Practical Effects Geniuses
by colinforrer | created - 29 Jan 2021 | updated - 31 Jul 2021 | Public
1. Ray Harryhausen
Actor | Spies Like Us
When it comes to motion-picture special effects, there is only one name that personifies movie magic: Ray Harryhausen. From his debut films with George Pal to his final film, Harryhausen imbued magic and visual strength to motion-picture special effects as no other technician has, before or since.
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2. Willis H. O'Brien
In 1949, 16 years after his ground-breaking work on the 1933 film "King Kong", Willis O'Brien worked as Chief Technician on another gorilla film for Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Shoedsack titled "Mighty Joe Young". A young Ray Harryhausen would do most of the animation, but O'Brien did come up ...
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. Jack P. Pierce
Make_up_department | The Wolf Man
As we look back on the cinematic pioneers of the 20th century, no individual is more significant in his field than genius makeup artist Jack Pierce, the legendary monster-maker who worked in the 1930s and 1940s at Universal Studios during its classic horror period. Pierce's story is equal parts ...
6. Carlo Rambaldi
Special_effects | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Carlo Rambaldi was born on September 15, 1925 in Vigarano Mainarda, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is known for E.T. (1982), King Kong (1976) and Alien (1979). He was married to Bruna Basso. He died on August 10, 2012 in Lamezia Terme, Calabria, Italy.
7. Lon Chaney
Actor | He Who Gets Slapped
Although his parents were deaf, Leonidas Chaney became an actor and also owner of a theatre company (together with his brother John). He made his debut at the movies in 1912, and his filmography is vast. Lon Chaney was especially famous for his horror parts in movies like e.g. Quasimodo in The ...
8. 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.
9. Thomas R. Burman
Make_up_department | Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Thomas R. Burman was born on November 28, 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Scrooged (1988) and Nip/Tuck (2003). He has been married to Bari Dreiband-Burman since 1984. They have one child. He was previously married to Sandra ...
10. Eiji Tsuburaya
Writer | Urutora Q
Eiji Tsuburaya ranks alongside Willis H. O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen as one of the great visionary SFX masters of twentieth century fantasy cinema. Best remembered as the amazing special effects genius behind the "Godzilla" series of monster films commencing in 1954, he also contributed effects to ...
11. John Chambers
Make_up_department | Planet of the Apes
John Chambers worked out of his home in a blue collar neighborhood in Burbank, California, just a few short blocks from Disney Studios, (actually, his garage transformed into a makeup lab) where the likes of Lana Turner could be found sitting for a set of teeth, Howard Keel getting a fitting for an...
12. Tom Savini
Actor | From Dusk Till Dawn
Actor/SFX wizard/stuntman/director Tom Savini was born in Pittsburgh. Inspired by the film Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), a young Savini became fascinated with the magic and illusion of film. He spent his youth in his room creating characters by tirelessly practicing make-up. Later, as a combat ...
13. Chris Walas
Special_effects | The Fly
Chris Walas is an American film director, special effects expert, and make-up artist. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Walas rose to fame in the 1980s, with effects for films such as "Airplane!" (1980), "Dragonslayer" (1981), and "Return of the Jedi" (1983). In the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (...
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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...
17. 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.
18. Kôichi Kawakita
Special_effects | Gojira vs. Kingu Gidorâ
Kôichi Kawakita was born on December 5, 1942 in Tokyo, Japan. He was a director and writer, known for Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) and Submersion of Japan (1973). He died on December 5, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.
19. Teruyoshi Nakano
Special_effects | Godzilla 1985
Teruyoshi Nakano was born on October 9, 1935 in Dandong, Liaoning, China. He was an assistant director, known for Godzilla 1985 (1985), Princess from the Moon (1987) and Shuto shôshitsu (1987). He died on June 27, 2022 in Japan.
20. 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...
21. Carlo Rambaldi
Special_effects | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Carlo Rambaldi was born on September 15, 1925 in Vigarano Mainarda, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is known for E.T. (1982), King Kong (1976) and Alien (1979). He was married to Bruna Basso. He died on August 10, 2012 in Lamezia Terme, Calabria, Italy.
22. 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...
23. Roger Dicken
Special_effects | Alien
Roger Dicken was born in 1939 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Alien (1979), The Hunger (1983) and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970). He was married to Lesley Clack. He died on February 18, 2024 in North Wales, Wales, UK.
24. Paul Blaisdell
Actor | Day the World Ended
Sketch artist, fine arts painter, sculptor and monster maker Paul Blaisdell was born July 21, 1927, in Newport, Rhode Island, and grew up in Quincy, Massachussetts. He sketched alien monsters and constructed model airplane kits in his childhood days. Following graduation from high school, Paul ...
25. Milicent Patrick
Actress | The Women of Pitcairn Island
Millicent Patrick was a commercial artist, fashion designer and illustrator of children's books, when she was not acting in feature roles and television. She went steady with actor George Tobias for forty years, until his death. They never married, but she married twice. She received chief credit ...
26. Stuart Freeborn
Make_up_department | Star Wars
Stuart Freeborn was born on September 5, 1914 in Leytonstone, London, England, UK. He is known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Superman (1978). He was married to Kay Freeborn. He died on February 5, 2013 in London, England, UK.
27. 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).
28. Jim Danforth
Special_effects | They Live
Jim Danforth was born on July 13, 1940 in the USA. He is known for They Live (1988), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) and The Prophecy (1995).
29. David Allen
Visual_effects | The Howling
David Allen was born on October 22, 1944 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is known for The Howling (1981), Willow (1988) and Ghostbusters II (1989). He was married to Donita Woodruff. He died on August 16, 1999 in Burbank, California, USA.
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