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The Making of Star Wars #4
The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
Star Wars was released in 1977 and went on to earn almost $775 million at the worldwide box office. It would change filmmaking forever.
Published for the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie, this is a must-have book for all Star Wars fans and movie lovers. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of images spanning the creation of the film, and including previously unpublished interviews and stories, The Making of Star Wars is a piece of cinema history; and the story behind the making of this book is almost as intriguing.
When author J.W. Rinzler heard that a similar book had been started back in the 1970s - around the time of filming - curiosity got the better of him. He was directed to four boxes within the vast Lucasfilm archive. He discovered that over fifty interviews had been conducted between 1975 and 1978 with key members of the cast and crew. These boxes had sat undisturbed for three decades. Until now.
The interviews were fresh, candid and - above all - more accurate than many other reported accounts. Interviewees included director George Lucas; producer Gary Kurtz; actors Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher; and production designer John Barry (who died in 1979). Conducted long before the film was released in 1977, those interviewed are completely unaware of the future impact of the film and the direction that their careers would take.
Since 1977, Star Wars has spawned two sequel films, three prequels, countless books, comic books and video games, television shows, and innumerable interviews. But the original story in its original words has remained hidden, until now. With unrestricted access to the archive, Rinzler has created a unique document that is set to become a seminal piece of film history. It reveals how a small group of gifted artists and craftspeople led by one inspired writer-director overcame obstacles - storms, crises, technical limitations, high stress and bitter disappointment - while enlisting ingenuity, heroism, but most of all dogged determination, to get to the end of their adventure.
Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is the true story of human endeavour and creativity that led to the production of one of the most outstanding and innovative films of all time.
Published for the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie, this is a must-have book for all Star Wars fans and movie lovers. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of images spanning the creation of the film, and including previously unpublished interviews and stories, The Making of Star Wars is a piece of cinema history; and the story behind the making of this book is almost as intriguing.
When author J.W. Rinzler heard that a similar book had been started back in the 1970s - around the time of filming - curiosity got the better of him. He was directed to four boxes within the vast Lucasfilm archive. He discovered that over fifty interviews had been conducted between 1975 and 1978 with key members of the cast and crew. These boxes had sat undisturbed for three decades. Until now.
The interviews were fresh, candid and - above all - more accurate than many other reported accounts. Interviewees included director George Lucas; producer Gary Kurtz; actors Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher; and production designer John Barry (who died in 1979). Conducted long before the film was released in 1977, those interviewed are completely unaware of the future impact of the film and the direction that their careers would take.
Since 1977, Star Wars has spawned two sequel films, three prequels, countless books, comic books and video games, television shows, and innumerable interviews. But the original story in its original words has remained hidden, until now. With unrestricted access to the archive, Rinzler has created a unique document that is set to become a seminal piece of film history. It reveals how a small group of gifted artists and craftspeople led by one inspired writer-director overcame obstacles - storms, crises, technical limitations, high stress and bitter disappointment - while enlisting ingenuity, heroism, but most of all dogged determination, to get to the end of their adventure.
Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is the true story of human endeavour and creativity that led to the production of one of the most outstanding and innovative films of all time.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
292 people are currently reading
2219 people want to read
About the author
J.W. Rinzler
64 books103 followersJ. W. Rinzler has authored over 20 books including two New York Times bestsellers and a #1 best-selling graphic novel. With more than 600,000 copies in print, his books have been translated into seven languages.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
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March 15, 2018
"This film has been murder." - George Lucas
"I told George, 'You can't say that stuff, you can only type it.' But I was wrong. It worked." - Harrison Ford (in a quote that's been sort of taken out of context for years)
If you're a major Star Wars fan (more than I am, and I like the films quite a bit on the whole, yes even the prequels to greater or certainly lessor degrees), you've likely already read this, and probably own it as well since it's been out for over ten years. The people I'd like to recommend this book t0 are those who like movie books and have at least some likability for the series (certainly for the original, non-Episode-titled entry), but aren't sure about digging in to a fully comprehensive breakdown. But for me, this is simply one of the masterful breakdowns of how a movie gets made, certainly on such a scale as this, and what it means to be in the PROCESS of directing, writing, producing and just crafting a motion picture.
Though the technology by now has advanced of course, there's still much that one can get excited for here - indeed after reading this I'm all the more impressed that JJ Abrams had at least SOME practical effects and creatures in his 2015 episode 7 - and it's interesting as it's a story about the making of a film that simultaneously supports and refutes the 'auteur' theory. On the one hand, from reading this book, no one else could have spear-headed and lead the production of Star Wars than George Lucas; it was his creative obsession for years, he went for it following the uncertainly of directing, no kidding, Apocalypse Now (which, by the time Coppola decided to go forward with it, Lucas had to turn him down), and he went to the extremes of cutting together hours and hours of WW2 plane-fighting footage and compressed it down to show everyone in his immediate team how he wanted the final dog-fight on the Death Star to go. For 4 years this man ate, slept and breathed his creation to the point of STILL doing a final mono mix for major theaters on the day that the film was already opened in 70mm on 5/25/77.
On the other hand, it could be argued that the film would have not come off the ground, at all, without it being a collaborative effort and that "A NEW HOPE" has several auteurs, all crucial (though some may argue that John Williams is the sort of emotional glue who's score holds the film together); Richard Edlund and John Dykstra's groundbreaking special effects; Ben Burtt's original and off-kilter sound design and choices that made characters who seemed so 'huh' completely adorable and funny like the Jawas and R2DR; Ralph McQuarrie, who's designs really helped to capture what was probably much loosely formed in Lucas' head; even some of the cast were kind of 'authors' of the movie (Harrison Ford being someone who, having worked with Lucas before and just knowing this guy Han Solo, pulling off the dialog in ways that improved it many times over). There are more that can be counted, but what the book posits is that the creation of this not-low-but-not-high budgeted movie (probably low for what was really required) was basically the equivalent of creating a spectacular new car: you need a vision to pull it off, but also people to build it and give it all the new bells and whistles, and, at the end of the day, needs to *work* like car.
It's totally engrossing to see how Lucas - who, as we're told and see, wasn't even that passionate about writing and it wasn't his forte - goes through several drafts of the script and how it could have possibly been even wilder than it turned out to be. As someone who loves to see in a making-of book with cinema the steps of process and how a creator comes to this decision or that or what limitations come up, how The Adventures of Anakin Starkiller becomes Star Wars (drop the 'The' ala Facebook) makes it a must-read book all on its own. What makes it something that I know I'll buy and keep on my shelf are a) all of the other stories told from cast and crew, brought together by author JW Rinzler in a way that is easy to understand even as it goes through some descriptions that may be confusing to non-cinephile-like people used to technical hargon, and b) all of the great color photos, designs and behind the scenes pictures, down to even full crew shots of people working (and having fun) at ILM.
It's hard to imagine what this book left out, though I should note that if you go into the book expecting for some revelations of, say, Lucas as being some hack who lucked in to the success of the movie via his editors and ILM crew, you may be mistaken/disappointed. But I have no reason to doubt the research here, and if anything my respect for Lucas (certainly from this time period) shot up exponentially while reading this. He comes off as someone who isn't necessarily the greatest "actors" director (not to say that he doesn't give enough for them as to what they need, or as Carrie Fisher says the John Huston approach of 'not saying anything means you're doing a good job' pretty much), but as someone leading the charge of such a HUGE vision as this, in every department, it's a trip and a half. From every little cut, from every moment that a tie fighter has to fire a weapon or do this or that, one can see that this was a guy really into this film, and yet was more than able to let his team do their work and get their best done (albeit the struggles with Fox, who sort of become oddly enough the background villains of this story as they don't give much of a shit for the production, made the filmmaking rushed in some cases due to a shortened and underfunded pre-production).
I'd recommend this certainly to students seriously looking into becoming filmmakers - it's certainly a title that even young people who don't watch many old movies will be familiar with and may make those curious about how these "old" processes like matte paintings and model building and creature effects worked - but also to someone looking for a great story with some unexpected turns. Probably the most interesting if sort of enigmatic figure though is the one at its core: George Lucas. A man who (spoilers, sort of) didn't like how the film came out (and no wonder he went back and made it a Special Edition, but less about that right now the better), but it was in the way that is sort of common for innovators who can't really see how well they did something. His vision seemed to be probably TOO big, or what he saw in his head so massive, that he could only accomplish so much while still making special effects a complete game-changer with the creation of ILM (the latter seems to be a key point of the book and rightfully so). If there's a song that Lucas sings and plays more than once it's the blues song "I Can't be Satisfied", but boy can that bearded little nerd play it!
PS: Carrie Fisher wins the world.
"I told George, 'You can't say that stuff, you can only type it.' But I was wrong. It worked." - Harrison Ford (in a quote that's been sort of taken out of context for years)
If you're a major Star Wars fan (more than I am, and I like the films quite a bit on the whole, yes even the prequels to greater or certainly lessor degrees), you've likely already read this, and probably own it as well since it's been out for over ten years. The people I'd like to recommend this book t0 are those who like movie books and have at least some likability for the series (certainly for the original, non-Episode-titled entry), but aren't sure about digging in to a fully comprehensive breakdown. But for me, this is simply one of the masterful breakdowns of how a movie gets made, certainly on such a scale as this, and what it means to be in the PROCESS of directing, writing, producing and just crafting a motion picture.
Though the technology by now has advanced of course, there's still much that one can get excited for here - indeed after reading this I'm all the more impressed that JJ Abrams had at least SOME practical effects and creatures in his 2015 episode 7 - and it's interesting as it's a story about the making of a film that simultaneously supports and refutes the 'auteur' theory. On the one hand, from reading this book, no one else could have spear-headed and lead the production of Star Wars than George Lucas; it was his creative obsession for years, he went for it following the uncertainly of directing, no kidding, Apocalypse Now (which, by the time Coppola decided to go forward with it, Lucas had to turn him down), and he went to the extremes of cutting together hours and hours of WW2 plane-fighting footage and compressed it down to show everyone in his immediate team how he wanted the final dog-fight on the Death Star to go. For 4 years this man ate, slept and breathed his creation to the point of STILL doing a final mono mix for major theaters on the day that the film was already opened in 70mm on 5/25/77.
On the other hand, it could be argued that the film would have not come off the ground, at all, without it being a collaborative effort and that "A NEW HOPE" has several auteurs, all crucial (though some may argue that John Williams is the sort of emotional glue who's score holds the film together); Richard Edlund and John Dykstra's groundbreaking special effects; Ben Burtt's original and off-kilter sound design and choices that made characters who seemed so 'huh' completely adorable and funny like the Jawas and R2DR; Ralph McQuarrie, who's designs really helped to capture what was probably much loosely formed in Lucas' head; even some of the cast were kind of 'authors' of the movie (Harrison Ford being someone who, having worked with Lucas before and just knowing this guy Han Solo, pulling off the dialog in ways that improved it many times over). There are more that can be counted, but what the book posits is that the creation of this not-low-but-not-high budgeted movie (probably low for what was really required) was basically the equivalent of creating a spectacular new car: you need a vision to pull it off, but also people to build it and give it all the new bells and whistles, and, at the end of the day, needs to *work* like car.
It's totally engrossing to see how Lucas - who, as we're told and see, wasn't even that passionate about writing and it wasn't his forte - goes through several drafts of the script and how it could have possibly been even wilder than it turned out to be. As someone who loves to see in a making-of book with cinema the steps of process and how a creator comes to this decision or that or what limitations come up, how The Adventures of Anakin Starkiller becomes Star Wars (drop the 'The' ala Facebook) makes it a must-read book all on its own. What makes it something that I know I'll buy and keep on my shelf are a) all of the other stories told from cast and crew, brought together by author JW Rinzler in a way that is easy to understand even as it goes through some descriptions that may be confusing to non-cinephile-like people used to technical hargon, and b) all of the great color photos, designs and behind the scenes pictures, down to even full crew shots of people working (and having fun) at ILM.
It's hard to imagine what this book left out, though I should note that if you go into the book expecting for some revelations of, say, Lucas as being some hack who lucked in to the success of the movie via his editors and ILM crew, you may be mistaken/disappointed. But I have no reason to doubt the research here, and if anything my respect for Lucas (certainly from this time period) shot up exponentially while reading this. He comes off as someone who isn't necessarily the greatest "actors" director (not to say that he doesn't give enough for them as to what they need, or as Carrie Fisher says the John Huston approach of 'not saying anything means you're doing a good job' pretty much), but as someone leading the charge of such a HUGE vision as this, in every department, it's a trip and a half. From every little cut, from every moment that a tie fighter has to fire a weapon or do this or that, one can see that this was a guy really into this film, and yet was more than able to let his team do their work and get their best done (albeit the struggles with Fox, who sort of become oddly enough the background villains of this story as they don't give much of a shit for the production, made the filmmaking rushed in some cases due to a shortened and underfunded pre-production).
I'd recommend this certainly to students seriously looking into becoming filmmakers - it's certainly a title that even young people who don't watch many old movies will be familiar with and may make those curious about how these "old" processes like matte paintings and model building and creature effects worked - but also to someone looking for a great story with some unexpected turns. Probably the most interesting if sort of enigmatic figure though is the one at its core: George Lucas. A man who (spoilers, sort of) didn't like how the film came out (and no wonder he went back and made it a Special Edition, but less about that right now the better), but it was in the way that is sort of common for innovators who can't really see how well they did something. His vision seemed to be probably TOO big, or what he saw in his head so massive, that he could only accomplish so much while still making special effects a complete game-changer with the creation of ILM (the latter seems to be a key point of the book and rightfully so). If there's a song that Lucas sings and plays more than once it's the blues song "I Can't be Satisfied", but boy can that bearded little nerd play it!
PS: Carrie Fisher wins the world.
July 12, 2014
This is the book that would have changed my life had I read it as a 14-20 year old, causing me to pursue a career in film.
Having just completed it as a 37-year-old, I'm still highly inspired by the persistence, creativity, leadership, teamwork, and raw determination displayed by so many who collaborated on this film. Simply the making of this movie is as dramatic as the story itself, and highly worth the reading.
This is for fans of Star Wars, movie buffs, film historians, and - for the right person - perhaps one of those life-changing books you'll get to read. I really don't think it's too much to say that. And if you think you know everything there is to know about Star Wars and its making, you especially will enjoy learning a great deal of new information here.
Having just completed it as a 37-year-old, I'm still highly inspired by the persistence, creativity, leadership, teamwork, and raw determination displayed by so many who collaborated on this film. Simply the making of this movie is as dramatic as the story itself, and highly worth the reading.
This is for fans of Star Wars, movie buffs, film historians, and - for the right person - perhaps one of those life-changing books you'll get to read. I really don't think it's too much to say that. And if you think you know everything there is to know about Star Wars and its making, you especially will enjoy learning a great deal of new information here.
Read
November 9, 2019I was after a big excavation of the prehistory and contingencies of the beast and this has it in spades.
February 5, 2014
J.W. Rinzler is an excellent, meticulous researcher who is able to present his information in a clear, interesting manner. He has the talent to do this for both books like this one, that are "out of universe" and for "in universe" books like the Star Wars blue prints series. For die hard fans, he's a real treasure. This is a fantastic book, filled with wonderful details about the making of my favorite movie, ever. It's fun to read, and has great photographs, but it also makes a great reference book. (I actually read it for an essay I wrote on George Lucas's creative process--there's so much good stuff in here about that, man, you'll never look at Star Wars the same way after you read this book.) If you like Star Wars, this is definitely a book you should, at least, check out from your local library. But I highly recommend owning it.
January 30, 2024
4.5 Stars.
Incredibly detailed with insight into the production process that I had never known. This was an fantastic non-fiction documentary style book that took the early pre-production years till the end of the year after release. I can't wait to be gifted or purchase the next two by this author/historian.
That being said, the font was so small that it actually detracted from the stunning book cover, pictures, art, and details. Vision is fine by the way and when showing others this sentiment was shared. Still highly recommend.
Incredibly detailed with insight into the production process that I had never known. This was an fantastic non-fiction documentary style book that took the early pre-production years till the end of the year after release. I can't wait to be gifted or purchase the next two by this author/historian.
That being said, the font was so small that it actually detracted from the stunning book cover, pictures, art, and details. Vision is fine by the way and when showing others this sentiment was shared. Still highly recommend.
September 5, 2020
This book was completely fascinating but is definitely too much for a casual Stars Wars fan. I would recommend this to people who love Star Wars or are into the process of making a movie.
This book took me about 3 weeks to get through because it is pretty dense and you don't feel like you are really making progress until you get to the portion of the book describing the actual filming. I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to watch Star Wars movies in the same way again because I'll be noticing all of the little details or stories behind certain scenes instead of just enjoying it. After reading this, it seems like a complete miracle that the movie was made.
The most interesting part of this book is seeing how drastically the story of Star Wars changed and the reasons for those changes. The weakness of this book is definitely describing the special effects process. I often had to google different techniques that the author was describing (or sometimes not describing) to even have something of an idea of what was being discussed.
Some of the interesting tidbits that stuck in my memory:
They struggled to make the nose of the X-Wings not look phallic.
A ton of the story from early scripts, particularly names, were used in the prequels like the planet Utapau.
At the very end of the book, Lucas gave a breakdown explaining certain things so that other writers for things like comics could have an understanding of the galaxy. Many of them were completely changed, but some of them were incredibly accurate to what ended up being included in the prequels. One interesting one was how C-3PO was assembled by a boy working for a junk dealer.
Lucas had one quote towards the end of the process saying how he didn't want to be a slave to technology. Pretty sad after seeing the complete takeover of green screen filming for the prequels.
This book took me about 3 weeks to get through because it is pretty dense and you don't feel like you are really making progress until you get to the portion of the book describing the actual filming. I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to watch Star Wars movies in the same way again because I'll be noticing all of the little details or stories behind certain scenes instead of just enjoying it. After reading this, it seems like a complete miracle that the movie was made.
The most interesting part of this book is seeing how drastically the story of Star Wars changed and the reasons for those changes. The weakness of this book is definitely describing the special effects process. I often had to google different techniques that the author was describing (or sometimes not describing) to even have something of an idea of what was being discussed.
Some of the interesting tidbits that stuck in my memory:
They struggled to make the nose of the X-Wings not look phallic.
A ton of the story from early scripts, particularly names, were used in the prequels like the planet Utapau.
At the very end of the book, Lucas gave a breakdown explaining certain things so that other writers for things like comics could have an understanding of the galaxy. Many of them were completely changed, but some of them were incredibly accurate to what ended up being included in the prequels. One interesting one was how C-3PO was assembled by a boy working for a junk dealer.
Lucas had one quote towards the end of the process saying how he didn't want to be a slave to technology. Pretty sad after seeing the complete takeover of green screen filming for the prequels.
April 14, 2019
Fantastic, it was the start-up of movies and movie-making. Amazing to read about all the hard work, detours, and battles fought to make this. Star Wars fans or film fans should definitely check this out. Definitive.
April 7, 2021
Amazing.
If you can get the enhanced ebook as well as the beautiful hardcover.
If you can get the enhanced ebook as well as the beautiful hardcover.
May 3, 2022
Reading this, it’s a miracle that:
A. The movie got made at all
B. The movie got finished
C. The movie is any good.
A. The movie got made at all
B. The movie got finished
C. The movie is any good.
February 4, 2018
It is a credit to the book's author that upon reading The Making of Star Wars I felt exhausted, yet exhilarated, as if I had participated in the entire process myself, from pre-production to editing.
Another thing that surprised me about this making-of book is that it's incredibly honest and doesn't seem to hold back anything about the ordeal that was making Star Wars come to life. You'll learn about Lucas' tough negotiations with Fox, who were anxious and dubious about the project (even Alan Ladd seemed to lose confidence at several points); the many struggles of the fledgling ILM, not just in terms of developing new technology or working round the clock but also concerning the many disagreements between staff members; the problems that arose shooting on location in Tunisia and back at Elstree and Shepperton (particularly concerning the short work schedule); and so on and so forth.
The more I read the more astounded I was by the magnitude and complexity of what Lucas was trying to accomplish for the time, and I have come to better understand why he made several alterations to the movie afterwards, such as with the 1997 Special Editions. Lucas himself admits that he was disappointed in how Star Wars turned out because he hadn't been able to (due to budget and time constraints) completely realize the vision he had had at the beginning. Towards the end of the book, Ben Burtt (Star Wars's sound guru) recognizes they were only able to achieve about 30% of what they had originally intended to sound-wise and it's evident Lucas wasn't satisfied with the visual effects, among other things. I wonder if he'll ever be satisfied with how any of his movies turned out, though having read this book I'd say no. It's such a shame he didn't win the Academy Award for Best Director at the time because I think he probably deserved it the most out of all the nominees (then again, Lucas has never been a Hollywood darling, more of a pariah).
If you're a Star Wars fan or if you're remotely interested in filmmaking, I would heartily recommend giving Rinzler's The Making of Star Wars a thorough read. It covers everything you might be interested in, from the many drafts Lucas had to write before getting the story right, to how Ralph McQuarrie's art and Joe Johnston's models worked off each other to build the look and feel of the first Star Wars movie, or how Lucas and John Williams figured out the right music for the film. And I'm only mentioning a handful of people here but there were many, many, more talented people involved in this process that made important contributions to Star Wars who, fortunately, were recognized during the 50th Academy Awards, people like John Mollo in the costumes department; Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, and Richard Chew, for the editing; or John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune and Robert Blalack, for the visual effects.
J.W. Rinzler has accomplished something truly marvelous in writing this book and I am eagerly looking forward to The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. Until then!
PS: Be warned, the font is somewhat small.
Another thing that surprised me about this making-of book is that it's incredibly honest and doesn't seem to hold back anything about the ordeal that was making Star Wars come to life. You'll learn about Lucas' tough negotiations with Fox, who were anxious and dubious about the project (even Alan Ladd seemed to lose confidence at several points); the many struggles of the fledgling ILM, not just in terms of developing new technology or working round the clock but also concerning the many disagreements between staff members; the problems that arose shooting on location in Tunisia and back at Elstree and Shepperton (particularly concerning the short work schedule); and so on and so forth.
The more I read the more astounded I was by the magnitude and complexity of what Lucas was trying to accomplish for the time, and I have come to better understand why he made several alterations to the movie afterwards, such as with the 1997 Special Editions. Lucas himself admits that he was disappointed in how Star Wars turned out because he hadn't been able to (due to budget and time constraints) completely realize the vision he had had at the beginning. Towards the end of the book, Ben Burtt (Star Wars's sound guru) recognizes they were only able to achieve about 30% of what they had originally intended to sound-wise and it's evident Lucas wasn't satisfied with the visual effects, among other things. I wonder if he'll ever be satisfied with how any of his movies turned out, though having read this book I'd say no. It's such a shame he didn't win the Academy Award for Best Director at the time because I think he probably deserved it the most out of all the nominees (then again, Lucas has never been a Hollywood darling, more of a pariah).
If you're a Star Wars fan or if you're remotely interested in filmmaking, I would heartily recommend giving Rinzler's The Making of Star Wars a thorough read. It covers everything you might be interested in, from the many drafts Lucas had to write before getting the story right, to how Ralph McQuarrie's art and Joe Johnston's models worked off each other to build the look and feel of the first Star Wars movie, or how Lucas and John Williams figured out the right music for the film. And I'm only mentioning a handful of people here but there were many, many, more talented people involved in this process that made important contributions to Star Wars who, fortunately, were recognized during the 50th Academy Awards, people like John Mollo in the costumes department; Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, and Richard Chew, for the editing; or John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune and Robert Blalack, for the visual effects.
J.W. Rinzler has accomplished something truly marvelous in writing this book and I am eagerly looking forward to The Making of The Empire Strikes Back. Until then!
PS: Be warned, the font is somewhat small.
December 3, 2025
An absolute fucking treasure. This helped me re-fall-in-love with SW again after the last few years. Just hearing Lucas's absolute dedication to vision, willingness to keep hacking away at the story and changing for the better, and putting his all into hiring the best collaborators and (nervously) trusting them. I mean, this made it sound like this thing was thrown together and it changed the fucking world. He powered through and still was sound mixing the night of its release.
Thanks to the author for this loving, phenomenally researched, and beautifully told story of this movie that is part of my DNA and this book reaffirms that. This was a respite and oasis from the toxic fandom of late. RIP JW Rinzler, thanks so much.
Thanks to the author for this loving, phenomenally researched, and beautifully told story of this movie that is part of my DNA and this book reaffirms that. This was a respite and oasis from the toxic fandom of late. RIP JW Rinzler, thanks so much.
January 14, 2010
One of the few Star Wars books that avoids staring through the rose-colored glasses and shows Lucas & Co as what they were: a bunch of 20-something prodigies who could have just as well made a huge sci-fi flop as they could a media empire. Most of the interviews were culled from the time of actual production, so there's not much revisionist history. An excellent read with lots of awesome photos of people in 70s dress.
January 21, 2016
This is an amazing book that delves deep into the history of Star Wars. It shows you how the script developed, how Lucas convinced the studio to take a chance on it, and how it was made. It also includes a lot of interviews and quotes from the creators of the film. This is one of the best film books in my library.
July 15, 2022
It’s the only official making-of book for the original “Star Wars,” so it’s not like you have another one to choose from. That said, this was a great read with tons of good behind-the-scenes photos and stories from the set. I appreciated the meticulousness with which the evolution of the “Star Wars” script was tracked.
January 1, 2017
So much behind-the-scenes info. It's a fanboy's paradise. Loved it!
October 3, 2022
During the years 1975 to 1978, over fifty interviews were conducted (by Charles Lippincott) with key members of the cast and crew and, remarkably, those interviews sat undisturbed in the Lucasfilm Archives for three decades. Until now. The interviews are fresh, candid and – above all – more accurate than many other reported accounts. George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, composer John Williams, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales of overcoming obstacles – storms, crises, technical limitations, high stress and bitter disappointment – while displaying real ingenuity, heroism and creativity.
This was first published in 2013 (when I bought it) but I’ve resisted it until now because, quite simply, it’s the last “Making Of Star Wars” book I’m going to be able to read fresh. And I’m glad I waited because I loved it. By using contemporary interviews, for the most part the subject has absolutely no idea of the impact the film will have - on their lives or those of millions of others (including mine) - and that’s brilliant. So we get stories about how things did or didn’t work, shortcuts made, glitches and achievements, all effectively in real time. There are some later interviews, obviously, but for the most part this is a band of film-makers who are clearly trying their best and not at all sure of what their creation will end up like. The book is beautifully designed with lots of pictures, the writing is superb and well structured but most of all, it’s a joy to read and absorb. Sadly, as a downside (and typical of later Lucasfilm titles), the role of Marcia Lucas is downplayed and “Skywalking” by Dale Pollock is erased but this is otherwise absolutely essential reading for all Star Wars fans, even if you think you’ve already read everything on the subject.
This was first published in 2013 (when I bought it) but I’ve resisted it until now because, quite simply, it’s the last “Making Of Star Wars” book I’m going to be able to read fresh. And I’m glad I waited because I loved it. By using contemporary interviews, for the most part the subject has absolutely no idea of the impact the film will have - on their lives or those of millions of others (including mine) - and that’s brilliant. So we get stories about how things did or didn’t work, shortcuts made, glitches and achievements, all effectively in real time. There are some later interviews, obviously, but for the most part this is a band of film-makers who are clearly trying their best and not at all sure of what their creation will end up like. The book is beautifully designed with lots of pictures, the writing is superb and well structured but most of all, it’s a joy to read and absorb. Sadly, as a downside (and typical of later Lucasfilm titles), the role of Marcia Lucas is downplayed and “Skywalking” by Dale Pollock is erased but this is otherwise absolutely essential reading for all Star Wars fans, even if you think you’ve already read everything on the subject.
April 27, 2020
It is an exceptionally good book about the making of the original film, and by using quotes and interviews that were conducted at the time - it eludes the pitfall of having people (much later) remembering the moments through the sort of "of course we always knew that we were making a masterpiece" self-congratulatory tripe that sometimes colors books about famous films. It is made exceptionally clear, here, just how big of a gamble (and how likely a failure) the film really was, and how close to disaster the whole enterprise really was, most of the time.
Of course, it did turn out well, and it did become a phenomenon - but the struggle to get anything at all onscreen (along with the cascade of compromises and practical failures of the process) is told in a very involving, dramatic, and suspenseful manner. Even knowing "how the story ends" does not entirely undercut the occasional sense of hopelessness that pervades the process of getting the film financed, and ultimately, made. Of course, for "Star Wars" fans, some of the information is scarcely new, and yet for even the most rabid of us (I have lived and breathed "Star Wars" since I was 5 years old) there are things here to be discovered - both in terms of the production of the first film, and in terms of story beats and plot points that resurface in the sequels and prequels, in some cases decades later.
It is also a beautiful book to look at, being filled with storyboards, sketches, production paintings, poster art, and photos from the production. While many of these have appeared elsewhere over the years, it is a delight to see them gathered together in such a handsome, well produced volume.
Of course, it did turn out well, and it did become a phenomenon - but the struggle to get anything at all onscreen (along with the cascade of compromises and practical failures of the process) is told in a very involving, dramatic, and suspenseful manner. Even knowing "how the story ends" does not entirely undercut the occasional sense of hopelessness that pervades the process of getting the film financed, and ultimately, made. Of course, for "Star Wars" fans, some of the information is scarcely new, and yet for even the most rabid of us (I have lived and breathed "Star Wars" since I was 5 years old) there are things here to be discovered - both in terms of the production of the first film, and in terms of story beats and plot points that resurface in the sequels and prequels, in some cases decades later.
It is also a beautiful book to look at, being filled with storyboards, sketches, production paintings, poster art, and photos from the production. While many of these have appeared elsewhere over the years, it is a delight to see them gathered together in such a handsome, well produced volume.
December 3, 2019
So we'll just get this bit out of the way now: if you're a Star Wars fan that loves knowing behind the scenes stuff, then this is the book to read. It's cobbled together from Lucasfilm archives, and thank the gods someone had the foresight to store these things away or some elements of the story would have been lost forever.
This book is a trove of information that, I personally at least, didn't know all of from the numerous making ofs that I've seen of the original film over the years. You get a good look at the genesis of Star Wars from it's first drafts to the shooting script and even how things were changed then.
It doesn't start with the beginning of Star Wars being made so much as going back even further to when George first started developing the idea and started pitching it to studios. Suffice to say, if it wasn't clear before, then it is clear now that it's a miracle this film was even made.
At times the text is a little dry, and it's difficult to keep track of who everyone involved in Star Wars is. Some names are more familiar, but with production staff, members of ILM and Fox it can sometimes be a little tricky.
Packed with interviews, behind the scenes photos, storyboards etc, this book is a little cumbersome in size, but worth it in every sense.
This book is a trove of information that, I personally at least, didn't know all of from the numerous making ofs that I've seen of the original film over the years. You get a good look at the genesis of Star Wars from it's first drafts to the shooting script and even how things were changed then.
It doesn't start with the beginning of Star Wars being made so much as going back even further to when George first started developing the idea and started pitching it to studios. Suffice to say, if it wasn't clear before, then it is clear now that it's a miracle this film was even made.
At times the text is a little dry, and it's difficult to keep track of who everyone involved in Star Wars is. Some names are more familiar, but with production staff, members of ILM and Fox it can sometimes be a little tricky.
Packed with interviews, behind the scenes photos, storyboards etc, this book is a little cumbersome in size, but worth it in every sense.
February 19, 2020
Any Star Wars fan will love the photos in this coffee table book.
But if you decide to read the story of how the film was made you may feel bogged down.
All the important people who made the film are mentioned but since I’m not a Hollywood insider, and very little time is spent with each of them, I found it difficult to remember who was who. If you are not familiar with film production then the description of how the special effects and camera work were made is difficult to follow.
I did enjoy the chapters on the casting of the film and the comments from Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, and Peter Cushing as the film was being made.
What makes this 'making-of' book unique is the lost interviews that marketing director Charles Lippincott did just after the movie was made. The comments from George Lucas, the cast and crew about how they felt immediately after making the movie is very enlightening and more revealing than interviews done years later after everyone had time to reflect.
I’d say twenty-five percent of the text was interesting so as a Star Wars fan it was worth reading.
But if you decide to read the story of how the film was made you may feel bogged down.
All the important people who made the film are mentioned but since I’m not a Hollywood insider, and very little time is spent with each of them, I found it difficult to remember who was who. If you are not familiar with film production then the description of how the special effects and camera work were made is difficult to follow.
I did enjoy the chapters on the casting of the film and the comments from Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, and Peter Cushing as the film was being made.
What makes this 'making-of' book unique is the lost interviews that marketing director Charles Lippincott did just after the movie was made. The comments from George Lucas, the cast and crew about how they felt immediately after making the movie is very enlightening and more revealing than interviews done years later after everyone had time to reflect.
I’d say twenty-five percent of the text was interesting so as a Star Wars fan it was worth reading.
June 1, 2019
Exhaustive
I found the history of George Lucas’ struggles producing the movie and getting sustained support from his studio an insightful view into just how enormous a task movie making can be- even if you have a strong vision and determination to match. That Star Wars even came together as cohesively and wonderfully as it did makes me marvel at the amount of talent, vision, and tenacity it takes to make films- especially good ones.
I didn’t like that many of the quotes, from original sources (ie production crew, actors, etc.), scattered throughout the book, left me hanging- many were not followed by further explanation to provide context and relevance to the quote.
I wouldn’t recommend Rinzler’s book to a casual Star Wars fan. The book was even a bit too exhaustive for myself at times.
Bonus- if you have the Kindle version there is some really cool bonus media, including home movie footage!
I found the history of George Lucas’ struggles producing the movie and getting sustained support from his studio an insightful view into just how enormous a task movie making can be- even if you have a strong vision and determination to match. That Star Wars even came together as cohesively and wonderfully as it did makes me marvel at the amount of talent, vision, and tenacity it takes to make films- especially good ones.
I didn’t like that many of the quotes, from original sources (ie production crew, actors, etc.), scattered throughout the book, left me hanging- many were not followed by further explanation to provide context and relevance to the quote.
I wouldn’t recommend Rinzler’s book to a casual Star Wars fan. The book was even a bit too exhaustive for myself at times.
Bonus- if you have the Kindle version there is some really cool bonus media, including home movie footage!
July 18, 2024
I wish more creations would get books like this. While the common Art Book sometimes will let you glimpse into the creative thought process, nothing could prepare me for the avalanche of information, not only about the creation of the story itself but about every single step taken to bring that movie onto the screen.
It has everything, peeks into the old scripts, interviews with production crew and actors, great glimpses into the tedious creation of the world and its characters, a good amount of random photos sometimes matching the text and sometimes not. Reading this makes one marvel at how such a project could be thought up and then realized especially seeing how everything usually went kinda wrong.
Incredible read.
It has everything, peeks into the old scripts, interviews with production crew and actors, great glimpses into the tedious creation of the world and its characters, a good amount of random photos sometimes matching the text and sometimes not. Reading this makes one marvel at how such a project could be thought up and then realized especially seeing how everything usually went kinda wrong.
Incredible read.
November 27, 2018
Star Wars fans, just....read this book. Certainly there are some parts where the level of detail creates a Dagobah-esque thick fog to wade through, but the wading is worth it: there are facts and tidbits that give more context and richness to the film you love so well and blow your mind a little bit in the process. Some of my favorite parts were just hearing what certain recognizable props were made out of, or imagining the madcap environment at ILM during its heyday. For best results, read it while sitting up in bed next to another Star Wars fan, blurting out interesting passages to share probably just as he was about to fall asleep, but that he's obliged to wake up and laugh about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2020
An absolutely exhaustive collection of literally everything to do with the production of 1977's Star Wars.
And when I say exhaustive, I mean actor interviews, journals, paperwork, Polaroids, accounting documents, storyboards, anecdotes, studio political intrigue, internal memos, and so forth.
It took me quite a long time to read half because of its...well, dryness (but that's the whole point of the book, so I can't fault it for being academic) and it's physical size.
This is a biiiig book.
Plus, now I know that George Lucas was 1. a madman capable of working insane hours 2. a genius and 3. thinking about midichlorians in 1978.
And when I say exhaustive, I mean actor interviews, journals, paperwork, Polaroids, accounting documents, storyboards, anecdotes, studio political intrigue, internal memos, and so forth.
It took me quite a long time to read half because of its...well, dryness (but that's the whole point of the book, so I can't fault it for being academic) and it's physical size.
This is a biiiig book.
Plus, now I know that George Lucas was 1. a madman capable of working insane hours 2. a genius and 3. thinking about midichlorians in 1978.
February 22, 2020
Wow. This book was recommended by a friend as “the ultimate history book for you” (meaning me) and he was right. It’s incredibly detailed and gives a lot of insight into how Star Wars went from an idea to a movie, and it’s a fun read. I read the digital special edition which has a bunch of video and audio added to it, from early dailies to voiceover recordings of Alec Guinness telling Luke to use the Force, and giving me goosebumps in the process. If you are at al interested in Star Wars above the “I’ve seen them once and that’s enough”-level; this book is for you.
July 20, 2020
The book is exhaustive but a lot of it is quite boring unless you're into the minutae of film production finances. Every now and then there's a gem like at one point George was thinking of making Star Wars in Japanese, or with African-Americans in all the main roles or maybe little people. Then you're back to logistics. If you're totally obsessed with Star Wars or really into film production in general then this is great. If not, flick through the pictures and dip into the text when it looks interesting.
April 13, 2021
An absolutely incredible book, a nearly day-by-day look at the development, filming and behind-the-scenes drama that proved the foundation stones for a cinematic classic. Not just a window into Star Wars, but a window into film production of the 70s, special effects, and studio culture, captured by contemporaneous interviews with many of the cast and crew intercut with the contextual information necessary to understand just how dramatic and revolutionary this seemingly simple children's fable was at the time.
April 11, 2024
woahhhh this book had sooooo much detail! almost TOO much detail at first, cause it's hard to keep up with so many names & places (both real and fictional) being thrown at you at once. but there were so many interesting facts & stories in this book, as well as great photos!! i do wonder if i'm getting the full story, cause it has such a good "underdog" storyline and seems so reverent of lucas that there's probably some bit left out... i'll go to the cultural commentary books for that though! can't wait to read the rest hehe
June 25, 2017
This is a very well-written, very detailed look at the making of Star Wars, from George Lucas saying "I want to make a Flash Gordon movie" to "I am retiring from directing and setting up a company to make the sequels." You should only read this book if you want to learn everything about how that movie was developed, written, rewritten, designed, filmed, edited, assembled, etc. But if that does interest you, definitely read this book.
January 25, 2022
I'm continuously shocked whenever I learn something new about Star Wars. Especially the originals.
For those like me who grew up with the magic of George Lucas, or those generations experiencing it for the first time, this is the ultimate behind the scenes look at one of the best films ever made.
Full of the industry secrets, movie making trials and tribulations, story boards, and original artwork. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to relive the magic that is Star Wars Episode IV.
For those like me who grew up with the magic of George Lucas, or those generations experiencing it for the first time, this is the ultimate behind the scenes look at one of the best films ever made.
Full of the industry secrets, movie making trials and tribulations, story boards, and original artwork. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to relive the magic that is Star Wars Episode IV.
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