Rigorous note-taking on The Making of the Empire Strikes Back by J. W. Rinzler. I'm starting the book on Friday (January 17) and will try to read it as fast as I can.

Chapter 1: The Summer of Star Wars (May to December 1977)

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Opening:

  • Star Wars is released in 1977 and became a pop culture phenomenon.
  • A bunch of people involved with the production (e.g. Williams, Fisher, Ford) describe what the frenzy was like at the time.

Badlands:

  • After a while, Lucas stopped doing publicity because it was too overwhelming.
  • The success of the film and its licensing opportunities meant a sequel was pretty much inevitable, but Lucas wasn't ready to commit just yet.
  • The production of the original film "had been a four-year horrific seat-of-the-pants experience"—one that Lucas never wanted to experience again. However, it wasn't what Lucas envisioned, and a sequel would allow him to finish what he'd started.
  • The first movie gave Lucas insight to the Star Wars universe since it established it, so he knew a sequel would provide an opportunity to introduce more ideas and adventures. "I always felt if I could go back to those environments using the same characters, I could make a helluva better movie."
  • Star Wars sequel rumors made their ways around the press, one of which claimed that two sequels were shot concurrently with the first film, while others claimed Lucas would only "supervise" future Star Wars films (only the latter was true).

Chapter 2: The Gathering Force (December 1977 to July 1978)

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Chapter 3: The Art of Doing (July 1978 to February 1979)

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Chapter 4: Luke of the Tundra (February to March 1979)

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Chapter 5: Studio Clouds (March to May 1979)

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Chapter 6: Shadows in the Light (May to June 1979)

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Chapter 7: Fall from Space (June to August 1979)

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Chapter 8: Yoda Lives (August to September 1979)

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Chapter 9: Film Dance (September to December 1979)

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Chapter 10: Wonderland Empire (December 1979 to May 1980)

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Chapter 11: Voyage to Victory (May to December 1980)

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