The Man Behind the Digital Revolution

I'm talking about George Lucas, of course. Everyone knows that he created Lucasfilm when he made Star Wars (the first one, A New Hope). Most people know that he also started up Industrial Light and Magic to create the effects for his films. And many people know that Pixar was originally a section of the Lucasfilm Computer Division before it was spun off and Steve Jobs bought it.

Michael Rubin, author of Droidmaker, spoke at a Vancouver Siggraph event last night. An animated, energetic individual, Rubin presented highlights of his book and gave us an overview of the genesis of many of the digital technologies in use today: computer animation, digital non-linear audio and video editing, digital optical printing, online avatars, and more.

Rubin also talked about the context behind Lucas' drive and decisions. Much of Lucas' ambition is framed in the context of his friendship and rivalry with Francis Ford Coppola. And despite his films having the reputation of being high-tech and cutting edge, Lucas isn't very techno-savvy. He started up these computer divisions as skunkworks projects--knowing full well that they wouldn't bear fruit for ten or twenty or more years--in the hopes that they would produce results that would help him make better films more easily. And say what you will about his talents as a writer or a filmmaker... you have to give the man credit for funding these projects (and Steve Jobs after him, in Pixar's case) that eventually came to fruition and yielded many of the digital technologies we now take for granted.

I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes perspective of the history of the digital revolution.

• Michael Rubin's blog
• Droidmaker: Chapter 1 excerpt
  
• Droidmaker: Chapter 18 excerpt
  
• The Art of LucasArts (Gamasutra)