Well, I’m off to NYC next week to work with Abrams on a yet-to-be-announced book. Some fans, or at least one I’ve noticed online, have already guess at its subject, but I’m forbidden to announce it. Still too early, but it’ll be out spring of next year. Also spending a fair amount of time on another undisclosed project, very exciting, but way, way too early to announce—it’s presently scheduled for early 2014. Sorry to tease, but it’s like working in a different time zone, toiling away on material that has no verbal or public forum. I guess there are a lot of people in the same boat.
But at least I can blather on about the Making of Jedi book. I’m presently working in InDesign, laying out what they call a “bookmap”—a rough layout with final manuscript text and images that will indicate to the designer what images to use, how big they should be, how they relate to each other and the text, etc. Also writing captions. I’m up to Chapter 5, out of 12 chapters. This weekend, will try and get to next two.
But there are so many captions, it’s like writing another little book, probably of around 10,000 words or more.
What can I write to liven this thing up? Becker & Mayer was just here today and there’s some good books on the horizon—no, that’s more TBA crap. The overlords at starwars.com are not going to be happy with this piece! They might take away my keyboard… ah ha! I know… George Lucas news always interests people. Well, George recently ok’d the whole interior of Star Wars and History, images, captions. And it does look pretty good. And I’m sending over a big part of the top secret project today for his feedback (fingers crossed…).
And I had lunch with Dennis Muren, who is hard at work on the 3D versions of Episode II and III, which were just announced. Always interesting to hear how that’s going—and it’s going well.
Well, enough stream of unconsciousness. More in a couple of weeks…
Lucasfilm executive editor J. W. Rinzler is the author of The Making of Star Wars and The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. He is now writing The Making of Return of the Jedi (and really looking forward to finishing it) for a fall 2013 release. You can visit jwrinzler.com for more info.
Gah! Rinzler, you’re such a tease! Admit it, you enjoy doing this us.
You seem to have your next couple of years of work cut out for you, though. From this day on I’m going to read the captions with a whole lot of more respect.
Dear Mr. Rinzler, is it possible to throw in some page with only pictures of the background aliens from Jabbas Palace and Ewoks?
I would love to see how the costume of that alien was, whom Chewie throws down the stairs at the beginning of the “Bounty Scene”.
Or how looks the concept art for the “bulb alien”, which was sadly scraped, but there is a picture on in the blueray
I’m sure there is more… And you are digging through the archives and can see all the “Holy Grail” stuff.
Lucasfilm would profit from this too, because fans see and want this stuff and Hasbro or other companies would have reference
images.
I have finished The Making of the Empire Strikes Back first, and I now reading The Making of Star Wars. And I LOVE this books.
Thank you!
I hope theses big secrets are updated-expanded “Making of’s” of Episodes I, II & III?
Thanks for all the awesome Making of Books!
Really looking forward to the Jedi one.
Oxward321-I hope so, too. Please?