STAR WARS (1977): How It Was Written

A video essay on the making of the original 'Star Wars' (1977), and the development of the script from a simple idea into a billion-dollar franchise.
Narrated and edited by Chris Ashton.

[@ashdoginc]

When you see the development behind Star Wars it is amazing how well it ended up. You also understand why the prequels became what they became.

[@PlainsPup]

9:57 - This deleted scene with Luke watching the space battle from down on Tatooine ("Utapau") is just fantastic. Not only do we see a day in the life of Luke, working with a droid and a moisture vaporator, you also get a sense of the magnitude of the battles going on out there. The scene is both mundane and incredibly imaginative at the same time. I can see why it didn't make the final cut, but something like it might've been really cool, and good for setting the mood.

[@cobeoe]

Honestly I think that's the only thing they should have kept him watching the space battle for a few seconds like in the dark horse manga version

[@Tadicuslegion78]

If there's anything I took from George Lucas as a writer, it's get all your ideas out on paper first, they can be as crazy as you want, just get it all out there, then look at all of it and go, alright I can take this part, this and this, and a bit of that and that. While at the same time go, I really like this idea, but it's not gonna work for the story I'm working on now so I will save it for later when I can find a better use for it. And really, spending the couple of bucks to buy a bunch of loose leaf paper/legal pads and pencils has helped me a bunch to force myself to physically write rather than just look at a computer screen all day.

[@gonk534]

Ah, yes. Thanks for combining my two favourite things: Star Wars and History. It is very interesting to see the history of films and how they are made.

[@JNPro]

Amazing video. I'm actually a novelist doing some research on other creative persons work and it was very helpful.

[@Valkonnen]

You know how you hear these fans saying, "That film changed my life!"? In my case it actually did! I saw this in the theater in 1977 when i was 10 years old. When I was 13 I saw ESB, and met the Mother and Grandmother of one of the effects guys who were viewing the film as well. She took my address and her son wrote me a letter, encouraging my artistic talent and sent a pencil sketch of Darth Vader's helmet, that read " To Rick, Good luck and may the force be with you.". This SHOWED me that people actually do start out as regular people, and can actually work on big films. To date , I've had a 35 year career in special effects because of that one letter, that showed by example that you can be whatever you want.

[@Jared_Wignall]

George Lucas truly created something special with Star Wars. Combining so many things from history, religion, western and eastern cultures and so much more makes Star Wars stand out more than any Space Opera film before or after it. Thank you for the video man, keep up the great work!

[@johanbendiksen7051]

My main takeaway from this is that Star Wars could easily have never been, and likewise many other pieces of art could've been just as famous as Star Wars but never even came close.

[@FrenchAccentsChannel]

Yes, it seems Star Wars sailed onto a perfect storm of collaborators.

[@grasont9582]

This brings me the idea, what have never been, what is out there that has never left the paper.

[@markgraham2312]

A very good job. I spent 2 years studying Star Wars and read many of the same sources. Very good. Kaminsky's book is half-good and half-bad.

[@sachathedragon5766]

Trying to write a novel inspired by Star Wars.

[@patricksleep9787]

I’m trying to write two screenplays influence and inspired by Star Wars and spaghetti western films, one will most likely be a feature the other is more of a tv series, both are in the genre of Space opera or fantasy

[@keeganfritz1141]

How’s it going

[@sachathedragon5766]

@@keeganfritz1141 i havent touched it since this comment 😂 ADHD does that 😭

[@GaryTongue-to3pw]

@patricksleep9787 You should call 'Em: "Chazwazzeers"!

[@NovaRadio-il4wb]

I've completed a script, inspired by star wars.

[@lloydshanahan154]

The most official versions of the development of Star Wars can be found in John Rinzler's making of series and Paul Duncan's Star Wars Archives series. You don't get more official then those books. George Lucas A Life is actually full of false info, the first 6 chapters aren't so bad, but when you get to chapter 7 or 8 the book full on becomes a hit piece on George Lucas.

[@GaryTongue-to3pw]

NO books are official or canon to Star Wars, dummy!

[@connordowlin7266]

Absolutely fascinating. If this isn’t motivation for writers, then I don’t know what is. Great job putting this together!

[@MARK-gp9hb]

Wow this video was great! Feels like a legit documentary, well made. While watching I let out a sigh of relief because I'm used to so many poorly made videos

[@adriang6259]

This should be a movie. The movie should end with the start of Star Wars at the first screening

[@johnpoulton9446]

absolutely GREAT work on this video my man !!!!!!!

[@FrenchAccentsChannel]

Awesome research, lots of interesting details. I remember reading the original script, or one of the earlier versions, and it was awful. Lucas' script collaborators deserve a lot of credit, but also the arts dept, SFX, sound design and of course J. Williams for the music.

[@terrencegunther]

That was so good omg. I thought I was the one in 1 million viewers to view the video, until I saw the view count at the end of the video hahahah. You can go so far with KZbin mate, that was the best editing and content ive seen in a while. Cannot believe that you have a view count of fucking 248 views. Definitely subscribing bro, and would love to see some more film related essays bro! keep it up!

[@InvenireFilms]

Thanks so much man! I really appreciate the comment and the support, I'm always hoping I'll eventually make something that people will watch ;)

[@SongvilayFilms]

I really love this video man!

[@CalmaxFilm]

Excellent thank you

[@mgoblue9389]

Can we all just breathe a sigh of relief that they weren't called Jedi Bendu's

[@charlestaylor253]

I'm glad that "Mace Windy" became a Jedi Knight 30+ years later and died from being Force-thrown out a windu...😏

[@ATATChat]

Great video man. Subbed.

[@zachperry6228]

Is the opening song of your video by Nctrnm?

[@Dantheon]

His earliest draft of Star Wars reads a lot like how Dune written....

[@Typicyegvw]

I will make and write a fictional movie franchise which will rival and equal the success of Star Wars. The first movie will be titled ‘The Great Rifter GumBall’ and it will come out when I’m 19 years old and just left college. Remember this in 10 years!

[@CharlieMonkeh]

Simply a brilliant video you made, I’m actually writing a script that’s similar to the way how Lucas wrote his scripts but there is no way I would follow in his footsteps. Instead I wanna stand on my own but I wanna test my writing abilities that’s all, personally story comes first before the art, that’s as much I could say.

[@ShujoSLX]

intro song?

[@andrikpalaciosc]

9:20 Horology by King Gizzard ... wow

[@Elwrt455]

Great book too

[@puliturchannel7225]

"the best nudity ever had was George Lucas", I just love the automatic subtitles... But I have to say, I still don't know what Joseph Campbell said there, english not being my native tongue.

[@mfmr200]

Hans solo is voldemort?

[@dentangaji6161]

holy damn young George Lucas is hella drip 😭

[@svslucy]

Weee need more VIEWS for this! ASAP!

[@comaofbowls84]

He took 90% of the original Dune novel and made it kid-friendly. There, now you know.

[@ryananthony4840]

Without a good script it has nowhere to go....... LIKE 7 8 AND 9!!!

[@iainclark5964]

It had a script?!

[@user-xx6vy9ri8p]

George created all the script and plot of Ep 1-6. He didn't directed 5 adn 6 only because of nervious breakdown. Check the @Star wars: Empire of dreams". And yes, prequels were great. They get us great world of the Republic and Jedi, told the arc of Anakin Skywalker which gets more sense to OT. And they did the univerce more serious and mature. Of course, the epic star battles and saber fights...If you don't like it because of stupid reasons (Jar Jar, midichlorians, love dialogues), it is such your problem. Without George would be no Star Wars.

[@VibingMeike]

I wholeheartedly agree with this

[@damiantirado9616]

Sorry pal you sound like a Lucas fanboy. He didn’t wrote the scripts for all 6 films in the 70s he didn’t really have a plan. Stop making excuses kids Any talented filmmaker would know that the prequels are objectively bad films.

[@j_d.darrenhunter5803]

​@@damiantirado9616 And so how do you explain Steven Spielberg giving the prequels praise? He not talented enough for your standards?

[@damiantirado9616]

@@j_d.darrenhunter5803 Steven Spielberg never praised the Star Wars prequels. He never said anything good about them. So stop lying.

[@j_d.darrenhunter5803]

@@damiantirado9616 Alright, go ahead and ignore his segments in several interviews where he gave George rounding praise for being bold enough to move forward with his vision and how splendid they turned out. My source is the special edition interviews and the encyclopedia if you wanna go ahead and watch for yourself. Oh what's that? You don't feel like reading or watching and would rather just claim it never happened because you refuse to go and see for yourself? Figures.

[@anthonycorcino6700]

I would like to see Han Solo leader of the hubble people.

[@WhackWackenhut]

Leigh Brackett

[@TyphanyGarcia]

United artists

[@plowe6751]

The lesson is if you can't buy the rights, then just make a knockoff.

[@educastellini]

-Here's the thing: So Star Wars Original is created by George Lucas of the 70's (half Hippie) along with Joseph Campbell (Power of Myth, Hero with a Thousand Faces, Hero's Journey), who basically is the guy who defined mythology worldwide. -Then they created a Space Opera with Good and Evil hyper well defined (as in any classical mythology) with mystical knights who have their religion based on the mystical force that emanates from all living beings against their opposite of the dark side (Yang Ying ) and a chosen one of the force and his son with princesses, smugglers, rebels at war against an evil empire and that was the original script that George Lucas divided into 9 parts and made the first 6 which are absurdly better than the last 3 made by writers who are now only concerned with military left-handedness that is the woke fashion of today and relativizing evil. -Mandalorian was good at the beginning because it was faithful to the classic cannon and showed the culture and lore of their sect (and this has depth) honorable warriors who have a code and defend orphans and with Baby Yoda...?!?!? !?!? -Forget that Star Wars and Star Trek in the hands of these fragrant writers is already over. -There's a saying that "for a bad fuck even the belly gets in the way" these writers have the depth of a puddle of mud compared to the originals it's logical that shit will only come. -From now on just backwards my friends.

[@DeroComedy]

AT-STs!! AT-STs!!

[@InvenireFilms]

Did it break new ground?

[@DeroComedy]

omg he replied... he really replied

[@jvo8068]

Prequels > Originals

[@one4allall4one91]

Aweful name: starkiller. Good thing he changed it.

[@CharlieMonkeh]

One4All All4One personally it sounds too cheesy if you ask me.

[@moussamiller4812]

@@CharlieMonkeh it was later used in The Force unleashed games for Vader’s apprentice

[@CharlieMonkeh]

@@moussamiller4812 that I do remember, thanks pal!

[@okayyeah8699]

2:22 Donald Owen Trump Wilson

[@P.Subaeruginosa]

Just a quick FYI, if you manage to get inducted into an aboriginal tribe and gain trust with the elders you'll learn that their creation story is star wars minus the colorful characters and I mean literally everything except the characters what is referred to as "the force" is just a very lazily renamed "the source" not saying he copied it but it is very suspicious.

[@camm24]

not a fan of this, it's a huge stretch.

[@opedits-ar8920]

Not a fan of the Originals? They are the best