Director George Lucas isn’t too concerned with what audiences think.
As one of the pioneers of computer-generated imagery, Lucas says he’s heard the same complaints his whole career, and he’s applying that experience to artificial intelligence too.
‘That’s progress, it’s the future.’
Galaxy brain
Lucas’ core thesis is on what makes a movie a movie, and in his opinion, it isn’t the technology surrounding the production that makes the story; it’s the idea itself.
The 82-year-old cited many iconic directors and even those on film foundations as some of the biggest supporters and detractors of his beliefs, and in a recent interview, he focused on the latter.
“I’ll never do digital,” Lucas’ peers tell him, because “Lawrence of Arabia” was shot with film. “And I say, ‘No, it’s cinema. It’s the moving image. That’s what it is. It’s not a technology, it’s an idea.'”
Lucas advanced digital graphics significantly with his company Industrial Light & Magic, which he founded all the way back in 1975. Today, Lucas sees the argument against AI as similar to those he faced for using the latest and greatest technologies in his career.
“Artificial intelligence means it’s much easier for us to make movies,” Lucas told A Rabbit’s Foot. “It’s very much like sitting here saying, ‘Well, I believe the horse and the buggy is really where it’s at. These cars, they break down, they need gas, there’s all kinds of problems with them and pretty soon they’ll be making them into tanks, and then they’ll be killing people. It’s terrible.'”
Lucas, fairly black-pilled, added, “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
“That’s progress, it’s the future.”
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Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG/Getty Images
Jedi mind trick
Lucas described AI as something that shouldn’t be used as a scapegoat either. Rather, the creator is still responsible for whatever he puts out.
“The whole idea is you’re a human being, you’re responsible for what you say and what you do, and if you’re doing something that’s illegal, you should be punished for that. Whatever you do, you should be recognized. It’s just like real life.”
In that same vein, Lucas assured readers that audiences don’t know what they want to see in film.
Lucas cited Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg as sources and friends he trusts with constructive criticism. Potential viewers, not so much.
“I don’t like focus groups,” Lucas said. “The audience doesn’t know what they want to see.”
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Screen Archives/Getty Images
Jar Jar defender
However, much of the disdain seemingly comes from the reaction from studios who, when they hear the audience doesn’t like a character, “take the wrong message.”
“They let the audience actually make the movie,” the director explained. “Of course, now they go crazy with that. Now, it’s all about what the fans think. That isn’t how you make the movie. You make a movie by finding someone that knows how to make movies, that has a story to tell and is passionate about it.”
Lucas juxtaposed this with criticism about “Star Wars,” which he said has seen significant blowback time and time again over the introduction of children’s’ characters.
“Oh, that’s terrible. Jar Jar Binks is terrible!” Lucas said, mocking his critics. “Everyone said the same thing about R2-D2 and C-3PO. At the beginning, there was a huge push for me to get rid of C-3PO, and then in the third one, people said the same thing about Ewoks.”
“We want to see an adult movie!” Lucas recalled being told.
While the downfall of the post-Lucas “Star Wars” films may be from not ignoring similar audience demands, in response to whether or not he is bothered by his later films not connecting with adults, he simply said, “Well, it’s a kids’ movie.”
“It’s always been a kids’ movie.”
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