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Body Copy: Founded by visionary filmmaker George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm established itself as a “rebel base” of sorts in San Francisco’s Bay Area, a place the filmmaker chose to “shake up the status quo…of how movies were made and what they were about.” It was a defiant departure from the Hollywood mainstream and a more conducive atmosphere to cultivate his independent spirit of filmmaking.

With money earned from his third motion picture, 1977’s blockbuster Star Wars, Lucas was able to construct Skywalker Ranch in San Francisco’s North Bay in the early ‘80s, a place where filmmakers could work together sharing ideas and experience.

Basing his Skywalker Sound facility at the Ranch, Lucas moved Industrial Light & Magic, his special effects company based in Los Angeles, to nearby San Rafael, allowing him to keep his production facilities and special effects house in close proximity to each other.

• In 2005, Lucas brought Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic together at the Letterman Digital Arts Center at the Presidio in San Francisco.
• Six years later in 2012, he handed the company reigns over to renowned producer Kathleen Kennedy.
• Who has since opened up an exciting new era for Lucasfilm by returning it to its production studio roots.

When Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney that same year, Kennedy worked to enhance the company’s collaborative spirit, building a creative community of writers, directors, artists and filmmakers. Lucasfilm draws on the vast pool of skilled, world-class talent found in San Francisco and around the world, allowing it to create the top-notch entertainment experiences it has come to be known for.

1. When Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney that same year,
2. Kennedy worked to enhance the company’s collaborative spirit,
3. building a creative community of writers, directors,
4. artists and filmmakers. Lucasfilm draws on the vast pool of skilled, world-class talent found in San Francisco and around the world,
5. allowing it to create the top-notch entertainment experiences it has come to be known for.

Tasked with filming live-action features, the on-set crew brings everything together to actualize each project. In addition to physical filming, they are also responsible for building the immersive sets, creatures, costumes, and props of Star Wars that fans have come to know and love. Since their return to making live-action films, Lucasfilm has partnered with Pinewood Studios in the UK for in-studio filming.

A New Hope became a global phenomenon and fueled the growth of Lucasfilm. With the repeat success of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the company would expand its visual effects and sound operations, including, among others, games, consumer products, and publishing. It would also build Skywalker Ranch, a secluded retreat to foster the art of filmmaking.

Lucasfilm continued to inspire audiences with the Star Wars saga and introduce other beloved tales including the Indiana Jones adventures and Willow (1988). These worlds expanded with further stories in books and comics overseen by the company’s licensing division. Over the decades, the company has established Lucasfilm Games to craft beloved stories for generations of players, Lucasfilm Animation to produce award-winning television series, and ILM Immersive to pioneer stories in new mediums.

ILM as a whole has continued to be at the forefront of visual effects and has opened multiple international studios while Skywalker Sound is the world’s premier post-production facility. Lucasfilm has remained a leading innovator in creating digital tools for filmmakers, including the THX Sound System, EditDroid, SoundDroid, and Pixar Image Computer.

In 2012, George Lucas recruited producer Kathleen Kennedy as Lucasfilm’s president. Soon after, Lucas retired, selling Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company. Since then, Kennedy has overseen the busiest era in the company’s history, producing feature films, live action and animated series, games, books and comics, immersive experiences and continuing the legacy of technological innovation with developments such as ILM Stagecraft.