suffice it to say that I too speak from a life of experience and decades of study on these matters.

            My first point is that you simply can’t argue against the fact that in the end, if the customer isn’t happy, you aren’t getting paid and this is what I was addressing in my initial post and why we have the right to express our opinions about artistry, film making and any other subject about a product someone is trying to sell us. And ultimately, yes, Star Wars is a product, so it’s more like the cereal IN the cereal box then the box it self which is more like the accompanying merchandizing.

            My second point, which you actually help make for me, is that this audience/customers, is filled with people who are creative types themselves and do know something about which they speak. Though, you, I kind of question that. (kidding…sort of)

          • April 14, 2015 at 3:23 pm
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            Ummmm… maybe it’s both?

            You create a film that’s true to yourself and your vision, within reason, while making sure it appeals to your target audience.

  • April 10, 2015 at 5:24 am
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    ‘I’m basically judging it by shapes and understanding.’ So… the opposite of Michael Bay.

  • April 10, 2015 at 5:44 am
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    i can’t wait to see TFA…i think that all of the SW movies are good in their own merit and i would agree Lucas does know his universe best…even if we don’t agree, it was his universe, not ours we were just along for the ride. that being said, as a life long fan (literally, i was born in 73) i agree with Mark Hamill, it’s just a movie after all, don’t get so worked up over it. in the end, it doesn’t matter: it’s not going to make you live forever, it cannot destroy your childhood OR all the things you first loved about SW, neither will ruin you future chance of running for president or whatever…it’s fun and inspiring, that’s all it was ever meant to be. there are way too many differing opinions to please everyone or probably anyone…remember your Jar Jar Binks was someone else’s Han Solo…

  • April 10, 2015 at 7:46 pm
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    The PT was a design fest, but very little was really memorable.

  • April 10, 2015 at 11:59 pm
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    Doug the man behind those dorky B 1 battle droids. ugh! I can’t stand his work. I can’t believe they brought him back.

    • April 11, 2015 at 5:21 am
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      He does extrodinary work, I can’t believe ushers leave you enter the theater.

      • April 14, 2015 at 3:17 pm
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        Fail.

  • April 14, 2015 at 3:15 pm
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    Please let it be Thursday, let it be 16th, let it be now….

  • April 14, 2015 at 3:24 pm
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    “And it’s a really tough task. After spending seven years with him, I thought I knew Star Wars. But George always surprises me.”

    Wow. Where does Chiang end and Lucas begin? -_-

  • April 14, 2015 at 3:41 pm
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    I have a bad feeling about this…… His designs were one of the main things i did not like about the PT. I know that everything had to be nicer and cleaner, because by the time the OT comes in the galaxy has been at war for a long time…so everything was beat to hell and back…the cleanliness was not my problem…my problem was that nothing looked like it fit in the star wars universe for me..Ralph’s designs were almost completely absent..and that bothered me. it looked like a TV version of star wars……. watching those films now….they look more dated than the OT…the cgi is hilarious.( in episiode 1 and 2 anyway) besides the lava scene, and the saber fight between windu and palpatine when they shatter the window, ROTS look pretty awesome still.

    • April 14, 2015 at 3:52 pm
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      Uh…. besides the lava scene?
      I tell you which greenscreen scenes failed in star wars: In episode II, when Obi-wan, Windu and Yoda walk on a hallway, and in episode VI, when Leia looks out of Jabba’s barge.

      • April 14, 2015 at 6:39 pm
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        i wasnt talking about the lava scene being the only one..i was talking about it being one of the main ones in Episode 3….learn how to read

  • April 14, 2015 at 5:34 pm
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    I have a feeling we are gonna see a new sleeker boba fett costume or maybe a even more worn out look. I just hope Luke and kylo ren look bad ass

  • April 14, 2015 at 7:15 pm
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    Age of Ultron world premiere last nite in LA. I assume no attached episode VII trailer?

  • April 15, 2015 at 12:01 am
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    Please, Please, beg Joe Johnston to come back.

  • April 15, 2015 at 1:28 am
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    I’m hoping he’s leaning heavily on the unused Ralph McQuarrie designs. That guy is pure Star Wars. That said, I liked some of the prequel designs–though these weren’t all designed by Doug. I liked Anakin’s pod racer, Jedi fighters, Darth Maul, Grievous, and most of Coruscant.

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