For the existence of American Graffiti is really a tale born out of necessity, not necessarily because Lucas was dying to tell it. He gravitated towards sci-fi and action-adventure stories because that was where his interests lay; but he was forced to make a film completely outside his interests— while finding a way to convey his unique filmmaking sensibilities— because it was the only way he could convince studios to take a chance on him and give him money to make the films he really wanted to make.