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"..secret to the future is quantity," Lucas said — Page 3

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Wow! I was surprised I was able to find the link, considering it was just saved in word:

msnbc

It's old, though ... Sept 15, 2004 I just remember looking it up AFTER I bought the boxset, wondering why I just purchased the SE versions. I didn't even give it a second thought that he wouldn't release the original theatrical versions.
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Originally posted by: Ozkeeper
Whilst some people strive for quality, Lucas strives for quantity. I'm surprised he admits it. That explains the PT just a little more.
What he said makes perfect sense, and they all do it. South Park is one of the few TV series today to still shoot half-hour length episodes... just about every new main TV series is an hour long - more quantity - I don't want to sit in front of the TV for a whole hour at a time! I want to sit down for half an hour, watch a complete show/episode ... do something else, and then maybe watch another show for half an hour. But nooo... I get a great choice of quantity or more quantity. It wouldn't surprise me if TV series began broadcasting 2hr long episodes (and not just 2hr long "specials" - but 2hr episodes every damn episode!)
Some were not blessed with brains.
<blockquote>Originally posted by: BadAssKeith

You are passing up on a great opportunity to makes lots of money,
make Lucas lose a lot of his money
and make him look bad to the entire world
and you could be well known and liked

None of us here like Lucas or Lucasfilm.
I have death wishes on Lucas and Macullum.
we could all probably get 10s of thousands of dollars!
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Originally posted by: Mike O
The 2006 DVD release of the OOT is not acceptable by the stards of the DVD industry, which Lucas himself helped to set.

When did Luca$h do that?
Don't you call me a mindless philosopher...!
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I just think he means Lucas has always set the high watermark of quality for a DVD release with his previous DVD releases.

Thanks for posting this. I remember reading it before, but I never did save it off.

One thing I would like to highlight about this is the point where Lucas says:
The thing about science-fiction fans and "Star Wars" fans is they're very independent-thinking people. They all think outside the box, but they all have very strong ideas about what should happen, and they think it should be their way. Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way.
To me this shows that Lucas, while stubborn about how he wants these movies to be, still respects the fans who disagree with his artistic choices.

I see so many of us cursing Lucas, but he is always very gracious when it comes to difference of opinion regarding matters of personal taste.
Your focus determines your reality.
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The "quanity issue" Lucas brought up in the Variety article has nothing to do with sacrificing quality. It's all about, as he says, spending 200 million on 50 or 60 small projects instead of one feature, length film. It makes perfect business sense, FOR LUCASFILM. That's the key to the article. Because of the size of the company, it makes perfect sense to go small. He doesn't have countless catelog titles to sell on DVD like the studios have. He has one major one, Star Wars. His other is Indiana Jones that he has to share with Spielberg. That's all Lucasfilm has.

Plus, out of those 50 or 60 projects, you'll likely get at least 5 to 10 quality projects out of it, just like the industry is today. From year to year, we may get 20 really great quality films out of 200 films released in a year.

What I don't like about the article, eventhough he's probably going to be right, is the move to VOD and downloadable media. It seems he's very high on that and the industry seems to be wanting that as well, even with birth of HD media. And most of that has to do with controlling the product because of piracy. I can understand that but I just prefer to get the hard media every Tuesday that we're accustom too. I don't want there to be a day were I have to wait 30 minutes to an hour to download a film on to a hard drive....and I haven't even talked about the quality issues with going this route.





Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader.

-Yoda; Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
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Originally posted by: Jumpman
What I don't like about the article, eventhough he's probably going to be right, is the move to VOD and downloadable media. It seems he's very high on that and the industry seems to be wanting that as well, even with birth of HD media. And most of that has to do with controlling the product because of piracy. I can understand that but I just prefer to get the hard media every Tuesday that we're accustom too. I don't want there to be a day were I have to wait 30 minutes to an hour to download a film on to a hard drive....and I haven't even talked about the quality issues with going this route.


As long as the media companies keep getting their hands into it, VOD and downloadable media isn't going to go anywhere. People have been talking about VOD for 10 years now and it's just now starting to show up. It's still very limited right now and usually only available for things like TV shows and a few limited movies that still have to be paid for. Downloadable media has the problem that people don't want to watch a video on their computer and they don't want to wait 2 hours for a movie to download (it's quicker to run to the store or rental place). They want to watch the newest release, now, with little to no restriction. No "watch it within 72 hours", "you can only watch it once", or "you must use media player x in order to view this". This is why Netflix has been so successful. They send you a movie, you watch it when you want and as many times as you want, and then you send it back when you're done. If Netflix is ever able to get into the broadband business and get movies to you over your cable or satellite, it's game over for the media companies. And that's why it won't happen anytime soon.

VOD and downloadable media are a long way off. Everytime a new one comes up that seems promising (downloadable DVDs anyone?) some type of restriction keeps people from wanting to use it (you can't copy them and other things). Trust me, if you have kids, the ability to copy a DVD is a must. Personally, I'd be willing to pay between $3 and $5 for a DVD I can download, burn to a disc, and watch anywhere. I might even be willing to go as high as $10. I most certainly will not pay $20 for downloadable content. It isn't costing the studio any money to package it or ship it to stores, so I see no reason why I should still have to pay top dollar for it. Maybe if it included a coupon for a free copy of the movie from the store, but that's about it. Most of the downloadable content is protected anyway, so you'd be paying $20 for less rights then if you go to the store and buy it there. Sorry, not going to do it.
F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.
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Originally posted by: lordjedi
VOD and downloadable media are a long way off.
Really? I know for a fact that Foxtel and Sky are both developing the ability for their set top boxes to download episodes and movies directly from the satelite to save to the STU, and then view - at any time. I think that the technology will pay off, because it enables you to sit down at the TV, and beam down the show you want to watch when nothing's on. It's a great idea, and it will work. From what I've heard, they both plan to release this technology within the next few years.
Some were not blessed with brains.
<blockquote>Originally posted by: BadAssKeith

You are passing up on a great opportunity to makes lots of money,
make Lucas lose a lot of his money
and make him look bad to the entire world
and you could be well known and liked

None of us here like Lucas or Lucasfilm.
I have death wishes on Lucas and Macullum.
we could all probably get 10s of thousands of dollars!
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Originally posted by: boris
Originally posted by: lordjedi
VOD and downloadable media are a long way off.
Really? I know for a fact that Foxtel and Sky are both developing the ability for their set top boxes to download episodes and movies directly from the satelite to save to the STU, and then view - at any time. I think that the technology will pay off, because it enables you to sit down at the TV, and beam down the show you want to watch when nothing's on. It's a great idea, and it will work. From what I've heard, they both plan to release this technology within the next few years.


Really? Here in the states, anything that's pulled into your cable or satellite box has a time limit on it (watch it within 3 days or can only be watched 3 times or whatever). What you describe sounds like it would pay off, as long as they have every movie currently available on DVD, including all the new releases. A lot of times cable and satellite companies have only a limited selection, at least here in the states, so you have to wait until they have what you want in order to watch it with VOD or, once again, go out to the store and buy/rent it.

What I described is a long way off here in the states because the media companies keep getting involved by making demands on how, when, and for how long people will be able to watch the episodes or movies. Even now, episodes like Prison Break are available to watch online at the same time the episode airs, but I'd rather be watching Prison Break on my 50" tv than my 17" LCD monitor. And I'd personally rather watch Prison Break (or whatever tv show) when I want, so I record it to my DVR, but that's not VOD or downloadable, that's simply time shifting.
F Scale score - 3.3333333333333335

You are disciplined but tolerant; a true American.

Pissing off Rob since August 2007.
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I just find it funny or a big coincidence that Sir George made 3 blockbusters in the last 7 years, and only now is he proclaiming that movies are dying and TV is the medium of the future. Could it be cause SW will have TV shows in the future instead of movies to cash in for the zillionth time?

Whatever happened to digital technology you were pushing with AOTC & ROTS George? If that was such a big deal, then why are movies dying out now?

In some ways I agree with Lucas that the big budget movies are overbloated, but I think the PT movies were the same, but they just had the SW name to ensure big boxoffice returns. As always, Lucas is just putting his finger in the wind on what suits him best in 2006, and whenever he speaks anymore I never know if he is being honest or political.
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He has been fortelling the death of the big budget blockbuster for years now.

His rush in to develop digital technology was done to make it possible for people to make entertainment without as much cost. It cost him a ton to do it, but as that technology he helped develop matures, it will keep getting cheaper and cheaper until you can make a movie without the huge investment risk.

Digital distribution means being able to sell your content without investing a whole lot in distribution. Film makers will no longer need the big bucks from the movie bosses to do that, cutting them out of the picture. That's what Lucas has been trying to do all along is taking the creative decisions away from the bean counters and giving it back to the creators.

He's not talking quantity over quality, he's talking about making it easier to acheive quality for less money.

And for those of you who think Lucas isn't capable of quality himself, these technologies he helped develop are helping everyone make movies with less money up front.

This investment in USC is money he is putting into other people's potential creativity, not his own.
Your focus determines your reality.
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I think a very telling part of that '04 interview is this:

"I wanted to actually finish the film the way it was meant to be when I was originally doing it. At the beginning, people went, “Don’t you like it?” I said, “Well, the film only came out to be 25 or 30 percent of what I wanted it to be.” They said, “What are you talking about?” So finally, I stopped saying that, but if you read any interviews for about an eight- or nine-year period there, it was all about how disappointed I was and how unhappy I was and what a dismal experience it was. You know, it’s too bad you need to get kind of half a job done and never get to finish it. So this was my chance to finish it."

He never liked the movies most everyone else liked.
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Okay. So when's Scruffy going to come back and explain this Lando erection thing?

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

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Originally posted by: lord3vil
Originally posted by: Seiji

Q: Why not release both the originals and special editions on DVD?

LUCAS: The special edition, that's the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it's on VHS, if anybody wants it. ...
I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore. It's like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I'm sorry you saw half a completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be.

Thanks for posting this, Seiji! It's interesting to see a quote of Lucas stating his opinion on this matter as openly and explicitly as this. It's my opinion that we'll probably see the OOT again at some point, since the article illustrates pretty well that Lucas will change his mind and set plans if he can be convinced that doing so will make an investment worth it, or worth more, in terms of sales. I do wonder though, what is the source of this information?

That's an older article. And Lucas states very explicitly in it that his reason for releasing the OT was a changing market and demand (people paying for bootlegs of the version they want), so there's no reason to think that he won't do it again. Remember his MTV comments: "Now we'll find out wherer people really wanted the originals or whether they wanted the improved versions. It will all come out in the end." I think that this is very much about marketing.

I'm not going to spend the, we're talking millions of dollars here, the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn't really exist anymore


It wouldn't cost that much. There's got to be something else going on here. The MTV interview also makes it seem like Lucas is extremely bitter about the reaction to the SEs.

Which is fine, except I'm making the movies, so I should have it my way.


Which is all good and well, but what about the other people who worked on the movies?

I WONDER HOW LUCAS WOULD FEEL IF SOMEONE COLORIZED HIS FAVORITE FLASH GORDON SERIALS BECAUSE OF HIS "ORIGINAL VISION."

He never liked the movies most everyone else liked.


Which may well ahve been becasue they were not entirely what he wanted. He didn't direct two and had many concessions forced upon him (evidently) for the original, and I think that he wanted the saga to be all his, as opposed to a collaboration.

Of course, I initially became angry reading that article, but I do sort of see Lucas's point. What I have a problem with is him being such a stubborn fellow about what does, and insulting his fans. Still, this release shows that things are changing, so maybe he is too.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
Okay. So when's Scruffy going to come back and explain this Lando erection thing?


Yes, I too am curious!

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Okay. So when's Scruffy going to come back and explain this Lando erection thing?

Yes, I too am curious!


I'm not sure how you guys could miss it. There's a huge erection towering over Bespin. Lando owns it and calls it Cloud City. They CGIed in some windows and things.
"It's the stoned movie you don't have to be stoned for." -- Tom Shales on Star Wars
Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived.
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I don't know MikeO, I have Lucas saying it would cost millions, and you saying it wouldn't. How would we know how much it would cost to restore one of Lucas's well worn prints? Maybe they are so far gone that it would take the kind of power he used on the 2004 SE cleanup process. That did cost millions of dollars.

And he's not insulting the fans, he says flat out that they think outside of the box and are very creative. He seems to respect that.

I think if the original creators of the Flash Gordon serials were around to say "I really wish I could have done this on color" then I think Lucas would be all for it. To him it's about artist's rights.

He spoke out about colorizing the 3 stooges at one point, but in that case it was someone other than the original creators altering it.

As far as the other people who worked on it for Lucas, Lucas paid them for those contributions.

It's all on the up and up.
Your focus determines your reality.
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I don't know MikeO, I have Lucas saying it would cost millions, and you saying it wouldn't. How would we know how much it would cost to restore one of Lucas's well worn prints? Maybe they are so far gone that it would take the kind of power he used on the 2004 SE cleanup process. That did cost millions of dollars.

Lucas wouldn't have to use one of his well worn prints, there are some around, and in any case, it would be a worth it standpoint from a business standpoint because of the people who would buy it, as well as the respect it would show. What he should do is restore the original, transfer it, make a copy, and then add the SE stuff to make everybody happy. The point is that he won't do it, not that he can't. Lucasfilm have the money to burn. That's not that much to them, and the 2004 DVD were very poorly restored in places, IMO. This isn't about money. It's about what Lucas wants.

See, the problem is that none of us know what is in the Lucasfilm archives. The LD master seems like an attempt to do the least amount of work and spend the least amount of money possible to release a product for which there is a great deal more demand.

And he's not insulting the fans, he says flat out that they think outside of the box and are very creative. He seems to respect that.

Yes, but his answer is "oh well." He just wants people to say "oh, okay," to the changes. If he really did care, he'd respect both versions and solve the problem. He's basically saying "They're enititled to think whatever they want, but if they don't like it, that just too *&^% bad, because I say it should be a certain way, and what I say goes." Lucas is saying that he respects what people thingk, he just doesn't care, just that he respects them for thinking it. Here's what it comes down to: both versions. Everybody's happy. Lucas won't allow it. He's basically saying that they don't matter at all. "Yeah, the fans have an opinion. That's nice. I know that they're the reason I'm a billionare and all, but you know what? I don't care. I want it a certain way and anybody who disagrees with me is wrong. They're independent and think outside the box, which means that they disagree with me, so it want it stop."

If the SEs are so much better, why doesn't Lucas put his money where his mouth is and release both versions and allow us to see for ourselves? The answer is simple: many, many people prefer the originals and think that they are better. Lucas want to ensure that no one can see them and ergo no one can prefer them.

As far as the other people who worked on it for Lucas, Lucas paid them for those contributions.


So that means that they have no say? I'm not disputing his authority, but if what he is saying is true then he shouldn't be able to touch ESB or ROTJ becasue he didn't direct them. What's wrong is that he is completely overwriting their work and saying that it no longer exists because it doesn't represet what he wanted. It's not all about him. Not to say that the film isn't primarily his, because it is, but without the contirubtions of those dedicated individuals, it would be nothing, and by saying that their work no longer exists because he doesn't like, he is insulting them.

I think if the original creators of the Flash Gordon serials were around to say "I really wish I could have done this on color" then I think Lucas would be all for it. To him it's about artist's rights.


Really? There used to be a quote on this website of Lucas saying that he wanted to speak out against the colorization of black and white films. If the creators tried to attempt to burn every copy of the original negatives, painted over every frame with CG, and colorized it, I bet Lucas would want to save it. Lets see how much he would like someone trying to ruin his childhood.

I respect Lucas, I just want to agree to disagree, and with the OOT, I can't. I respect his opinion, I just want him to respect mine.

Again, I apologize about before. My action were uncalled for. Sorry.

See, here is where there is the ultimate problem. I AM IN NO WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION ADVOCATING BOOTLEGS. I DO NOT OWN ANY, NOR WILL I EVER, AND I ENCOURAGE NO ONE TO PURCHASE THEM FOR ANY REASON. That being said, the reason that this version is being bootlegged is because Lucas will not let people buy it. If it doesn't exist, then Lucas can't have this both ways. It may not exist to him, but I don't think that he grasps the incredible meaning that it has to so many people. And I think the battle will rage and worsen now, until Lucas gives up proper release of the OOT, which we know he of course will eventually. But I think that he created this problem, and is blaming the fans by saying that they won't accept his vision. But I guess time will tell what will happen.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death