"Meet George Lucas..."

"... and his film Star Wars" (sung to the tune of The Jetsons)

To explain the insanity that we were to encounter we have to explain this. Star Wars has been a project for almost 28 years, & obviously affected people from around the world in so many ways.

George Lucas, the Master Creator behind this epic, only came to one other Convention, back in 1987. To be in the same room with the Genius was a once in a lifetime opportunity. He has not only changed the world of filmmaking, circumventing the Old Hollywood Establishment, he Revoltionized It!!

Not only the technical side, but he brought back Storytelling, which he always has claimed as the major thing he was trying to do in the first place. You can have all the wizz-bang effects, but without Great Storytelling, it's nothing!

Look around you today at the devices that I believe are a direct correlation to his effect: Digital Photography & Videography, Digital Filmmaking, Computerized Editing, Computer Techology,...

I'm not saying he invented or is credited with all of these things, but he rose the Bar & inspired others to take it on & go forward. ('Nuff Said.)

A guy was running around the Convention Center filming people & asking how George Lucas & Star Wars changed their lives. I thought about mine. Because of him I wanted to be a filmmaker, which got me in to video (because all of the Film Schools were basically closed around Seattle), which led me to Screenwriting, etc,... (Note: This is still a work in progress)

Okay, I said that to tell you this.

I got up at 4:30 a.m. & I met Angela, our new veterinary friend from Portland. (Cheryl had a head cold & took some medication so she was down for the count.) I called her & it was extremely confusing, one, being so early in the morning; two, being sooooo cold.

I finally found Angela in line a block and a half away from the convention center, in an obscur windswept plaza of a bank building. Everone was wet & freezing. We met another gal, Linda, who actually had to wrap a hotel towel around her head to keep warm. We suffered for about 40 minutes when I decided to go to Starbucks (¡Viva Seattle!) & get everyone coffees. Linda went with me. But, before we reached around the corner we say Storm Troopers ushering the Begining part of the line across the street.

We rushed back to where Angela was because we didn't want to become separated. Our part of the line moved around the building in view of the Convention Center. Then our line, once again, stopped.

Again, we sat for awhlie. Finally, I took charge & said I would make the coffee run. I went over to the Westin & ordered, and was out very quickly. But, by the time I reached the corner the line once again had moved. I found my compadraes behind me just begining to cross to the other side of the street.

We got inside,... ("Bless the Maker")...once again into another line (you're begining to see a theme here, no?) But, at least it was INSIDE! (YEAH!) Before we began to become settled, we had to pick up our stuff & were on the move again. We were ushered into one ballroom into a cattle maze (back & forth, worse than Disneyland). I think we were settle there for about 15 minutes before we were ushered outside that room into an adjecent room set up with the same cattle maze (moooo). But, this is where we finally got to settle in.

Having gotten inside Linda was frantically calling her kids to try & get them to her, but no one was answering the phone. Once she finally got ahold of them she told them we were inside & they rushed over only to be initially turned away at the doors. Linda turned to a tall Aussie Trooper, who was our house wrangler, & pleaded with him to try & get them in. He asked, if he did, would she let him date her daughter. Of course, Linda said NO, since her daughter was only 17. (Nice try, Bruce!)

So he went out & in his best "Dan Unda" voice shouted their name & they appeared. Linda was very pleased.

A little while later a guy came around & handed us all a flourescent Green Bracelets, now known as "The Coveted Green Bracelet". This means we were definately in for the second show with George Lucas.

We rested and relaxed for about an hour and a half. Then, we were once again on the move. This time we were headed towards the escalators. Then, we saw the other lines: a large line for the hall & even bigger line for the Celebration Store (more on this later.)

Once up the elevator we went around it through another maze & then down the hall, in front of the Sagamore Ballroom where George was appearing. We thought "Good. We'll be one of the first in line at the begining of the Second Show." But, the 501st kept yelling at us to hurry, not run, but hurry if we wanted to get in....THE FIRST SHOW!! We couldn't believe we got in, since begingin the day where we did.

Finally, we were in!! Near the back rear left side, but we were in. We were the first PUBLIC to see George in person in over 18 years.

Jay Laga'aia (Captain Typho in Episode II & now III) came out as host. He introduced producer Rick McCallum, who introduced George's Children, who introduced a "Home Movie", a behind the scenes of George directing & a bunch of funny stuff. it even showed George getting in makeup on as an extra in Episode III.

Finally, George came on stage. The place erupted!! It was like a reception for a rock star or a new pope. After the initial 5 minutes of applause died down, George, Rick & Jay took their seats on big comfy couches center stage. Three giantic video screens place throughout the room gave everyone a wonderful advantage. People lined up for questions.

The first question to him was what was his "Initial Thought/Idea" of what was to become Star Wars. He said he was just trying to recreate the old Movie Serials which played in the theaters when he was a kid. There would be the Newsreels, then Cartoons, then the Episodic Serial, & then the Main Feature.

Serials were always in 12 parts. This story he wrote was Episode IV in a Twelve-part serial, which you would never see the episodes before or after. It was about Anakin Starkiller & his Kids, & their adventures. Through mutiple rewrites upon rewrites, it became a three parter. He then had to write a backstory (as any writer would) as an exercise to flush out the main story. But, because of the humongus success of the first film (now called Episode IV: A New Hope) the rest of the stories followed. The rest, as they say is history!

He announced there will be a continuation of the incredibly successful, Clone Wars (on Cartoon Network) in Computer 3D Animation, & a Live-Action spinoff Star Wars TV series featuring other less-minor characters.

He said that he and producer, Rick McCollum have a real marriage: one that they don't talk to each other, avoid each other, challenge each others decisions, ... but in the end really love one another. It's a very family oriented environment spanning many countries, and included the FANS as an integreal part of that family.

He also told us that Episode III ROTS is EVERYTHING that we all have wanted from the begining!! He kept it PG-13 this time because of the subject matter; not giving in to any outside influences or lobbies; and to all the critics, he said that people can have their opionins, but in the end all the pieces (all Episodes) fit together as one unit & you'll see that each one is vital to tell the entire saga. He is very proud of how it all turned out.

"The Saga should be able to last Forever!"

Our time was up after a half an hour (two other groups still to come). But, it was something I will never forget.