Great effects workers
by LukasSpathis | created - 14 Dec 2020 | updated - 26 Dec 2020 | PublicThe best practical makeup/visual/optical effects guys and gals in Hollywood
1. Adam Howarth
Visual_effects | A Knight's Tale
Adam Howarth was born on December 5, 1968 in Bristol, England, UK. He is a writer, known for A Knight's Tale (2001), Blackhat (2015) and Black Hawk Down (2001).
2. Alec Gillis
Special_effects | Starship Troopers
Alec Gillis began his professional career in 1980 at Roger Corman's New World Pictures. While working with future luminaries such as James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd, Alec also attended UCLA Film School. By 1985 he began working for Creature FX legend Stan Winston ("Aliens", "Predator", "Pumpkinhead...
3. Alex Funke
Visual_effects | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Born in Santa Barbara, CA. A fourth generation Californian, Alex has been a cinematographer for over 30 years. He studied biochemistry for several years in college, but in the early 1960's he switched to UCLA Film School. He subsequently worked with Stephen Burum, ASC. He spent eleven years with ...
4. Allen Hall
Special_effects | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Allen Hall was born May 4, 1946 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of a commercial airline pilot. In the early 60s his family relocated to Burbank, California where he came in contact with the film industry living so close to all the major studios. As a result, his interest in films began at an early...
5. Anders Langlands
Visual_effects | War for the Planet of the Apes
Anders Langlands is known for War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), The Batman (2022) and The Martian (2015).
6. Andrew Lockley
Visual_effects | Inception
Andrew Lockley was born on May 5, 1971 in London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Inception (2010), Tenet (2020) and Interstellar (2014).
7. Andrew R. Jones
Visual_effects | Avatar
Andrew R. Jones is known for Avatar (2009), The Jungle Book (2016) and I, Robot (2004).
8. Ben Snow
Visual_effects | Iron Man
Raised in rural Australia, Ben Snow studied computing and film at the University of Canberra. He did a variety of work and traveled extensively before working as a runner for a computer graphics house in London. Snow later returned to Australia to set up the computer animation department for a ...
9. Bill Westenhofer
Self | Life After Pi
Bill Westenhofer is known for Life After Pi (2014), The Golden Compass (2007) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).
10. Brian Johnson
Visual_effects | Aliens
Brian Johnson is a award winning special and visual effects designer and director who for over 40 years provided his services to a multitude of film and television productions.
Johnson's career began in 1957 when he joined Anglo Scottish Pictures after meeting veteran effects artist and skilled ...
11. Burt Dalton
Special_effects | Star Trek
Burt Dalton is known for Star Trek (2009), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
12. Chris Corbould
Special_effects | Inception
Chris Corbould was born on March 5, 1958 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. He is an assistant director and director, known for Inception (2010), Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Dark Knight (2008). He has been married to Lynne Corbould since April 11, 1986. They have two ...
13. Daniel Sudick
Special_effects | Avengers: Endgame
Daniel Sudick is known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Black Panther (2018).
14. Dennis Muren
Visual_effects | Jurassic Park
Dennis Muren is the Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic. A recipient of nine Oscars for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and a Technical Achievement Academy Award®, Muren is actively involved in the evolution of the company, as well as the design and...
15. Dennis Skotak
Visual_effects | Aliens
Dennis Skotak was born on February 15, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is known for Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). He was previously married to D.C. Fontana.
16. Dick Smith
Make_up_department | The Exorcist
Dick Smith was born on June 26, 1922 in Larchmont, New York, USA. He is known for The Exorcist (1973), Altered States (1980) and Scanners (1981). He was married to Jocelyn DeRosa. He died on July 30, 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
17. Ed French
Make_up_department | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Ed French was born on April 17, 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor, known for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Dragonball Evolution (2009) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
18. Eric Brevig
Visual_effects | Men in Black
Eric Brevig was born in 1957. He is an assistant director and director, known for Men in Black (1997), Total Recall (1990) and Pearl Harbor (2001).
19. Greg Cannom
Make_up_department | Vice
Greg Cannom was born in 1951 in the USA. He is known for Vice (2018), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).
20. Greg Nicotero
Make_up_department | The Walking Dead
Gifted SFX and make-up wizard, who learned his trade under the watchful eye of SFX splatter guru Tom Savini. Nicotero and buddies, Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman started KNB Efx Group in 1988 and the group has provided eye-popping & jaw dropping special effects for major Hollywood releases ...
21. H.R. Giger
Art_department | Alien
H.R. Giger was born on February 5, 1940 in Chur, Switzerland. He was a director, known for Alien (1979), Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens (1986). He was married to Carmen Maria Scheifele and Mia Bonzanigo. He died on May 12, 2014 in Zurich, Switzerland.
22. Howard Berger
Make_up_department | Lone Survivor
Howard Berger was born in Los Angeles, CA. Howard was raised on monster films and knew at an early age someone made those monster for the movies and began figuring it out at age 8 when he was introduced to Famous Monster of Filmland Magazine. His parents were very supportive and indulged his ...
23. Jason H. Snell
Visual_effects | Deepwater Horizon
Jason Snell joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1996 as a Production Coordinator on Men In Black, and after a number of years overseeing ILM's Layout Department, he was promoted to Visual Effects Supervisor.
Snell graduated in 1994 from CSU Chico and worked as the only news photographer for the ...
24. Jeff Dawn
Make_up_department | Terminator 2: Judgment Day
As of 2022, I have department headed the make-up departments on over 40 films plus over 300 episodes on several television series. I specialize in action/adventure, futuristic/fantasy, war and period films, including seven with the actor, Dwayne Johnson. Before Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor...
25. Jim Rygiel
Visual_effects | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Starting his career in 1980, Rygiel joined Pacific Electric Pictures, one of the earliest companies to employ computer animation for the advertising and film markets. In 1983, Rygiel's work took him to Digital Productions where he began work on The Last Starfighter (1984), a film notable for its ...
26. Joe Letteri
Visual_effects | Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Joe Letteri's pioneering work in visual effects has earned him four Academy® Awards for Best Visual Effects - for Avatar, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and King Kong. He has a long-standing interest in creating compelling, realistic creatures ...
27. John Bruno
Visual_effects | Avatar
John Bruno is known for Avatar (2009), Titanic (1997) and The Abyss (1989).
28. John Dykstra
Visual_effects | Spider-Man 2
John Dykstra was born on June 3, 1947 in Long Beach, California, USA. He is a producer, known for Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man (2002) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
29. John Knoll
Visual_effects | Rogue One
In 1986, John Knoll joined Industrial Light & Magic as a Technical Assistant and was soon promoted to Motion Control Camera Operator for Captain EO. After three years of operating, John was called upon to work on the ground breaking digital effects for The Abyss, a film that saw the first use of ...
30. John Nelson
Visual_effects | Blade Runner 2049
John Nelson graduated with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1976 with a Bachelors in General Studies. After college, he made several films that won awards at film festivals and moved to California in 1979 to work for Robert Abel and Associates, first as a cameraman, then as a ...
31. John Richardson
Special_effects | Aliens
John Richardson was born on June 10, 1946 in Brentford, Middlesex, England, UK. He is a production manager, known for Aliens (1986), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
32. Mark Stetson
Visual_effects | Le Cinquième Élément
Since 1995, Mark Stetson has been working as a visual effects supervisor. In 1997, he won a BAFTA (British Academy) Award for visual effects in his debut effort, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element. In 2002, he won an Academy Award and his second BAFTA Award for visual effects in Peter Jackson's The ...
33. Michael Broom
Art_department | Alita: Battle Angel
Michael Broom is known for Alita: Battle Angel (2019), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Dragonball Evolution (2009).
34. Neal Scanlan
Special_effects | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
British-born Neal Scanlan began his career at the age of nineteen as a Stop Motion Designer for Cosgrove Hall, on their production of 'Wind in the Willows' (1981). Three years later he moved to London and began his animatronics career on Walt Disney's 'Return to Oz' (1984). Forming a working ...
35. Neil Corbould
Special_effects | The Creator
Neil Corbould was born on December 24, 1962 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The Creator (2023), Gravity (2013) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). He is married to Maria Corbould.
36. Nick Davis
Visual_effects | The Dark Knight
Nick Davis is known for The Dark Knight (2008), Edge of Tomorrow (2014) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001).
37. Odemaris Burgos
Visual_effects | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Odemaris Burgos is known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015), Rampage (2018) and Meg 2: The Trench (2023).
38. Pablo Helman
Visual_effects | The Irishman
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pablo Helman joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1996 as the Sabre Department Supervisor. Prior to joining the company, Helman was a compositing supervisor on Independence Day for Pacific Ocean Post, a digital compositor on Apollo 13 and Strange Days for Digital ...
39. Paul J. Franklin
Visual_effects | Inception
Paul Franklin was born in 1966. After leaving high school he attended the Cheshire School of Art and Design for a year and then went up to St John's College, Oxford University to read Fine Art. Whilst studying he worked extensively in student theater design, film making and magazine design and ...
40. Paul Kavanagh
Visual_effects | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Originally from Newcastle, England, Paul Kavanagh began working as an Animator for Cell Animation in London. After four years at the company, he moved on to work as Senior Animator for Framestore in London where he remained until joining ILM in 1997.
As an Animation Supervisor at ILM, Kavanagh is ...
41. Peter Muyzers
Visual_effects | Elysium
Peter Muyzers is known for Elysium (2013), District 9 (2009) and American Sniper (2014).
42. Phil Tippett
Visual_effects | Jurassic Park
Phil Tippett is the founder and namesake of Tippett Studio. His varied career in visual effects has spanned more than 30 years and includes two Academy Awards; and six nominations, one BAFTA award and four nominations, two Emmys and the advent of modern digital effects in motion pictures.
As a child...
43. Richard Edlund
Visual_effects | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
Richard Edlund was born on December 6, 1940 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. He is a producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
44. Richard McBride
Visual_effects | Gravity
Richard McBride is known for Gravity (2013), The Revenant (2015) and Pacific Rim (2013).
45. Richard R. Hoover
Visual_effects | Blade Runner 2049
Richard R. Hoover is known for Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Armageddon (1998).
46. Richard Stammers
Visual_effects | Prometheus
Richard Stammers is known for Prometheus (2012), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and The Martian (2015).
47. Richard Taylor
Special_effects | King Kong
Richard Taylor is known for King Kong (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
48. Richard Yuricich
Visual_effects | Blade Runner
Richard Yuricich was born on December 23, 1942. He is a cinematographer, known for Blade Runner (1982), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
49. Rick Baker
Make_up_department | Planet of the Apes
Rick Baker was born on December 8, 1950 in Binghamton, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Planet of the Apes (2001), Men in Black (1997) and The Wolfman (2010). He has been married to Silvia Abascal since November 8, 1987. They have two children. He was previously married to Elaine Alexander.
50. Rob Bottin
Make_up_department | RoboCop
Rob Bottin was born on April 1, 1959 in El Monte, California, USA. He is known for RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990) and Se7en (1995).
51. Rob Harvey
Visual_effects | Gladiator
Rob Harvey is known for Gladiator (2000), Troy (2004) and Clash of the Titans (2010).
52. Robert Blalack
Visual_effects | Star Wars
Visual effects wizard Robert Campbell Blalack was a co-founder of Industrial Light & Magic, a division of the production company Lucasfilm. His reputation as a leading pioneer in the field of CGI rests on his collaboration with John Dykstra in designing/supervising the ILM VistaVision Photographic ...
53. Robert Legato
Visual_effects | Titanic
Robert Legato was born on May 6, 1956 in Ocean Township, New Jersey, USA. He is an assistant director and director, known for Titanic (1997), Apollo 13 (1995) and Hugo (2011).
54. Robert Skotak
Visual_effects | Aliens
Robert Skotak is known for Aliens (1986), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Escape from New York (1981).
55. Roger Guyett
Visual_effects | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Roger Guyett joined ILM in 1994 to work on the groundbreaking computer animation in Casper. He was a principal member of the team that produced over 40 minutes of 3D character animation, marking the first time in cinematic history that a leading role was played by an entirely synthetic actor.
Guyett...
56. Scott Balkcom
Visual_effects | Divergent
Scott Balkcom is known for Divergent (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
57. Scott Benza
Visual_effects | Transformers
Scott Benza joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1997 as an Animator and holds a degree in Commercial Art with a minor in Video Production. Prior to his work at ILM, Scott worked as a Senior Animator for Microsoft in Redmond, Washington.
As an Animation Supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, he is ...
58. Scott Farrar
Visual_effects | Transformers
Scott Farrar is known for Transformers (2007), Minority Report (2002) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).
59. Scott R. Fisher
Special_effects | Tenet
Scott R. Fisher is known for Tenet (2020), Interstellar (2014) and Ad Astra (2019).
60. Scott Stokdyk
Visual_effects | Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Scott Stokdyk was born on October 16, 1969. He is known for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) and Spider-Man 2 (2004).
61. Shane Mahan
Special_effects | Iron Man
Shane Mahan is known for Iron Man (2008), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) and The Shape of Water (2017).
62. Stan Winston
Make_up_department | Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Stan Winston was born on April 7, 1946 in Richmond, Virginia, USA. He is known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Jurassic Park (1993) and Aliens (1986). He was married to Karen Winston. He died on June 15, 2008 in Malibu, California, USA.
63. Stephen Rosenbaum
Visual_effects | Avatar
Stephen Rosenbaum was born in 1965 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He is an assistant director, known for Avatar (2009), Contact (1997) and Forrest Gump (1994).
64. Steve Frakes
Special_effects | Starship Troopers
Steve Frakes is known for Starship Troopers (1997), Spider-Man (2002) and The 6th Day (2000).
65. Tom Wood
Visual_effects | Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Wood is known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Sunshine (2007).
66. Tom Woodruff Jr.
Special_effects | Starship Troopers
Tom Woodruff Jr. was born in 1959 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor, known for Starship Troopers (1997), Death Becomes Her (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). He is married to Tami Spitler Woodruff. They have three children.
67. Tony Gardner
Make_up_department | Hocus Pocus
Known best for the films "127 Hours," "Zombieland Double Tap," "Hocus Pocus," and"Bad Grandpa," as well as his work with Daft Punk, Tony Gardner began his film career working on "Michael Jackson's Thriller" under the auspices of Rick Baker.
His very first independent FX job was an animatronic ...
68. Wayne Anderson
Special_effects | The Tomorrow War
Wayne Anderson was born on January 5, 1985 in Naples, Florida, USA. He is known for The Tomorrow War (2021), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and The Predator (2018). He has been married to Brittany Anderson since November 11, 2006.
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