Yes, this Saturday night, my family will be donning our finest Star Wars costumes and parading down to Oakland's landmark Grand Lake Theatre to watch The Force Awakens. We’ve spent the last month reviewing the OT, so we’re fresh.
And, we’re more than a little excited, that our new company shares its name with one of the Force Awakens' heroes, Finn FN-2187. (Having not seen it yet… I gather that he was one of the best Stormtroopers who defects to join the Resistance.)
Not to take the analogy too far, but that feels incredibly relevant to each of us. Having spent decades on the side of tradition and large corporate rule, rewriting the rules of innovation feels like a rebellion. It feels important and worthy and we’re all so proud to be fighting the good fight. Now, if we can only get our hands on an X-Wing fighter…
Star Wars, since its inception, has changed the way movies are made. The vision, technology, and even its basic business model serve as inspiration to creators in every field. When we talk about innovation being seismic, this is what we mean. George Lucas didn't make a movie (and then a bunch of sequels), he designed a canon. "A set of rules and principles that guide what happens in the Star Wars universe, and which innumerable authors, fans and others have built on over time."
Rather than rewriting what so many others have said so well, here are some of our favorite essays on the innovative genius of Star Wars, George Lucas and his dedicated creative teams.
(May the force be with you)
Here are our seven favorite links about Star Wars and how it’s changed the world.
#1 The quote above about the canon comes from this piece - it talks about how George Lucas made a platform on which creative talent could multiply. What Brands Can Learn From Luke And Leia
#2 To the power of influences and how they compound to inspire us. Infographic - Pretty Much Every Way Star Wars Changed Film & TV Forever
#3 This piece sums up why, when I was eight, I wanted Star Wars toys more than anything in the world, and my now 8-year old son wants Star Wars toys more than anything in the world - How One Brilliant Decision In 1973 Made George Lucas A Multi-Billionaire Today
#4 And how those toys let children (re)play the movie over and over, keeping the spirit of the movie alive between the sequels, even when that's a really really long time! How Star Wars' Insane Toy Frenzy Changed Movies Forever
#5 A nod to what we all know is true - George Lucas is first and foremost an innovator, never letting the way things are today stall the best way to tell a great story. Nine ways George Lucas changed movies forever
#6 "Over the past 38 years, the saga’s brand consistently finds a place in the top five licensed toy brands each year". How Star Wars Changed Film Marketing Forever
#7 Looking forward from here, can the creative team sustain their seminal position. "...where will the 2015 iteration fit in the aesthetic legacy of a cinematic icon?" Star Wars Revolutionized Special Effects Twice. Can It Do It Again?