A celebration of the talent and legacy of important VFX projects with the creators who made them happen.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, TRON is the granddaddy of all CGI animated films and has influenced CGI animators worldwide.
The effects that TRON pioneered proved the film was well ahead of its time. TRON didn’t just break through the wall separating analog filmmaking and digital filmmaking but it rebuilt it in a such way that showed the collaborate nature of art and technology. It would take Hollywood another 10 years to fully embrace computer graphics and now they’re everywhere. But nothing looks like this one.
How do you create something that's never been done before? Join us as the original film crew share the stories behind the groundbreaking technological innovations as well as the classical effects tools that were needed to bring us TRON. Not to be missed.
Image Credit: © wahahahaha. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Bill Kroyer
Animation Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, FernGully, The Last Rainforest, Technological Threat)
Bill Kroyer is an Oscar®-nominated director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films. Trained in classic hand-drawn animation at the Disney Studio, Bill was one of the first animators to make the leap to computer animation as Computer Image Choreographer on Disney’s ground-breaking 1982 feature TRON. He pioneered the technique of combining hand-drawn animation with computer animation on projects such as his theatrical animated feature film FernGully, The Last Rainforest and his short film Technological Threat.
As Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues Studios he directed animation on scores of commercials and many feature films, including Cats and Dogs, Garfield, and Scooby Doo. Bill served co-chair of the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and as a Governor of the Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch. In 2017 Bill and his wife Sue received the prestigious JUNE FORAY AWARD from the International Animation Society (ASIFA) for significant contributions to the art and industry of animation. He was Director of Digital Arts at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, California from 2009 to 2020, and currently serves as Professor Emeritus.
Chris Casady
Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back)
Chris Casady attended film school at California Institute of the Arts in the early 70s and after graduation immediately moved into the Hollywood film industry working in special effects specializing in animation effects, rotoscope techniques with optical printing prior to the advent of digital tools. He worked on Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) before landing a job on Disney’s TRON and continued to work on Hollywood movies up through the mid-90s when computer software finally replaced every skill he had spent years perfecting at which time Chris switched to Adobe Flash to make abstract visualizations of music to compete in short film festivals.
Harrison Ellenshaw
Director, Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace)
Harrison Ellenshaw is a renown painter that began his film career at Disney Studios in the matte painting department in 1971 where he created visual effects for The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starring David Bowie.
He later joined George Lucas’ effects studio Industrial Light & Magic where he produced many of the matte visual effects backgrounds for the films on Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
In 1982 Harrison returned to Disney adding an unforgettable touch to TRON, a visually stunning film that would become a cult classic in which he served as associate producer and co-visual effects supervisor with Richard Winn Taylor II. In 1989, Ellenshaw co-produced the stunning visual effects for Warren Beatty’s film Dick Tracy.
Harrison is a 45-year member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), a founding director of the Visual Effects Society (VES), and a 47-year member of the Art Directors Guild (ADG). In 2016 he received the ADG’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
John Van Vliet
Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Ghostbusters, X-Men)
John Van Vliet has worked in graphics, animation and feature film visual effects for over 40 years. He studied art at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and later at California Institute of the Arts Character Animation (Disney) program. While in the US Air Force, Van Vliet worked in graphics, developing training aids and preparing material for command-level briefings.
In 1977 he was hired to work at Industrial Light & Magic where he contributed to The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Dragonslayer. Disney then recruited him to work on TRON as the lead animator where he designed many of the signature effects shots of the movie.
He also owned and operated an independent visual effects company for 18 years, designing and supervising visual effects on a number of feature films. Past clients in the motion picture industry include Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. and MGM. Van Vliet was involved with over 70 film projects, including Ghost, Mortal Kombat, Tales From the Crypt, Ghostbusters and X-Men.
Now semi-retired from the motion picture business, he writes, lectures, and consults on film projects for visual effects. He also manages a community-based art gallery in Arizona and spends the rest of his time pursuing his art and photography without adult supervision while wandering the deserts of the Southwest.
Richard Winn Taylor
Director // DGA, VES
(TRON, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Looker)
Richard has been a member of the DGA for 38 years, he has an extensive background in live-action direction, animation, production design, special effects, and computer-generated images for theatrical films, television, games, themed entertainment, and VR. Richard’s commercials have earned numerous awards, (15 Clio’s.) Taylor supervised the visual effects sequences on Star Trek: The Motion Picture where he designed and supervised the building of the film’s miniatures including the Starship Enterprise. Taylor’s film portfolio includes Looker, and most notably Disney’s TRON, where he designed and directed the uniquely innovative special effects that introduced the world to computer-generated imaging as the future of film production. Taylor joined EA (Electronic Arts) as Cinematic Director on numerous video games; The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth I & II, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberian Wars, and Red Alert 3.
Richard is an Honorary Fellow and on the Board of the VES (Visual Effects Society). Richard has a BFA, MFA & Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, Photography & Film Design. Currently he is developing a new hi-resolution LED entertainment format to create photo-real imaging for theatrical concerts, gaming, and themed entertainment.
MODERATOR
Keith Blackmore
Sr Lecturer // Vancouver Film School
As an animation historian, Keith Blackmore has been a passionate cheerleader and a voice for all-things animated in the Vancouver area for almost 30 years. As one of the producers of the SPARK ANIMATION Festival and an active member of the local SIGGRAPH chapter, Keith has presented, interviewed and moderated at many festivals, local and national.
Since 1995, Blackmore has educated, entertained and inspired students in the history of animation and media studies at the Vancouver Film School. When he’s not reading, teaching or talking about animation, he’s watching it.
A celebration of the talent and legacy of important VFX projects with the creators who made them happen.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, TRON is the granddaddy of all CGI animated films and has influenced CGI animators worldwide.
The effects that TRON pioneered proved the film was well ahead of its time. TRON didn’t just break through the wall separating analog filmmaking and digital filmmaking but it rebuilt it in a such way that showed the collaborate nature of art and technology. It would take Hollywood another 10 years to fully embrace computer graphics and now they’re everywhere. But nothing looks like this one.
How do you create something that's never been done before? Join us as the original film crew share the stories behind the groundbreaking technological innovations as well as the classical effects tools that were needed to bring us TRON. Not to be missed.
Image Credit: © wahahahaha. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKERS
Bill Kroyer
Animation Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, FernGully, The Last Rainforest, Technological Threat)
Bill Kroyer is an Oscar®-nominated director of animation and computer graphics commercials, short films, movie titles and theatrical films. Trained in classic hand-drawn animation at the Disney Studio, Bill was one of the first animators to make the leap to computer animation as Computer Image Choreographer on Disney’s ground-breaking 1982 feature TRON. He pioneered the technique of combining hand-drawn animation with computer animation on projects such as his theatrical animated feature film FernGully, The Last Rainforest and his short film Technological Threat.
As Senior Animation Director at Rhythm & Hues Studios he directed animation on scores of commercials and many feature films, including Cats and Dogs, Garfield, and Scooby Doo. Bill served co-chair of the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and as a Governor of the Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch. In 2017 Bill and his wife Sue received the prestigious JUNE FORAY AWARD from the International Animation Society (ASIFA) for significant contributions to the art and industry of animation. He was Director of Digital Arts at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, California from 2009 to 2020, and currently serves as Professor Emeritus.
Chris Casady
Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back)
Chris Casady attended film school at California Institute of the Arts in the early 70s and after graduation immediately moved into the Hollywood film industry working in special effects specializing in animation effects, rotoscope techniques with optical printing prior to the advent of digital tools. He worked on Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) before landing a job on Disney’s TRON and continued to work on Hollywood movies up through the mid-90s when computer software finally replaced every skill he had spent years perfecting at which time Chris switched to Adobe Flash to make abstract visualizations of music to compete in short film festivals.
Harrison Ellenshaw
Director, Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace)
Harrison Ellenshaw is a renown painter that began his film career at Disney Studios in the matte painting department in 1971 where he created visual effects for The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starring David Bowie.
He later joined George Lucas’ effects studio Industrial Light & Magic where he produced many of the matte visual effects backgrounds for the films on Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).
In 1982 Harrison returned to Disney adding an unforgettable touch to TRON, a visually stunning film that would become a cult classic in which he served as associate producer and co-visual effects supervisor with Richard Winn Taylor II. In 1989, Ellenshaw co-produced the stunning visual effects for Warren Beatty’s film Dick Tracy.
Harrison is a 45-year member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), a founding director of the Visual Effects Society (VES), and a 47-year member of the Art Directors Guild (ADG). In 2016 he received the ADG’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
John Van Vliet
Visual Effects Supervisor // Independent
(TRON, Ghostbusters, X-Men)
John Van Vliet has worked in graphics, animation and feature film visual effects for over 40 years. He studied art at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and later at California Institute of the Arts Character Animation (Disney) program. While in the US Air Force, Van Vliet worked in graphics, developing training aids and preparing material for command-level briefings.
In 1977 he was hired to work at Industrial Light & Magic where he contributed to The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Dragonslayer. Disney then recruited him to work on TRON as the lead animator where he designed many of the signature effects shots of the movie.
He also owned and operated an independent visual effects company for 18 years, designing and supervising visual effects on a number of feature films. Past clients in the motion picture industry include Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. and MGM. Van Vliet was involved with over 70 film projects, including Ghost, Mortal Kombat, Tales From the Crypt, Ghostbusters and X-Men.
Now semi-retired from the motion picture business, he writes, lectures, and consults on film projects for visual effects. He also manages a community-based art gallery in Arizona and spends the rest of his time pursuing his art and photography without adult supervision while wandering the deserts of the Southwest.
Richard Winn Taylor
Director // DGA, VES
(TRON, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Looker)
Richard has been a member of the DGA for 38 years, he has an extensive background in live-action direction, animation, production design, special effects, and computer-generated images for theatrical films, television, games, themed entertainment, and VR. Richard’s commercials have earned numerous awards, (15 Clio’s.) Taylor supervised the visual effects sequences on Star Trek: The Motion Picture where he designed and supervised the building of the film’s miniatures including the Starship Enterprise. Taylor’s film portfolio includes Looker, and most notably Disney’s TRON, where he designed and directed the uniquely innovative special effects that introduced the world to computer-generated imaging as the future of film production. Taylor joined EA (Electronic Arts) as Cinematic Director on numerous video games; The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth I & II, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberian Wars, and Red Alert 3.
Richard is an Honorary Fellow and on the Board of the VES (Visual Effects Society). Richard has a BFA, MFA & Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, Photography & Film Design. Currently he is developing a new hi-resolution LED entertainment format to create photo-real imaging for theatrical concerts, gaming, and themed entertainment.
MODERATOR
Keith Blackmore
Sr Lecturer // Vancouver Film School
As an animation historian, Keith Blackmore has been a passionate cheerleader and a voice for all-things animated in the Vancouver area for almost 30 years. As one of the producers of the SPARK ANIMATION Festival and an active member of the local SIGGRAPH chapter, Keith has presented, interviewed and moderated at many festivals, local and national.
Since 1995, Blackmore has educated, entertained and inspired students in the history of animation and media studies at the Vancouver Film School. When he’s not reading, teaching or talking about animation, he’s watching it.
