I've put this thread in the Business and Legal section for a reason - I want to know how this works.

Lucasfilm is not filming anything, as far as I know, so has it become an empty shell? There's Lucas Licensing to license the various properties, and there's Lucas Animation to provide the animation, but, aside from that, what are the employees at the Lucas empire doing? Or, more specifically, if Lucasfilm is not filming, what is it doing?

They're probably building a gigantic lair, on a volcanic island, with capabilities of destroying the entire world in minutes. I imagine they've probably finally found a way to get sharks with freaking laser-beams!

Also, they're converting the prequels to sucky 3D, and they just released a sucky WWII movie.

For major productions, there are no full-time employees. People get hired for a specific production, then they're on their own. I can't imagine the full-time staff of Lucasfilms is all that large, and I'm sure they're keeping busy.

All that I know is that Skywalker Sound has become one of the most preeminent audio post facilities out there. Randy Thom (one of my heroes) is currently Director of Sound Design there.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858378/

http://www.lucasfilm.com/divisions/lfl/

They also have pages for the various other divisions of Lucasfilm. But if I'm understanding it correctly "Lucasfilm" is the banner under which all the divisions fall. So even if they aren't actually filming anything, there is still a Lucasfilm.

As an aside, I miss the heyday of Lucasarts games. Sam & Max (yes, I'm playing and loving the new ones), Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, the X-Wing flight sim series. Great stuff!

http://www.lucasfilm.com/divisions/lfl/

They also have pages for the various other divisions of Lucasfilm. But if I'm understanding it correctly "Lucasfilm" is the banner under which all the divisions fall. So even if they aren't actually filming anything, there is still a Lucasfilm.

As an aside, I miss the heyday of Lucasarts games. Sam & Max (yes, I'm playing and loving the new ones), Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, the X-Wing flight sim series. Great stuff!

Dont forget maniac mansion. Loved that game when I was little.

They're probably building a gigantic lair, on a volcanic island, with capabilities of destroying the entire world in minutes. I imagine they've probably finally found a way to get sharks with freaking laser-beams!

Also, they're converting the prequels to sucky 3D, and they just released a sucky WWII movie.


They're not just converting the sucky prequels to suckier 3D, they're finding new ways to ruin the original trilogy.



=Cracker Funk;253469 major productions, there are no full-time employees. People get hired for a specific production, then they're on their own. I can't imagine the full-time staff of Lucasfilms is all that large, and I'm sure they're keeping busy.

That's my impression of film studios - they hire for a specific job, then either hire for another job or lay off. But I wanted to be sure.


http://www.lucasfilm.com/divisions/lfl/

They also have pages for the various other divisions of Lucasfilm. But if I'm understanding it correctly "Lucasfilm" is the banner under which all the divisions fall. So even if they aren't actually filming anything, there is still a Lucasfilm.

As an aside, I miss the heyday of Lucasarts games. Sam & Max (yes, I'm playing and loving the new ones), Grim Fandango, Monkey Island, the X-Wing flight sim series. Great stuff!

I can see LucasAnimation being busy, along with ILM and Skywalker Sound, but I don't see LucasArts being busy, because they haven't come out with a game recently, as far as I know, and I definitely don't see LucasFilm proper being busy.

That's my impression of film studios - they hire for a specific job, then either hire for another job or lay off. But I wanted to be sure.

It's more of a contract thing, you sign on for a project. So once that project is over you're on your own, not a "lay off" just the gig is over.

Don't forget, preproduction can take years. Just because something isn't in the production phase doesn't mean they aren't working.

LUCASFILM has several subdivisions.

SKYWALKER SOUND, the preeminent post production facility.

ILM, aka INDUSTRIAL LIGHT AND MAGIC, the visual effects company, also with a few subdivisions. They formerly had a miniatures live action division that has broken off and became their own company. In the 1980's their digital animation division that was sold to Steve Jobs and became PIXAR animation.

They opened a LUCASFILM animation in Singapore almost exclusively to produce the CLONE WARS tv series with 3D animation.

LUCASARTS is the video game division doing Star Wars and other video games.

Most of the Lucas companies moved to the old PRESIDIO army base in north western San Francisco. LUCASFILM proper is pretty much a company that only makes movies that George Lucas produces, IE Indiana Jones and Star Wars, although they also made Howard the Duck, Willow, and an assortment of other films in the 80's and 90's.

See http://www.lucasfilm.com/ for more

George Lucas is supposed to be making small independent films and has stopped making any of the large production films.

George Lucas is supposed to be making small independent films and has stopped making any of the large production films.

He said he done DIRECTING large production films...

He produced Red Tails, but is anything else in the pipeline? I don't think so.

Well, the very last Lucas interview you posted he talked about working on writing the next Indiana Jones film. So you could say that's in the pipeline....

He's just saying it, but I doubt it's in preproduction yet.

If he's writing the script, that's technically pre-production.

If he's writing the script, that's technically pre-production.

I think he's too busy cluttering up the original trilogy to do any writing.

Lucas wants to build a film production center in Marin County, CA, (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/03/MN211NQHVN.DTL) and that's causing controversy. I'm surprised Californians these days would want to discourage major employers from coming, given how poorly the state is doing - if I was GL, I'd go elsewhere.

Anyway, I'm getting my answer. If Lucasfilm is not producing movies, it's still in business renting out soundstages and doing work for other film makers on contract. Am I correct?

Anyway, I'm getting my answer. If Lucasfilm is not producing movies, it's still in business renting out soundstages and doing work for other film makers on contract. Am I correct?

As far as I know they have never had proper sound stages. They always shot in London for the Star Wars movies and Indiana Jones movies, except for Episodes II and III which were primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia for the soundstages and even then pick up shooting was done in England.

And it depends on what you mean by 'Lucasfilm' as there are the several aforementioned sub-divisions that are quite active, IE ILM and Skywalker Sound.

Well, they want to build a film production centre, so what does that mean?

Lucasfilm will not be setting up in Marin County, CA, because of the hostility of the neighbors. (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/11/BA781O1F0I.DTL) I don't know the details, but I think this is an indication that much of California is not business friendly, which doesn't bode well for its economic future.