The Secret History of Star Wars — Page 9

Actually, one thing I discovered was the whole divorce=TOD thing doesn't work. Lucas got divorced after TOD had been filmed--let alone written! He was flying to the set in Sri Lanka while Marcia was editing ROTJ in the spring of 1983. The shooting script was locked by April 18, 1983, when cameras started rolling on the bridge scene, with Lucas there manning the B-camera--whereas the divorce wasn't even announced until June, and then didn't get rolling legally until some time after. In fact, TOD may have even caused the divorce, rather than the other way around--Lucas at this time was swearing that ROTJ would be his last film and that he would finally settle down and be a family man, yet here he is jetting around the world to south Asia making another Indiana Jones film before Jedi is even done cutting! It very well could have been a deal-sealer, knowing it would continue to be made into 1984; Lucas once again was saying one thing but then doing the complete opposite.

The violent tone probably does reflect the unsettled state of mind Lucas was in at the time though, due to his marriage about to unravel and his general unpleasantness about the direction his life had headed in. But I think the link between his divorce and TOD is overstated by him. He probably just associates them because the divorce occurred at the time the film was being made, but the dark tone and violence of TOD was decided as far back as 1982 when the script was first written, and it was already committed to celluloid when the divorce finally was decided.

So I finally did a small update today. No real new content, but it is on its way.

One thing I did do was create a Facebook page. The idea was suggested before and I didn't see the point, but everyone is doing this now so why not. Any "like"'s are appreciated: http://www.facebook.com/secrethistoryofstarwars

Also, I'm thinking of re-designing the website, to be a bit more interesting to look at. I'm not sure how I feel about using official pictures since I am making money off a product on the site, and Lucasfilm have so far left me alone. But I feel like there should be something a bit more eye-catching. Any thoughts?

If they would hassle you over official pictures, you could use "public" historical stuff, like the famous picture of Grauman's Chinese in '77, stuff like that? 

I doubt that would stop a lawyer from pursuing the cease-and-desist case he had filed against me.

EDIT:

The "public" pictures like the theater photos are a safer bet, but at the same time whoever took those could sue the exact same way. Maybe Lucasfilm owns some of those too. There are some photo archives you can use though, for a subscription price.

It's McQuarrie intellectual property, because he made it. But it's the copyright of Lucasfilm, because they paid for it. That's my understanding of how that works. I may look into that though.

zombie84 wrote: It's McQuarrie intellectual property, because he made it. But it's the copyright of Lucasfilm, because they paid for it. That's my understanding of how that works. I may look into that though.

Anchorhead wrote:

All original content of this site, both graphical and textual, is the intellectual property of Ralph McQuarrie, www.ralphmcquarrie.com, and Dreams and Visions Press unless otherwise indicated.

Perhaps some of the early concept artwork isn't owned by Lucas.

I've got one of the RMQ D&V books and the cover page has a list of copyright clauses.  Each SW movie has their own which are 'All rights reserved.  Used under authorization.' etc.  So you'll have to ask LFL, most likely.  Reaching out to them at this point might be good thing to do anyway.  Post BD, new management on the way in, see where you stand.  (if that's even possible to figure out, and the reshuffling doesn't affect the books division...)

zombie84 wrote: I'm thinking of re-designing the website, to be a bit more interesting to look at.  I feel like there should be something a bit more eye-catching.

Not sure on the eye-catching, most people go there to read.  (which is clean and easy as it is)  Link the revised book cover and the new website design.  Maybe there's a fancy font which can be a link, like how they often do with the first word of a chapter.  Maybe use/mimick some of GL's handwriting from those yellow script pages.  Or you're own, it's your book.

One place to start redesigning is to collect places you appreciate, find easy to read, find easy to navigate, etc.  and those can be ideas which to start a redesign.  Otherwise 'blink' is eye-catching.  (but not holding)

You know I'm thinking more about this...

My main concern was that I do financially benefit from the site, indirectly, through promoting my book. I don't make much money, but I do make a bit of money as a result of the site's existance,  through book sales. That was my concern why there may be legal trouble.

But I'm thinking about all the major SW websites--rebelscum, TF.N...they must make money through ads and stuff. I know TF.N makes pretty decent cash, it is some people's fulltime jobs. There are also Youtube channels--I know one guy who runs a Youtube channel featuring SW related things and he bought a house with the revenue.

Do these people have inside deals to get permission? rebelscum is affiliated with TFN, and it wouldn't surprise me if they both have permission directly from LFL. But I'm wondering now how much Lucasfilm actually enforces any of this.

On the plus side, I whipped up a decent new article for the site in about an hour! A new record. I won't be posting it for a few more days, until more people see the new announcement.

Sneak preview: http://secrethistoryofstarwars.com/sisterthatneverwas.html

This site makes money off Star Wars too.

zombie84's article wrote: As far as I am aware, this has never really been reported anywhere

May want to remove this line as there are multiple blogs from around when the script leaked which did mention it.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Nellith+%22star+wars%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

If you want a line like this you could point out that wookieepedia has no Nellith entry: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/index.php?search=nellith&fulltext=Search

typo:

The idea was that Luke's father had twin children and took one of them an an uncle and the second one to the other side of the universe so that if one was killed, another would survive.

I know one guy who runs a Youtube channel featuring SW related things and he bought a house with the revenue.

What channel is that?

My guess with websites and advertising is they put them up first.  Doubt LFL questions many fan sites, too many not enough time.  I agree with msycamore that without ads gives the air of the website's purpose being a scholarly exploit.  But you gotta do what you gotta do.  The overall design has a column which most sites would fill with money making opportunities.  For example:

Comparing advertising schemes: http://starwarz.com/starkiller/

Yes there are a few articles but for the most part the site is just publishing the scripts, and they've got ads.  They're not supper intrusive, as they're buried below the fold, under site navigation.

none said:

What channel is that?

 

Star Wars Appentice Facts. The guy has a bunch of other channels, and that's where he made most of his money, but now he's doing a SW trivia series.

My guess with websites and advertising is they put them up first.  Doubt LFL questions many fan sites, too many not enough time.  I agree with msycamore that without ads gives the air of the website's purpose being a scholarly exploit.  But you gotta do what you gotta do.  The overall design has a column which most sites would fill with money making opportunities.  For example:

Comparing advertising schemes: http://starwarz.com/starkiller/

Yes there are a few articles but for the most part the site is just publishing the scripts, and they've got ads.  They're not supper intrusive, as they're buried below the fold, under site navigation.

Yeah. I guess the difference is that revenue is made in a subtle, not obvious way (e.g. people see an add, you make a few cents). Whereas I'm sort of saying "BUY this book!" I mean, I'm not saying that, but certainly it could come across that way. Let me put it this way: the reason the book's cover is a stock photo from NASA is because we couldn't legally use characters or images from Lucasfilm. I guess I still see the website as an extension of the book--it was originally built for the sole purpose of hosting it--even though it's now become its own thing.

zombie84 wrote: Star Wars Appentice Facts. The guy has a bunch of other channels, and that's where he made most of his money, but now he's doing a SW trivia series.

I see he's following the 1 second rule with all his screen caps...

One way to use identifying material is to do a massive collage, as if you're work space floor had all your research laying about.  or like in police dramas where they post pics and make connections.  If all the identifying stuff is three quarters unseen, will the really get that excited.  The books already had one round of publishing.  If they did go after you with this second pressing, well they can come up with any reason even if they could have used the logic before.  In the world of audio art, several albums have been squashed due to cover art, when the real problem was the perception of the audio collage.  So it's been done before, make something which will draw attention, get the work squelched, then a third party makes a killing on ebay.

I guess i'm unclear on these ads.  Are you looking to put ads into the google system, which show up on other people's websites?  You've already got links from your site to the publishers store.  You're very much in the unauthorized biography category, and there's plenty of precedent to back up your venture.  How do unauthorized bio's get their cover person onto the books cover?

They get permission from the photographer usually, or whomever owns the copyrights. There are a lot of photo archives you can have access to for a fee for use for stuff like this and magazines.

I'm looking to put up ads or anything, I'm just wondering if I can improve the site with a bit of graphics, maybe make a new banner or something.

What exactly did you have in mind?

New article coming this week.

dun Dun DUNNN...

"Battle of the primitives"

The Ewok subplot of ROTJ was originally conceived of with wookies, and can be seen in early form in the rough draft of Star Wars from 1974. It's in Splinter of the Mind's Eye, as well. But it's also in the first draft of Empire Strikes Back, by Leigh Brackett.