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Steve Williams (special Effects Artist)
Steven "Spaz" Williams (born 1963) is a Canadian special effects artist, animator, and film and commercials director. Biography Williams studied animation at Sheridan College, graduating in 1984. During the summers he would work at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Computer Laboratory, learning more about computer animation. After graduation, he went on to work at Alias Research (currently a part of Autodesk) in Toronto. He acted as the company's spokesperson, leading to a job at Industrial Light & Magic in 1988.Craig Barr (October 15, 2012CG Evolution/Film Revolution: A Q+A with Steve "Spaz" Williams autodesk.com ILM had purchased Silicon Graphics computers to create the computer-generated effects in '' The Abyss'', and said workstations used Alias modeling software. Along with animators Mark A.Z. Dippé, Scott E. Anderson and Jay Riddle, Williams helped develop a photorealistic alien pseudopod made out of seawater, which later earned the film an Academy Awar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,765,188 people (as of 2021) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area proper had a 2021 population of 6,712,341. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, sports and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown, the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Academy Award For Best Visual Effects
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects. History of the award The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1929, presenting a plaque for "Best Engineering Effects" to the first Best Picture Oscar winner, the World War I flying drama ''Wings''. Producer David O. Selznick, then production head at RKO Studios, petitioned the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the work of animator Willis O'Brien for his groundbreaking work on 1933's ''King Kong''. It was not until 1938 when a film was actually recognized for its effects work, when a "Special Achievement Award for Special Effects" was given to the Paramount film ''Spawn of the North''. The following year, "Best Special Effects" became a recognized category, although on occasion the Academy has chosen to honor a single film outright rather than nominate two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of California cities by population, fourth most populous in California and List of United States cities by population, 17th most populous in the United States, with 815,201 residents as of 2021. It covers a land area of , at the end of the San Francisco Peninsula, making it the second most densely populated large U.S. city after New York City, and the County statistics of the United States, fifth most densely populated U.S. county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs. Among the 91 U.S. cities proper with over 250,000 residents, San Francisco was ranked first by per capita income (at $160,749) and sixth by aggregate income as of 2021. Colloquial nicknames for San Francisco include ''SF'', ''San Fran'', ''The '', ''Frisco'', and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Line Productions
New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in 1994; Turner later merged with Time Warner (later known as WarnerMedia from 2018 to 2022) in 1996, and New Line was merged with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2008. The studio has been nicknamed, "The House that Freddy Built" due to the success of the ''Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. History New Line Cinema was established in 1967 by the then 27-year-old Robert Shaye as a film distribution company, supplying foreign and art films for college campuses in the United States. Shaye operated New Line's offices out of his apartment at 14th Street and Second Avenue in New York City. One of the company's early successes was its distribution of the 1936 anti-cannabis propaganda film ''Reefer Madness'', whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Unit
Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stage of production to be completed faster. Function The functions of the second unit vary, but typically the first unit films the key face-to-face drama between the principal actors. Two frequent ways a second unit is used are: * Action sequences: Action sequences are often filmed in discrete locations, using stunt performers, rather than the principal cast, and requiring significantly different filming arrangements than for ordinary scenes. Therefore, they are an opportunity for second unit shooting. * "Pick-ups": After the main unit has finished on a set or location, there may be shots that require some or all of this setting as background but that do not require the principal actors. These shots may include things such as close-ups, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spawn (1997 Film)
''Spawn'' is a 1997 American superhero film based on the Image Comics character of the same name. Directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé, the film stars Michael Jai White in the title role, alongside John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle, D. B. Sweeney, and Nicol Williamson in his final film role. The film depicts the origin story of the title character, a murdered US Marine who is resurrected as the reluctant leader of Hell's army. ''Spawn'' is one of the first films to feature an African American actor portraying a major comic book superhero. The film was released in the United States on August 1, 1997. It received generally negative reviews and grossed $87.9 million worldwide against a production budget between $40–45 million. Plot U.S. Marine Force Recon Lt. Colonel and CIA operative Al Simmons is assigned by his superior, Jason Wynn, to infiltrate a biochemical weapons plant in North Korea, despite Simmons' growing moral qualms with the nature of his work. Unknown to Simmo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
67th Academy Awards
The 67th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 27, 1995, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as the Oscars) in 23 categories honoring the films released in 1994. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gilbert Cates and directed by Jeff Margolis. Comedian David Letterman hosted the show for the first time. Three weeks earlier in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on March 4, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jamie Lee Curtis. ''Forrest Gump'' won six awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included ''Ed Wood'', ''The Lion King'', and ''Speed'' with two awards and ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'', '' Blue Sky'', ''Bob's Birthday'', ''Bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scott Squires
Scott Squires (born 1956) is a visual effects supervisor and director. His first film project was ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', where he developed the Cloud Tank Effect. In 1979 Squires, Hoyt Yeatman, Rocco Gioffre, Fred Iguchi, Tom Hollister and Bob Hollister co-founded Dream Quest Images, a visual effects house, which was later purchased by Disney. Squires was president of Dream Quest and left in 1985 to work for Industrial Light and Magic. Squires worked as visual effects supervisor and commercial director at ILM for 20 years and is now a freelance director and visual effects supervisor. While at ILM, Squires received an Academy Technical Award for Input Scanning and received Academy Award nominations for ''The Mask'', ''Dragonheart ''Dragonheart'' (stylized as ''DragonHeart'') is a 1996 fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen and written by Charles Edward Pogue based on a story created by him and Patrick Read Johnson. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Dav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jon Farhat
Jon Farhat is a motion picture visual effects supervisor and second unit director who was nominated at the 67th Academy Awards for the film '' The Mask'', in the category of Best Visual Effects. His nomination was shared with Tom Bertino, Scott Squires and Steve 'Spaz' Williams. He was nominated for two BAFTA awards for Visual Effects for '' The Mask'' and ''The Nutty Professor'' Prior production roles included art director, matte painting, conceptual illustrator and storyboard artist dating back to 1992. Between 2012-2014, he served briefly as executive vice president of Red Digital Cinema Camera Company. A commercial helicopter pilot, Farhat pioneered research and developed systems and flight planning interfaces for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, specializing in fully autonomous flight systems. Selected filmography as Visual Effects Supervisor *'' Coming 2 America'' (2021) *'' Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters'' (2013) *''The Book of Eli'' (2010) *'' Wanted'' (2008) *''The Inte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Bertino
Tom Bertino is a professional animator, formerly Animation Director and Visual Effects Supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic. Life He graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts in 1981. Tom Bertino joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1986 as a Supervisor of the Rotoscope Department. Bertino later moved into the Animation Department. and contributed his talents to a number of feature films including: ''Star Wars'', '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', '' Death Becomes Her'', '' The Abyss'', ''The Mask'', and ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''. Beginning his professional animation career with Sally Cruikshank in 1978, Bertino has worked for Nepenthe, DiC, Hanna-Barbera and Colossal Pictures in a number of capacities including character design, storyboards, layouts, voices and sound effects. In 1995, Bertino was nominated for an Academy Award for best achievement in visual effects and received a BAFTA nomination in the same category, for the groundbreaking computer graphics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Mask (1994 Film)
''The Mask'' is a 1994 American superhero comedy film directed by Chuck Russell and produced by Bob Engelman from a screenplay by Mike Werb and a story by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden loosely based on the comics published by Dark Horse Comics. The first installment in ''The Mask'' franchise, it stars Jim Carrey in the title role, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz in her film debut. Carrey plays Stanley Ipkiss, a hapless, everyday bank clerk who finds a magical wooden green mask that transforms him into The Mask, a green-faced troublemaker with the ability to cartoonishly alter himself and his surroundings at will. He starts using these powers to fight crime, only to become targeted by Dorian Tyrell, a gangster who desires to overthrow his superior. Filming began on 30 August 1993 and concluded in October 1993. The film was released on July 29, 1994, by New Line Cinema, becoming a critical and commercial success. The film grossed over $3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tyrannosaurus
''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' lived throughout what is now western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. ''Tyrannosaurus'' had a much wider range than other Tyrannosauridae, tyrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of geologic formation, rock formations dating to the Maastrichtian Age (geology), age of the Upper Cretaceous Period (geology), period, 68 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago. It was the last known member of the tyrannosaurids and among the last non-aves, avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Like other tyrannosaurids, ''Tyrannosaurus'' was a bipedal carnivore with a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. Relative to its large and powerful hind limbs, the foreli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
