Courtney Riffle

Period 4

January, February, & March 2018

Senior Passion Project: Star Wars

How has the Star Wars franchise impacted our culture?

After directing multiple films, including American Graffiti, George Lucas survived off

his last director’s check to complete the screen write of a six hour tale, which would later be

tilted Star Wars. Lucas went from company to company, pitching his story, and received an offer

from 20th Century Fox to create the first part of his narrative. In exchange for a meager salary

Lucas retained possession of sequel and merchandising rights, which was thought to be a foolish

move at the time by the rest of the film industry. In the journey to create the original film, George

Lucas was forced to create multiple companies and deplete his personal finances to fund the

process. To 20th Century Fox and the rest of Hollywood, Star Wars was determined to be a box

office failure that would bring in a pittance of profit. Yet, Star Wars: A New Hope was an

overwhelming success that quickly became the “... second highest-grossing film of all time at the

U.S. box office….[earning] nearly $461 million, which becomes just shy of $1.5 billion when

adjusted for inflation…”1 after Gone With the Wind (1939). With the success of the entire Saga,

Star Wars has not only become a movie success, but it has impacted our culture through the

adoption of merchandising, the evolution of the film industry, and the involvement among the

Saga’s fans and their communities.

1Jackson, Brad. “40 Years Ago, Star Wars Changed Movies Forever.” The Federalist, The Federalist, 30 May 2017,
thefederalist.com/2017/05/25/40-years-ago-star-wars-changed-movies-forever/.
 Until 1977, merchandising rights were of little concern to a filmmaker or company; sales

in that department were predominantly the lowest in the industry as a whole. The reality changed

with the release of Star Wars - later titled A New Hope - in 1977, which ushered in the current

atmosphere of a material society based of each viewers’ preferred film. The film industry was

shocked and quickly adjusted to meet this demand for toys, games, and other items that could be

branded with a movie’s symbol or characters. Today, all kinds of stores are filled with products

in all shapes and sizes from popular movies, with their titles and characters used to further sell

their items. Imagine walking through a Target or Walmart without seeing a shirt, food item,

blanket, or toy with a movie character, half of the store would be empty. The Lego ailes alone

would not exist, as the brand became a household name with its “...incredibly popular “Star

Wars” construction sets,”2 ultimately earning “...$2.03 billion…”3 in 2014 and becoming “...the

largest toy company on the planet.”4 The prevalence of pre-ordering movie themed products and

merchandise also began with the boom of the original Star Wars film. A toy company named

Kenner began to produce pre-toy packages, where children would receive an empty box that was

essentially a receipt to pick-up their toy at a later date. With the increasing demand for film

related elements, toy manufacturers, filmmakers, and designers began to rely on advertisements

as a new source in merchandising that featured popular films to attract their customers’ attention.

In the late 1900s, trailers for upcoming movies were used as a crowd attractor for a film in

theaters. Star Wars’ influence was once again seen for films like The Waterboy, Meet Joe Black,

and The Siege. Crowds rushed to the big screen, paying about eight dollars for a ticket, only to

walk out after the two minute teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace after the fifteen

year dry spell since the last film. Theater owners began to play the trailer again at the end of the

film “...so people would stick around the place and hopefully buy some popcorn as they killed

2Jackson, Brad. “40 Years Ago, Star Wars Changed Movies Forever.” The Federalist, The Federalist, 30 May 2017,
thefederalist.com/2017/05/25/40-years-ago-star-wars-changed-movies-forever/.
3DAVIDSON, JACOB. “Lego Is Now The Largest Toy Company In The World | Money.” Time, Time, 4 Sept. 2014,
time.com/money/3268065/lego-largest-toy-company-mattel/.
4DAVIDSON, JACOB. “Lego Is Now The Largest Toy Company In The World | Money.” Time, Time, 4 Sept. 2014,
time.com/money/3268065/lego-largest-toy-company-mattel/.
time.”5 With the creation of the prequels, the Clone Wars films and tv series, and the merger with

the Walt Disney Company, Star Wars products continue to be mass produced and created at a

never ending pace that will continue long pass the current saga.

Along with altering the long standing view on movie retail, George Lucas revamped the

movie making process and the importance of classic themes that never fail to attract an audience.

When George Lucas began designing the props and sets for Star Wars in the 1970s, he quickly

came to the consensus that the current available programs and equipment would not produce his

desired images and effects. So, he took it upon himself to push technology to his desired

outcome by creating multiple companies - such as Industrial Lights and Magic and Skywalker

Sound - with specific interests, that would forever shape movies. Industrial Lights and Magic

came up with the Dykstraflex; which is a camera that used the current Vista Vision and combined

it with seven axes of rotation to create digital motion photography with a computer that was less

powerful than the average smartphone. This camera “...[created] the illusion of stationary models

moving quickly…”6 to create the iconic space battle scenes featuring TIE Fighter chases and the

Death Star Battle in the first film. Skywalker Sound “...combined both organic and electronic

sounds to build a soundscape like one never heard before…”7 to create Chewbacca’s roars, a

blaster’s blast, and a speeder’s hum. Over the years, Industrial Lights and Magic with Skywalker

Sound continue to be some of the top special effects and sound design companies through their

constant innovation, and are used by filmmakers across the trade. Some of Industrial Lights and

Magic more notable works include the Jurassic Park series, E.T. (1982), Saving Private Ryan

(1998), the Harry Potter films, and the Avengers movies. Skywalker Sound has also contributed

5Greene, Andy. “Flashback: 'Star Wars: Phantom Menace' Trailer Arrives.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct.
2015, www.rollingstone.com/movies/videos/flashback-star-wars-phantom-menace-trailer-causes-hysteria-in-1998-
20151016.
6Brooks, Dan. “5 Ways Star Wars: A New Hope Changed Everything.” StarWars.com, TM & ©
Lucasfilm Ltd, 25 May 2017, www.starwars.com/news/5-ways-star-wars-a-new-hope-changed-
everything.
7Brooks, Dan. “5 Ways Star Wars: A New Hope Changed Everything.” StarWars.com, TM & ©
Lucasfilm Ltd, 25 May 2017, www.starwars.com/news/5-ways-star-wars-a-new-hope-changed-
everything.
to the Avengers films, Finding Nemo ( 2004), Star Trek movies, and Epic (2014). Each of these

companies have received a variety of awards from differing venues while continuing to challenge

the current position of the film industry’s standards. George Lucas also influenced the view and

presentation of the sci-fi genre. Before Star Wars: A New Hope, sci-fi films presented alien

worlds and space itself as a clean, precise environment that seemed impeccable. However, Lucas

created a world where the main hero came from a dusty, dirty desert that mirrored a Western film

rather that the scientific sci-fi of the time. His story also encouraged Hollywood to look to

Japanese culture for inspiration, as his Jedi were influenced by Seven Samurai (1954) directed by

Akira Kurosawa. Lucas’ Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, provided young girls with a role

model who was a leader and a fighter, and is attributed to the “Princess Leia generation” with the

rise in heroines and the number of women employed in elite positions since the 1977 release. The

Star Wars films continue to expand their sphere of influence and continue to push Hollywood to

new directions, while never losing focus on the individuals that enjoy the Saga.

The Star Wars films continue to attract generations of young imaginative explorers that

fondly remember their first experiences with the Saga. Fans continue to show their support and

are growing in number each year. Over time, local fan groups partnered up to create larger

groups and eventually worldwide organizations, such as the 501st Legion (the bad guys) and

Rebel Legion (the good guys), were founded. Unlike other movie themed fan associations, the

501st Legion and the Rebel Legion focus their time and energy purely on volunteering in their

local communities, specifically with their area’s youth by supporting the Make-A-Wish

Foundation and anti-bullying initiatives with great success. The members personally hand

created professional Star Wars costumes and props to mimic characters from across the franchise.

They attend a range of events and activities that benefit from the visiting characters and perform

marches, drills, and the highly loved meet-and-greets, bringing Star Wars to a reality for the
attendees. As Ms. Tina Sixt, a member of the Rebel Legion and the 501st Legion describes, “We

do a wide variety of volunteer work...we go to traditional conventions but we also do things like

the local public libraries. We have Star Wars Reading Days. We’ve done hospital visits, things

like that.”8 Members use their love of Star Wars as motivation to bring joy to someone else’s day

no matter the cost and effort that may fall upon themselves. Ms. Sixt usually costumes as

Princess Leia with the Rebel Legion and enjoys seeing a child’s “...eyes light up….you see a new

generation and they say ‘Oh it’s Princess Leia!’ You can hear them saying, ‘Princess Leia,

Princess Leia!’, and they want to come up and get a picture taken.”9 Like her fellow members,

Ms. Sixt continues to use her time to serve her community by further a child’s imagination and

experience. The 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion provide a service to their communities in a

unique way that would not have been possible without the cultural importance of the Star Wars

Saga.

George Lucas wrote a tale of good versus evil that took place in a different and novel

location that was unheard of at the time. Since the success of the original film in 1977, the Star

Wars universe has spread to every corner of our society and continues to pop up in new locations

each moment. Star Wars: A New Hope paved the way for the mass merchandise industry seen

today which contributes to the high employment of workers in various successful companies, the

creation of technology and resources that proceed to transform the film industry’s abilities to

bring new adventures to wide audiences, and the organization of dedicated individuals that use

Star Wars to impact their local areas and youth by providing unforgettable experiences with the

intent to bring happiness to others.

8Personal Interview conducted by Courtney Riffle on January 24, 2018 with Ms. Tina Sixt, a member of the 501st
and Rebel Legion. Transcript available along with video documentation.
9 Personal Interview conducted by Courtney Riffle on January 24, 2018 with Ms. Tina Sixt, a member of the 501st
and Rebel Legion. Transcript available along with video documentation.
 Works Cited

1. Jackson, Brad. “40 Years Ago, Star Wars Changed Movies Forever.” The Federalist, The

Federalist, 30 May 2017, thefederalist.com/2017/05/25/40-years-ago-star-wars-changed-

movies-forever/.
2. Greene, Andy. “Flashback: 'Star Wars: Phantom Menace' Trailer Arrives.” Rolling Stone,

Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2015, www.rollingstone.com/movies/videos/flashback-star-wars-

phantom-menace-trailer-causes-hysteria-in-1998-20151016.
3. * All products require an annual contract. Prices do not include sales tax (New York

residents only)., Statista. “Revenue of Major Toy Companies Worldwide 2016 | Statistic.”

Statista, Statista 2018, www.statista.com/statistics/241241/revenue-of-major-toy-

companies-worldwide/.
4. DAVIDSON, JACOB. “Lego Is Now The Largest Toy Company In The World | Money.”

Time, Time, 4 Sept. 2014, time.com/money/3268065/lego-largest-toy-company-mattel/.

5. Brooks, Dan. “5 Ways Star Wars: A New Hope Changed Everything.” StarWars.com, TM

& © Lucasfilm Ltd, 25 May 2017, www.starwars.com/news/5-ways-star-wars-a-new-

hope-changed-everything.

6. Personal Interview conducted by Courtney Riffle on January 24, 2018 with Ms. Tina Sixt,

a member of the 501st and Rebel Legion. Transcript available along with video

documentation.

7. “The 501st Legion.” 501st Legion - Vader's Fist, 501ST LEGION, www.501st.com/hotf/.

8. Zehr, Dan. “Studying Skywalkers: May the 4th and the Cultural Significance of Star

Wars.” StarWars.com, Lucasfilm Ltd, 4 May 2016, www.starwars.com/news/studying-

skywalkers-may-the-4th-and-the-cultural-significance-of-star-wars.

9. Kemp, Ted. “Star Wars: How The World Changed.” CNBC, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2010,

www.cnbc.com/id/18782445.

10. Tmg. “How Star Wars Changed the Movies.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 18

Dec. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars-the-force-awakens/how-star-wars-

changed-movies/.

11. DIAZ, ERIC. “5 Ways STAR WARS Created Modern Nerd Culture.” Nerdist, Nerdist

Industries, LLC, 24 May 2017, nerdist.com/star-wars-created-modern-nerd-culture-40th-

anniversary/.
12. Film, Into. “How Star Wars Changed the World of Film and Beyond.” News & Views -

How Star Wars Changed the World of Film and beyond - News - Into Film, Into Film , 20

Apr. 2016, www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/the-force-awakens-feature.