Posted by April MacIntyre Apr 18, 2010, 18:12 GMT
Gazillionaire George Lucas, a Modesto, California native, is not resting on his laurels somewhere on his own private island or throwing annual balls to fête the rich and fabulous.
California Hall of Fame inductee filmmaker George Lucas (L) and Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) pose on the red carpet before the induction ceremony for The California Museum's 'California Hall of Fame' in Sacramento, California, USA, 01 December 2009. Thirteen Californians have been inducted to the Hall of Fame including technology innovator Andrew S. Grove, filmmaker George Lucas, entertainer Carol Burnett and US Air Force Gen. Chuck Yeager. EPA/PETER DASILVA .
Lucas is continuously giving back to the community and to children via many charities he funds.
Back in the 1960s, the USC grad won a scholarship from Warner Brothers awarded him a scholarship to which lef the lucky Lucas to becoming Coppola's assistant on The Rain People.
Together Lucas and Coppola founded American Zoetrope in 1969, as the two filmmakers left SoCal and moved to Northern California. In 1971, Coppola went into production for The Godfather, and Lucas formed his own company, Lucasfilm Ltd.
Several years later, Lucas wrote and directed Star Wars -- a film which broke all box office records and earned seven Academy Awards. Lucas penned more stories for The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi, which he also executive-produced.
In 1980, he was the executive producer of Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg, which won five Academy Awards. He was also the co-executive producer and creator of the story for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.In the mid-1980s, Lucas built Skywalker Ranch, a facility custom-designed by Lucas to accommodate the creative, technical, and administrative needs of his companies. Skywalker Ranch includes a 150,000-square-foot post production and music recording facility as well as offices used for the research and development of new technologies in editing, audio, and multimedia. The Ranch, named after the Star Wars character Luke Skywalker, was completed in 1985.
In 1986, Lucas executive-produced Disneyland's 3-D musical space adventure Captain Eo, which was directed by Francis Coppola and starred Michael Jackson. Captain Eo was shown in a theater uniquely designed by Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic, and Disney for the 17-minute spectacular. He was also the creator of Star Tours, combining the technology of a flight simulator with ILM special effects -- making it the most popular attraction at Disneyland.
The company established by George Lucas in 1971 has today evolved into three entities. Lucas Digital Ltd. encompasses Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound, the award-winning visual effects,television commercial production, and audio post-production businesses. ILM has played a key role in over half of the top 15 box office hits of all time, and was honored in 1994 with an Academy Award for its achievements in Forrest Gump, which marked a technological breakthrough for the film industry.
LucasArts Entertainment Company is a leading international developer and publisher of entertainment software, having won critical acclaim with more than 100 industry awards for excellence, consistently charting in top ten lists of best selling software.
Lucasfilm Ltd. includes all of Lucas's feature film and television production and the business activities of Licensing and the The THX Group. The THX division was created to define and maintain the highest quality standards in motion picture theaters and home theater systems.
Additionally, George Lucas serves as Chairman of the Board of The George Lucas Educational Foundation, a tax-exempt charitable organization devoted to realizing the vision of a technology-enriched educational system of the future.
In 1992, after numerous awards, George Lucas was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
After a series of premiere screenings that raised $5.6 million for charity, the long-awaited first chapter in the Star Wars saga, The Phantom Menace opened in 1999, to record-breaking business across North America. It demolished the opening weekend box office records in 28 countries and ended the year with worldwide ticket sales of $922 million, making it the second-highest grossing film ever released. Subsequent chapters in the Star Wars saga, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith, premiered in 2002 and 2005. Revenge of the Sith surpassed all previous box office records for a single day, for opening day, and for first weekend, taking in an estimated $303.2 million worldwide in its first four days.
Lucas is passionate about education and is one of the most giving entertainment moguls around. Lucas says, "Public education is the foundation of our democracy -- the stepping-stones for our youth to reach their full potential. My own experience in public school was quite frustrating. I was often bored. Occasionally, I had a teacher who engaged my curiosity and motivated me to learn. Those were the teachers I really loved. I wondered, 'Why can't school be engaging all of the time?' As a father, I've felt the imperative to transform schooling even more urgently."
Not just education, but children's charities that aid the critically ill are also Lucas' passions.
Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Lucasfilm Ltd. is launching a year-long campaign to raise much-needed funds for a brave alliance of worthy charities.
Leveraging Empire’s popularity with fans, the goal is to channel the Force in support of a series of charitable events and activities – and to give back to the community that has helped Star Wars remain so popular for more than three decades.
Among the charities to benefit from the year-long Empire Gives Back campaign are St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Education Outreach at Chicago’s Field Museum and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Star Wars has received such an amazing show of love and support throughout the years, from fans all over the world,” said Mich Chau, President and Chief Operating Officer, Lucasfilm Ltd. “This anniversary gives us a wonderful opportunity to give back to our fans, and to work with some truly worthy organizations in a combined effort to support those in need.”
Activities include:
Los Angeles red carpet screening to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research HospitalFeaturing an exclusive Q&A with Harrison Ford, this one-night-only digital screening of The Empire Strikes Back is presented by Junk Food ClothingTo be held at Hollywood’s Arclight Cinema at 7:00pm on Wednesday, May 19
Chicago screenings to benefit Education Outreach Programs at The Field MuseumFour digital screenings to be held at The Field Museum’s Ernst & Young TheaterFriday, May 7 at 3:00pmSaturday, May 8 at 3:00pm, 7:00pm and 10:30pmTicket Info: fieldmuseum.org or 312-665-7400
The 501st Legion’s TK Project to benefit the Make-A-Wish FoundationMore than 50 contributing artists – including Star Wars actors, underground artists, celebrities and fans – will design and customize classic Star Wars stormtrooper helmetsEntries to be auctioned through Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., from Aug. 12-15For more information, visit www.starwarscelebration.com
The Empire Skates Back to benefit the Make-A-Wish FoundationSimilar to the TK Project, more than 30 contributing artists will customize and design skateboard decks to reflect themes of The Empire Strikes BackEntries to be auctioned through Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., from Aug. 12-15For more information, visit www.starwarscelebration.comAdditional programs will be announced throughout the year on StarWars.com
Originally released on May 21, 1980, "The Empire Strikes Back" is a solid fan favorite among the six chapters of the Star Wars Saga.
Expanding the canvas of the “galaxy far, far away,” the film enchanted audiences with its sprawling story, its mix of returning and new characters (including Jedi Master Yoda, bounty hunter Boba Fett and charming scoundrel Lando Calrissian), its pioneering special effects and, of course, Darth Vader’s now-legendary climactic revelation.
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