Industrial Light and Magic at 50; ‘Long Story Short’ Explores Judaism

Industrial Light and Magic has defied gravity and other forces to remain a leading light of the visual effects sector for half a century.

As the company marks its golden anniversary this year, Jazz Tangcay, Variety‘s senior artisans editor, details her story on the San Francisco-based firm founded in 1975 by George Lucas. ILM became part of Disney with the Mouse’s 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. But ILM has maintained a high degree of autonomy.

Tangcay notes that another distinctive aspect of ILM’s company culture is that it has a history of long-serving staffers and leaders.

“From Janet Lewin, who is the senior vice president and general manager of ILM, on down, there is so much passion for what they do that people stay there,” Tangcay says. “They’ve been there 20 years, 30 years. They love what they do. There is a passion for what they do and how they have changed the way audiences experience movies, because of what they’re doing at ILM.”

Also in the episode, Variety TV critic Alison Herman weighs in on the new Netflix animated comedy “Long Story Short,” from “BoJack Horseman” creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The show revolves around the lives of a Jewish family in the Silicon Valley area. The time frame of the show shifts significantly but never goes beyond 2022, which means that it does not address the spike in antisemitism or the war between Hamas and Israel that erupted in October 2023.

“I think a lot of people who are not Jewish will relate to and enjoy the show. But as a Jewish person myself, I found it incredibly moving the way the show portrays, for example, the observance of Yom Kippur. And instead of joking about fasting and being hungry and guilt tripping and stereotypes — it’s very much about what it means to participate in a day of atonement,” Herman says.

“I thought it was very interesting that the show arguably sidesteps some issues, although it already has a season two, so it could very well get into them in the future. But it very clearly utilizes that space freed up to talk about subjects that are also very Jewish. And I think a lot of Jewish people will almost be relieved to see the show focus on other aspects of Judaism than the last two years,” Herman says.

(Pictured: “Long Story Short”)

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