With George Lucas sort-of retired and focused on making movies in garage (or whatever), he now has time to comment on the industry, even if his comments have been dosed with a lack of self-awareness. Last summer Lucas and his pal Steven Spielberg warned about mega-budget blockbusters reaching a point where it could be disastrous for Hollywood if they fail in a big way, and now Lucas, the godfather of technical wizardry, is telling other filmmakers to put down the toys.
Speaking at the USC School of Cinematic Arts this week, he told those in attendance to KISS — Keep It Simple Stupid. “Don’t forget the basics. Don’t get enamored with new technology, because it’s not new. Just the medium we’re working in is new, but that doesn’t change anything. The art of what we do is exactly the same. It’s beyond technology. It’s the art of movies,” he stated.
While the sentiment is admirable, it seems Lucas is also delivering a message that is not unlike do-as-say-not-as-I-do. Indeed, few have pushed digital technology further in feature filmmaking than Lucas (James Cameron would up be up there) and now to hear him stress the “art of the movies” is…interesting.
Guess we’ll see if he takes his own advice on whatever he hatches out of his garage. [Variety]
