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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

PT Mancaves! Where on the ranch did George Lucas pen the Prequels in Webisode?

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by ObiSpamBaloney, Apr 4, 2018.

  1. ObiSpamBaloney

    ObiSpamBaloney Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2014
    I'm a huge fan of cluttered offices and man caves. I've got one of my own at home in fact :) There was a webisode released during the time of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace called "All I Need Is An Idea" where we got a close up look into George Lucas's own mancave ("... the hole live in, the cave I hibernate in...") where he charted out the plot and story of the prequel trilogy. Where exactly on Skywalker Ranch campus was this office? Which building, and what was the purpose for that building. I hear most of them even had their own theatre. Too cool.



    It was somewhere on the 2nd floor of one of the many houses on Skywalker Ranch - not the white Main House, but one of the wood coloured ones. It had a small living room, a rustic fireplace, and just around the corner behind it an alcove overlooking onto the hills and opposite buildings. I always wondered which part of that campus did George do that portion of the production him with just a notepad, and small TV and a box of old VHS cassettes (and a computer with a huge monitor LOL). It looks like it was in one of the many ones opposite from what appears to be the Brook House (which sits alone on one side up the valley) - either the Gate House or the Carriage House.

    [​IMG]

    Of course there are a lot of other cool sites on the ranch, like this:


    But I'm still a huger fan of the smaller cluttered spaces where the real work gets done!

    P.S. - Who here thinks George ever upgrade that PC and monitor? I get the impression that he held back on upgrading it until he absolutely had to. He still comes across as a very simple and down to earth man who doesn't need to have the latest gadgets, despite the fact that he pioneers such efforts in his own productions.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2018
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  2. ezekiel22x

    ezekiel22x Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    I always loved that little look at Lucas starting work on the PT. Humble beginnings for the most intriguing and creative era of Star Wars!
     
  3. Darkslayer

    Darkslayer #1 Sabine Wren Fan star 7

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2013
    The ranch is beautiful.
     
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  4. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    George still owns it too. In fact, he owns all the land for all the ranches, Skywalker, Big Rock,etc.
     
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  5. Christus Regnet

    Christus Regnet Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 10, 2016
    Is Lucasfilm still doing work there? Like Rebels?
     
  6. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

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    Jul 7, 2009
    IIRC, everything Lucasfilm was moved to the Presidio years ago, with the exception of Skywalker Sound. They even mentioned at the time how ILM, LucasArts and Lucasfilm Animation came to work much more closely because of that.
     
    Last edited: Jun 13, 2018
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  7. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    No. Animation still works at Big Rock.
     
  8. Bowen

    Bowen Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 6, 1999
    It's funny in some ways that despite his fame for futuristic filmmaking, Skywalker Ranch is a throwback / quaint type of place, almost like rustic and whatnot. I'm surprised in a way that he didn't go ultra modern with it, but maybe the neighbors wouldn't have liked that, who knows if that matters.

    I think it's cool he still owns Skywalker Ranch, though.
     
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  9. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    No, Marin is very conservative when it comes to development. He never would have been allowed to build anything slightly industrial or too commercial at Skywalker. He tried in the early 90s to move all of Lucasfilm, even ILM, to Skywalker and the Marin Commission shot him down without hesitation. The other thing is Lucas actually loves that older type of architecture as well. He likes Victorian and nineteenth century types.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
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  10. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

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    Jul 7, 2009
    I'm pretty sure they moved to Presidio no later than 2007.

    EDIT: 2006 apparently.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
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  11. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Yeah that is not entirely accurate. Animation has some positions located at the Letterman, as ILM has worked with them on some projects(Strange Magic, TCW, Rebels, etc), but Filoni and many of the other staff worked on TCW and Rebels at Big Rock. But yes, GLEF is also located there. George actually has a proposal to open it up as vacation property. Very sad as it is spectacular. I like it more than Skywalker.
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
  12. Christus Regnet

    Christus Regnet Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 10, 2016
    They frequently speak about what life is like working on the ranch in the Clone Wars featurettes, so they must have been headquartered there. The actual animation happened all over, notably in Singapore.

    Lucasfilm Animation was created and constructed specifically for The Clone Wars in late 2005/2006.
     
  13. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    Some of the team were at the ranch when needed, mostly for pre-production (story development with George, research in the archives, etc), but the Animation division doesn't work there. Again, not since 2006 (and excluding outsourced work, I'd say they had no animation developed at that point).
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2018