Director George Lucas is an American filmmaker and writer. He
studied cinematography at the University of Southern
California and caught the eye of Francis Ford Coppola, who
helped him enter the film business. Lucas is best known for
writing and directing Star Wars and creating the Indiana Jones
series, as well as founding the Industrial Light & Magic
special effects company.
Lucas was born George Walton Lucas Jr. on May 14, 1944, in
Modesto, California. Lucas's parents sold retail office
supplies and owned a walnut ranch in California. His
experiences growing up in the sleepy suburb of Modesto and his
early passion for cars and motor racing would eventually serve
as inspiration for his Oscar-nominated low-budget phenomenon,
American Graffiti (1973).
Before young Lucas became obsessed with the movie camera, he
wanted to be a race car driver, but a near-fatal accident in
his souped-up Fiat just days before his high school graduation
quickly changed his mind. Instead, he attended community
college and developed a passion for cinematography and camera
tricks.
Following the advice of a friend, he transferred to the
University of Southern California's film school. There, he
produced a short futuristic sci-fi film called Electronic
Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB, and garnered a comfortable spot under
the wing of Francis Ford Coppola, who took an active interest
in unleashing new filmmaking talent.
Coppola convinced Warner Brothers to make a feature-length
version of the film, and although a few critics recognized
some philosophical depth behind all the technical wizardry,
THX 1138 (re-titled) flopped terribly in its 1971 release.