Lucas at USC

How did Lucas get accepted to USC with what he said was a D- average student in high school?

Also, how did he survive before he got the WB thing with Coppola and made THX 1138 to get money? I don't see how he survived during his college years and directly after... this is left out in all documentaries.

 

I can answer the first question off the top of my head -- he spent his first two years at a junior college, or community college, or some combination thereof. Forget which, though.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

I believe he went to Modesto Junior College before USC, but I could be wrong. I'm not even absolutely sure that's what it was called. Anyway, there was an intermediate step before he went to USC. I believe cinematographer Haskell Wexler helped Lucas get enrolled in USC.

I know I once read that Lucas said he had worked as a waiter in a restaurant, so maybe that's what he did for a part of his college years. I also know that he worked as an editor on a government documentary about President Lyndon Johnson during his early 20s, that may have paid him some money.

 

How did Lucas get accepted into what he said was a D- average student in high school?

He worked as a photographer for a sports magazine, covering car races, where he met fellow car-enthusiast and cinematographer Haskell Wexler. Lucas learnt a lot from him about photographing and he was accepted at the USC Film School right away because of his talent as a photographer.

As for how Lucas managed to survive during his years as a student; he didn't exactly come from a very poor family (His father owned a walnut-farm or something) so it could be that he got some money from his family even if they didn't support his decision to become a filmmaker. or maybe he just won in the lottery LOL

 

From what I understand, getting into USC is fairly difficult. Wexler may have helped him out. Or maybe entering after two years of community college helps. Or both. Perhaps it was his photography talent that got him in, as I know USC film school asks for creative examples outside of school for the applications.