Interview with Lucasfilm

Interview with Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm agreed to share information with us about the Indiana Jones DVDs concerning what went into creating the Indy DVDs, and also other questions sent in by fellow Indy fans that are of interests to the Indiana Jones community. Our interview comes to you with the help of an official Lucasfilm spokesperson who agreed to help us. Finding someone with the time to answer questions is hard to come by, so we are very thankful to Lucasfilm for taking time to give us some insight.

When did the Indy DVD Project official begin?

We began work on bringing Indiana Jones to DVD in early 2003, and everything came together very quickly.

How much involvement did Mr. Lucas and Mr. Spielberg have in the project?

Both George and Steven were closely involved. Since these are all films directed by Steven, he was very active in supervising the project and making sure it lived up to his high expectations.

What was the reason for not having any specialized Deleted Scenes sections on the DVDs?

On any DVD, it's the director's choice. On Steven's most recent DVD releases, he decided not to include so-called "deleted" scenes with the movies -- he feels the movie should stand alone.

What do you attribute to the enormous success of these DVDs?

First and foremost, movie fans love Indiana Jones. These are wonderful stories told with great style. The movies have become classics and people remember them fondly. It's that love of Indy that propelled this DVD collection to its great success. On top of that, the movies have been digitally restored and remastered, so they look and sound better than ever.

What was the main hold up in getting the Indy DVD project going?

We had to find the right time when all of the principals involved in the making of the films could participate. The planets were aligned perfectly, and when we had that opportunity, we seized it.

What compelled you to design the DVDs in the way that you did? For instance: Three disks with the films on them, and then a fourth disk with features, and another example would be: the DVD bonus feature layout with 4 main featurettes?

Our goal was to make these movies look and sound amazing, so the films were put onto individual DVDs in order to get the highest possible bit-rate. Regarding the fourth disc, we set out to create the best making-of documentaries ever, one for each film. On top of that, there were some subjects -- music, sound, visual effects, stunts -- that we thought people would want to know even more about, so we created featurettes that explored each of these areas in depth.

Was there a reason that there wasn’t a commentary with the DVD release?

Steven has never recorded a DVD commentary for one of his films. In this case, he also felt that the bonus material covers so much about the films that commentaries would be almost redundant.

Were there any Easter eggs included with the Indy DVDs?

No.

What were some of the challenges that were met when creating the DVDs?

Making the films look and sound as great as they do was the biggest challenge, and that was accomplished brilliantly by John Lowry and his company Lowry Digital Images.

If the Young Indy DVDs are released, will they be shown in movie format, or as they originally aired on TV? (Submitted in by Mike)

We have made no announcement about the series on DVD, but will let you know when we do.

Anything new that you might know about Indy IV that you can share with us?

Currently, work is continuing on a final version of the screenplay for Indiana Jones 4, and and once all parties have signed off on the script and schedules permit, shooting will begin. Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford and George Lucas are all returning for this fourth Indiana Jones adventure. At this time, we have no details about the plot or other actors.

Are there any plans to do prop replicas in the near future? (Submitted in by Jason)

Not at this time.

Has the idea of a Lucasfilm museum ever come across the table? (Submitted in by Jason)

For many years, we have worked closely with museums around the world to help them create special exhibits on "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones," and those partnerships continue.

Any idea if the petition for the Original Star Wars Trilogy DVD has had any effect? (Submitted in by Mike)

We are always listening to what our fans have to say and appreciate the input we get!

We would like to thank Lucasfilm for their interest to help us out with our inquiries and for their willingness to answer our questions!