The most frustrating thing about the PT is how it was ruined by George's midlife crisis. The man hadn't directed anything in two decades (with the possible exception of some Young Indy episodes) and then, all of a sudden, he just jumps right back into the director's chair for the most anticipated movie of all time. He should've realized his own limits. Obviously he stayed a filmmaker following Star Wars, not a director but a producer and an idea man (Indy, Labyrinth, Howard the Duck, Willow, etc) and that's how he should've stayed! The prequels should've been made like Empire was: Lucas writes the story (and writes the checks) but other people write the screenplay and direct.
"Unfortunately we have a creator who accepted help from others to cover up his flaws as a storyteller then forgot that he needed that help."
Couldn't have said it better myself, sexyloser.
It's worth pointing out that some key crew members from Young Indy and Radioland Murders (McCallum, Tattersall, Bocquet) carried over to the Prequels. Bocquet was at least one of the handful of people who'd worked on the OT (Jedi). Aside from Williams and Burtt (and Muren for TPM and AOTC), I can't think of anyone else from the OT who carried over.
The collaborative spirit made the OT. That's the ironic thing about Lucas, he failed to see it. He wanted to cut out everyone and everything that was getting in the way of his "vision." First thing you hear him say on the TPM documentary is how he thinks the auteur theory really is true. Well, okay George, but you didn't direct Empire and you only sorta directed Jedi. As for Star Wars '77, well, he certainly deserves all the credit in the world for powering through that literal heart attack of an experience, but that's what made him say "y'know what, I'm done being a director" and that's how it should've stayed.
Lucas fought so hard for control that once he gained that control he didn't want to give it up. Why go through the trouble and inconvenience of dealing with screenwriters and directors when he could afford to just do it all himself?