Plenty of Firsts that Lucas has Brought to the Industry.

There are plenty of firsts that George Lucas has done in film history. He also did it in the face of adversity and came out on top. As said on Lucasfilm.com, Lucas believes that "the boundless potential of an individual will overcome any limitations." After Lucas made a feature length version of his award winning short film, he did the movie American Graffiti (1973). This movie, although a low-budget film, became an instant success. And it was a first in the movie industry. He combined multiple stories in the plot and presented each story through different narratives. He also went against mainstream movies of the time by using contemporary music for the score. Many were against his choice to do this saying that contemporary music in not what the audience wants to hear. However, he used it and it worked.
And of course, in 1977, everything changed with the introduction of Star Wars to the big screen. George Lucas permanently grafted technology with storytelling by sharing a wonderful fantasy mixed with exotic worlds. During that time, there were no real special effects companies, at least not capable of doing what he wanted. Therefore, he started Industrial Light and Magic. And with the release of the first Star Wars film, he did something that no one had really thought of before. He maintained the ancillary rights to the film meanwhile working on the marketing himself with people from his organization. He hired and individual to market the idea to toy companies and see if any toy company would want to make "action figures" based off of the film. No one wanted to make the toys. Finally, they met with and signed with Kenner. The world was not ready for the rush demand of Star Wars merchandise. Hence, Kenner had to launch the "Empty Box" campaign. This campaign allowed people to purchase an empty box with a certificate inside for the toy once the company could catch up to the demand. There are still many firsts accomplished by George Lucas, to include entering the gaming industry; but these firsts made him the most successful independent filmmaker in the world.

The effect Lucas' Star Wars had on me as a child.

Hi, my name is Bernadette Smith, and I am an aspiring filmmaker. I am currently studying film and practicing diligently by making commercials, short films, and etc. But this love of film started when I was a little girl. It all started with Star Wars. I saw the Return of the Jedi and I was forever hooked on movies and scifi. The special effects were phenomenal, the sound design was awesome, and Lucas' ability to transport the audience to another world was outstanding. It felt so real people walked around greeting each other with, "May the Force be with you!" For a single set of films to affect a society like that means a lot. It means one is really in tune with what people think and desire. It is hard to think of other movies that have caused that much universal excitement. And of course, even today these movies still inspire individuals. So, in short, I would love to one day be able to make a great story as awesome as the Star Wars films. Will it happen? Who knows, but I can dream...