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Video - Multimedia Technology, Individual Filmmakers - American Film - Biography, Cinematography
Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution by Michael Rubin β€” book cover

Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution

by Michael Rubin
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Overview

The inside story of George Lucas, his intensely private company, and their work to revolutionize filmmaking. In the process, they made computer history. Discover the birth of Pixar, digital video editing, videogame avatars, THX sound, and a host of other icons of the media age. Lucas played a central role in the universe of entertainment technologies we see everyday.

Synopsis

It looked like an unkempt coffee urn and it whistled. Now we know it had a personality and it was the beginning of a revolution. Rubin, who joined Lucasfilm's Computer division in 1985, recounts how R2-D2 and his many brethren changed the process of film making, its scope and the finances behind it, and how the people behind the revolution (many of whom rivaled R2-D2 in relative unkemptness) developed computer graphics, video games and sound and film editing from the ground up. Rubin describes how Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas started with visions of a studio-free future and complete independence, and how Lucas applied that vision to character creation, production, and marketing. Along with his brisk narrative Rubin provides fascinating photos of the aforesaid unkempt and the work they had to do to bring the earliest images to the screen. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Robert S. Weinberg, MD(Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center)
Description:This is a CD-ROM version of patient care information notes. In alphabetical order, in an easy to use index, are listed many common clinical problems and some frequently asked patient questions. The CD-ROM is easy to install and runs in Windows, but computer requirements are not listed.
Purpose:The purpose of the CD-ROM format is to allow the user to provide patients with personalized handouts about a variety of commonly seen topics. The user can easily edit the material and has the right to reproduce the information to give to patients or to use in news letters and brochures. However, the user is prohibited from placing the information on a website or on the Internet. The concept of accessible, simply written information for patients is commendable, and a valuable addition to the level of care provided by a clinician. The work meets the intended objectives very well.
Audience:The product is intended for the practicing general ophthalmologist. It also may be used by ophthalmic subspecialists, as many of the topics covered can be seen in any ophthalmic practice. The information is apparently written by multiple authors, who are not individually credited, as the style of different entries varies somewhat. That style is simple, straightforward, not pedantic, and easy to read for patients. The editors and the editorial board, presumably the multiple authors, are experienced practicing ophthalmologists.
Features:Common clinical problems are accessed through an index alphabetized primarily by clinical problem. There are peculiarities, however,such as the topic ""getting,"" expanded to ""getting used to bifocals"" and ""getting something in your eye."" Under the term ""refraction"" is the expanded topic, ""What is a refraction and why won't the government pay for it?"" -- a useful topic for a busy clinical practice. Omitted are a few topics such as cystoid macular edema, tearing in adults, and uveitis, but what is included covers a broad range. The topics are easily accessible, the program user friendly and intuitive, and the user can print items in regular or large print text. The product offers a simple way for clinicians to improve the quality of patient care they provide.
Assessment:This is an excellent addition to a busy clinical practice. Use of personalized patient care information should improve patient satisfaction with the level of care provided.

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Editorials


Reviewer:Robert S. Weinberg, MD(Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center)
Description:This is a CD-ROM version of patient care information notes. In alphabetical order, in an easy to use index, are listed many common clinical problems and some frequently asked patient questions. The CD-ROM is easy to install and runs in Windows, but computer requirements are not listed.
Purpose:The purpose of the CD-ROM format is to allow the user to provide patients with personalized handouts about a variety of commonly seen topics. The user can easily edit the material and has the right to reproduce the information to give to patients or to use in news letters and brochures. However, the user is prohibited from placing the information on a website or on the Internet. The concept of accessible, simply written information for patients is commendable, and a valuable addition to the level of care provided by a clinician. The work meets the intended objectives very well.
Audience:The product is intended for the practicing general ophthalmologist. It also may be used by ophthalmic subspecialists, as many of the topics covered can be seen in any ophthalmic practice. The information is apparently written by multiple authors, who are not individually credited, as the style of different entries varies somewhat. That style is simple, straightforward, not pedantic, and easy to read for patients. The editors and the editorial board, presumably the multiple authors, are experienced practicing ophthalmologists.
Features:Common clinical problems are accessed through an index alphabetized primarily by clinical problem. There are peculiarities, however,such as the topic ""getting,"" expanded to ""getting used to bifocals"" and ""getting something in your eye."" Under the term ""refraction"" is the expanded topic, ""What is a refraction and why won't the government pay for it?"" -- a useful topic for a busy clinical practice. Omitted are a few topics such as cystoid macular edema, tearing in adults, and uveitis, but what is included covers a broad range. The topics are easily accessible, the program user friendly and intuitive, and the user can print items in regular or large print text. The product offers a simple way for clinicians to improve the quality of patient care they provide.
Assessment:This is an excellent addition to a busy clinical practice. Use of personalized patient care information should improve patient satisfaction with the level of care provided.

Library Journal

Before Star Wars creator George Lucas became one of today's most innovative filmmakers, he was just a geek with visionary ideas and talent. A filmmaker and educator, Rubin once worked in the computer division of Lucasfilm as a technological consultant for Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III; here, he recounts how Lucas bucked the Hollywood studios and made unique contributions to the film industry, drawing on interviews with past and present movers and shakers at Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Zoetrope studios. Like Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg, Lucas worked with an eclectic group of computer geniuses who helped launch a new era of filmmaking techniques and took computer animation and editing to new levels. There are many books on Lucas, but none quite like this one: the combination of Rubin's insider information and research gives readers a view of how movies came to incorporate digital advances. Complete with photos, it is a fascinating book that any fan of Star Wars, Lucas, or technology will enjoy. The accessible language is a big plus. Highly recommended.-Rosalind Dayen, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Book Details

Published
October 1, 2005
Publisher
Triad Publishing Company
Pages
518
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780937404676

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