Innovator and filmmaker, George Lucas, is arguably the world's greatest living artist by contribution. His filmmaking gift was first noticed when he wrote and directed American Graffiti in 1973. His next film, Star Wars, with its universal story and technological advances, would go on to change the movie & toy industry forever. He waived his 1 million dollar directing fee and instead took the licensing and merchandising rights; that would give him complete control and ownership over all future Star Wars films and merchandising. His other film franchise, Indiana Jones, was also an immense success. In 2005, he was awarded the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2015 took The Kennedy Center Honors, which awards those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Today, he works on small independent films, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, as well as many other philanthropy projects that protect the future and nourish society at large.