According to George Lucas in the book The Star Wars Archivesby Paul Duncan, the first sketch of Star Wars it was a short call Breakout. What would later become a vast expanded universe began as a barely six-page script about space travel with no return. It was an argument that the future director and screenwriter had started writing without knowing if he would ever make it to the movies.
Finally, it was shot with the name Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB in 1967. In just 15 minutes, the young filmmaker showed his interest in the use of technology on the big screen. The plot told how the robot THX 1138 4EB he tried to escape from his creators until he succeeded. However, the ending was pessimistic and hinted at the existence of a totalitarian system that violently controlled all forms of life under its command.
At the time, George Lucas was a film student at the University of Southern California. At just 23 years old, he was already working on what would be his best-known work and part of cinema history. the saga Star Warsas it is known today, began to be written in parallel to the premiere of his first feature film.
The first story of a galaxy far, far away
His draft already told of a hero facing off against a ruthless galactic empire, and focused on hope, honor, and loyalty. But the most striking thing was that he explored his characters as beings that inhabited a universe full of life, cultures and traditions.
The director did an almost anthropological job and gave names, places and context to all the figures he imagined, which was included in the initial script of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. But, especially, it gave way to a whole new way of telling fantastic plots.
Until then, the genre was considered of B-series and it did not have a great repercussion of audiences. But the thoroughness with which George Lucas imagined his universe would forever change the perception of cinema about unrealistic settings, science fiction and its value as a cultural legacy.
Star Wars revolutionized the way of making movies
The first complete script of Star Wars it was 200 pages long and covered much of the detail on which the original trilogy would be based. Upon completion, George Lucas began looking into the possibility of shooting with a large studio. However, he had trouble getting it.
The production was an atypical fantasy closer to drama than pure entertainment. Which caused several executives to recommend cutting some unnecessary characters and settings. In addition, it was a project that would entail a million-dollar investment and a lot of risk.
Finally, he convinced the studio 20th Century Fox to finance production. Following the director’s success with American Graffiti (1973), and prior to the start of filming, he was tempted to ask for more money for his work as a director. Ultimately, he elected to stay at $150,000, but negotiated to retain control and ownership of any merchandising related to the film. Toys, later novelizations, accessories, collectibles and all kinds of merchandising.
A section that caused surprise in the industry, but which turned out to be the beginning of an expanded universe that went beyond the big screen. The possibility of creating products related to the saga was a novel way of mixing cinema and advertising. An element that would distinguish Star Wars from the beginning.
A technical section that would make history
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope it had a budget of 11 million dollars, a high sum for the time. Most of it was spent on the special effects that would make the original trilogy famous. But George Lucas not only innovated in the visual section. He also managed to integrate a sophisticated plot in a world where technology played a leading role, without being the center of the conflict.
For the director, the realism of all the details of the film was important. For the ships and space vehicles he used scale models and miniatures, built from plaster and plastic. The models were filmed in motion against hand-painted backgrounds or blue screens, allowing the team to create the impression of actual movement.
The funds produced from the technique of matte paint surprised by their ability to imitate believable environments. The landscapes were made by hand on transparent glass or canvas to be later combined with foreground elements. This allowed the illusion of a gigantic environment, despite the small size of the filmed objects.
Even the sound section of the first Star Wars movie was pioneering by generating mixes between unusual acoustic effects and music tracks. As a curious fact, the sound of the pistols and lightsabers was generated by a combination of metallic echoes superimposed on the vibration of steel blades hit by gusts of air. The result was the iconic sound that is some of the franchise’s most recognizable characteristics.
Star Wars, an increasingly extensive saga
What is known today as the Star Wars Expanded Universe It started almost by chance. The writer Alan Dean Foster had participated in creating the sketch of the trilogy. In roundtable discussions and continual revisions, he envisioned a story that took place right after the Episode IV – A New Hope. However, among the extensive corrections that the source material underwent, a certain mythical plot twist was discarded.
But, after the success of the first film, the author recovered his original idea and wrote the book The mind’s eye. The novel, which began immediately after what was narrated in the feature film, added unpublished information. Which included the adventures of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in the planet mimban. It was the first piece of what would later become a vast literary world, essential to understanding Star Wars as a mass phenomenon.
The book is not considered part of the core canon, but it became the start of a series of off-screen tales that completed the franchise’s mythology. from the novels thrawn by Timothy Zahn, who analyze the figure of the evil one Grand Admiral Thrawnto the videogames and role-playing experiences that make up Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The George Lucas saga has become a world in constant growth. He has undergone an unstoppable evolution that has led him to influence all forms of entertainment.