FiLm legend chapter 1 On a planet many galaxies away a farm boy begins an adventure of a lifetime He travels through space to save a rebel princess from an evil empire Aliens androids and mysterious Jedi knights help him battle an evil force This is the world of Star Wars one of the most successful film series of all time George Lucas is the mind behind these space films Lucas is a writer producer and director He wrote and directed the Star Wars series At the time the first film Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope earned more money in ticket sales than any other film in history Lucas’s work also influenced the way studios and viewers thought of movies The technology he used inspired the future of film production Following A New Hope big-budget films began to 4
Director George Lucas poses with two clone troopers from his Star Wars films Lucas’s series has made more than 4 billion dollars in ticket sales focus more on action Moviemakers and viewers alike were also more interested in special effects Lucas has won more than 40 film awards throughout his career Today he is known as a master storyteller and a leader in filmmaking But Lucas didn’t always want to make films As a child he had dreams of becoming a race car driver 5
CALIFORNIA RACER CHAPTER 2 George Walton Lucas Jr was born in Modesto California on May 14 1944 He was the only son of George Sr and Dorothy Lucas George Jr had three sisters Wendy Katherine and Ann The Lucases owned a walnut ranch They also owned an office supply store They raised their children in a small farming community outside Modesto George’s family sometimes took trips into town to see movies But they didn’t own a television until George was about ten years old George had many different hobbies as a child He spent much of his time reading and drawing He even thought about becoming an illustrator fast fact George especially loved reading history and adventure stories Several of his favorite books as a child were about sea adventure These included Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty 6
one day George also built things out of wood such as chess sets But most of all George dreamed of being a race car driver George was devoted to cars throughout his teenage years While attending Thomas Downey High School he took several auto mechanics courses He raced many of the cars he worked on One of these a little Italian car was a gift from his father But one terrible ride would steer George’s interests in a new direction George’s senior yearbook photo 7
