People Behind the Pixels

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Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)

  • All
  • visual effects
  • Animation
  • director
  • screenwriter
  • film
  • animation
  • Lucasfilm
  • Pixar
  • Computer Scientist
  • President
  • NYIT
  • Disney
  • Pioneer
  • ILM
  • pioneer
  • software
  • image editing
  • Producer
  • SIGGRAPH
  • previsualization
  • visual effects supervisor
  • scanimate
  • technical director
  • animator
  • Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an Academy Award-winning motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and is owned by Lucasfilm. Lucas created the company when he discovered that the special effects department at 20th Century Fox was shut down after he was given the green light for his production of the film Star Wars. The studio originated in Van Nuys, California, later moved to San Rafael, and is now based at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio of San Francisco. Lynwen Brennan who joined the company in 1999, currently serves as the ILM's President and General Manager.

  • During the early 1980s, many Lucasfilm corporate and management changes take place,?with the original President Charlie Weber being replaced by Bob Greeber, who is then replaced by?Doug Norby. The 'Egg Company'? Lucasfilm location in LA is closed down, and development on?SkyWalker Ranch was ongoing.

  • Busy early '80s

    During the early 1980s, many Lucasfilm corporate and management changes take place,?with the original President Charlie Weber being replaced by Bob Greeber, who is then replaced by?Doug Norby. The 'Egg Company'? Lucasfilm location in LA is closed down, and development on?SkyWalker Ranch was ongoing.

  • A few years later the Graphics group would move to a new custom office space up north in Bell Marin Keys, Novato. (This was also the year of the big Marin County flood that left 5 feet of water in down town San Enselmo). In 1983 the permanent space for ILM in SanRafael was finished, and the Graphics Group moved into 'C' building on Kerner Blvd.

  • Temp location in Bel Marin Keys

    A few years later the Graphics group would move to a new custom office space up north in Bell Marin Keys, Novato. (This was also the year of the big Marin County flood that left 5 feet of water in down town San Enselmo). In 1983 the permanent space for ILM in SanRafael was finished, and the Graphics Group moved into 'C' building on Kerner Blvd.

  • The second floor of the building was being completely renovated for the video editing space, and George would come by occasionally to check up on the work. One day he stops by and makes a casual question about why a wall has a door put in a particular location. Some days later he returns to find that the construction workers have actually moved the door to another spot! Hoping to avoid future misunderstandings, George tells the workers that just because …

  • Funny George Story

    The second floor of the building was being completely renovated for the video editing space, and George would come by occasionally to check up on the work. One day he stops by and makes a casual question about why a wall has a door put in a particular location. Some days later he returns to find that the construction workers have actually moved the door to another spot! Hoping to avoid future misunderstandings, George tells the workers that just because he asks a question doesn't mean they need necessarily jump to conclusions and change something. Satisfied that all is now well, he leaves the workers to finish the job. Returning again sometime later, he finds that the workers have moved the door back to its original position.