Star Wars Dissertation research

[Jediknight10]

Hello fellow Star Wars fans. I am performing my dissertation for University about how the storytelling and effects aspects help Star Wars change the film industry and I need multiple opinions about the subject matter. I am doing this subject because I believe Star Wars is revolutionary film series that I would like to talk about. Here is a questionnaire I put together that I would like you to answer please before the week commencing the 11th of December: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...9DGpZKHqrZMTvL9PQRcam3cA/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

[monkey_roo]

Hey
I am sure folks here would be happy to give you an opinion - but you might want to do a better job of saying Hello and putting more context around your request (What Uni, why this subject matter etc.) - otherwise it's a bit of a random request.

For what it is worth though I am not sure SW changed the story telling as such. If you look at it for what it is, then it is really a fairytale in space using very basic constructs of Good v's Evil. The mythology behind SW finds its origins in other areas as well, but essentially the character constructs and the basic structure of the film were nothing new - the presentation of that being in space and the visuals were the thing though, Kubrick set the bar in 68 with 2001, but Lucas took it to a whole new level and that is the films major legacy, ILM (PIXAR) and everything that came after 77. Alien in 79 being a perfect example. But look at the ILM work on T2 and later on Jurassic Park or Forest Gump etc. none of that would exist without SW - and there would be no Toy Story......

It might be worth looking at the overall cinema landscape at the time as well, to understand the landscape - there was a lot going on (one of the best decades for cinema...) You had anti-establishment films reflecting the post Vietnam depression and anger (Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver,...) you had the master pieces, The Godfather, All the Presidents Men etc, but innovations like Blazing Saddles, Monty Python etc. But what there wasn't were many big budget Special Effects Space Opera's (actually none), SW broke that mould.
You also had a push back from a group of directors against the old Hollywood machine (Lucas, Spielberg, Coppola etc.) but that is more of a tangent.

But for lasting impact you need to focus on the creation of ILM and within that PIXAR and the standard they set for bringing previously thought impossible images to the screen. Obviously beyond the screen SW was the first film to really show how merchandising (Kenner) and expanded universe story telling could work.

Just thoughts though.