More Tales from The Ranch
A couple of days ago, at work in Skywalker Ranch, I was listening to the BBC Radio Newspod, the final piece in the day's compilation was a report about the a one man Star Wars Trilogy opening on stage in the UK. Listening to the piece, I stared idly out of the window. As if on cue, from the Main House, came George strolling up the path, diet Coke in hand.
I couldn't help but think, as I've done from time to time, what it must be like to have created something that has reached so far into the culture. On Halloween, a couple of weeks ago, every other kid was dressed as Darth Vader. There's popular, there's successful, then there's Star Wars. By all accounts, George hoped it would resonate with audiences and achieve success, but something on this scale cannot be planned or manufactured. He may have served this myth to the world and be its legal guardian, but for all intents and purposes it is truly the property of the culture at large now, processing it and serving it back in new and unexpected ways.
As for me, I've continued to take photographs of the Ranch and its surroundings, a little obsessed with those Texas long-horns. I find them so amusing, did you know that they use their horns to back-scratch with?
One morning cycling in, there was a low-level mist clinging to the lower trees. It was the first day that felt like Autumn. It caught the sun and was almost blinding.
For a glimpse of what goes on inside the buildings, I took a picture of Darren mugging for the camera while he built an armature. He uses this as a skeleton for a clay sculpture, lovingly carved and detailed. We use his sculptures to help us better define what to build on the computer side of things. I can't tell you what the sculpture eventually became, but it was pretty cool.
Lastly, in response to my friend and co-worker Angie who complained about my last set of Ranch photos that they did not properly represent the icky and unpleasant side of life there, I give you a few photos of a deer who met an unfortunate end in the creekbed behind the Main House. Over less than a week we watched in fascination as it went from a full carcass, and revealed itself more and more.
WARNING: If you are squeamish, you might want to skip these last photos.
and a day later
To see all of the photos in this set, you can see them here.
Skywalker Ranch | Lucasfilm | Marin County | Star Wars | San Francisco | Carcass | George Lucas
3 comments:
that pictureinside the ribcage is quite stunning and beautiful. Not icky at all.
I grew up in San Anselmo where George Lucas also has an omnious house (don't know if he still owns it, but I can't imagine him selling it). He used to walk on San Anselmo Ave with his daughter all of the time. Although Marinites feel as if someone's celebrity is not interesting, he is as important to us as Mt. Tam. I have met him on a few occasions and I can say he was not the most tender person. Actually, he was pretty rude but I forgave him because he did give us Star Wars :)
I wonder what it would be like to work so closely with him? Did you enjoy working at the ranch? I have had a few friends work there and they all have varying experiences.
Hi Brooklyn,
I've had nothing but a good working experiences with George. He doesn't throw his ego around like a lot of film people I know! His working style is idiosynchratic but nothing unusual for a man who has had so much success away from the Hollywood machine. Now, whether he's a nice person or not, I really can't say. This may seem strange to say, but he seems like anyone else, some days good, some days bad.
Post a Comment