Kenneth Ralston(born 1954) is an American visual effects artist, currently the Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative Head atSony Pictures Imageworks.Ralston began his career at the commercial animation and visual effects company, Cascade Pictures in Hollywood, where he worked on over 150 advertising campaigns in the early 1970s.[1]In 1976, he was hired atIndustrial Light & MagicbyDennis Murento helpGeorge Lucascreate the effects forStar Wars.[2]He remained at ILM for 20 years before joining Sony Pictures Imageworks as president.[3]Ralston is best known for his work in the films ofRobert Zemeckis.[1]
Ralston has won fiveAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects,including a Special Achievement Oscar for the visual effects inReturn of the Jedi(1983), and regular awards for his work onCocoon(1985),Who Framed Roger Rabbit(1988),Death Becomes Her(1992) andForrest Gump(1994). He was nominated three more times forDragonslayer(1981),Back to the Future Part II(1989) andAlice in Wonderland(2010).[1]
Ken has contributed to several DVD commentaries:
- King Kong(1933) - with visual effects creatorRay Harryhausen
- Mighty Joe Young(1949) - with visual effects creatorRay Harryhausenand actressTerry Moore
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit(1988) - with directorRobert Zemeckis,producerFrank Marshall,associate producerSteve Starkey,screenwritersJeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman
- Contact(1997) - with visual effects supervisorStephen Rosenbaum
- Cast Away(2000) - with cinematographerDon Burgess,visual effects supervisorCarey Villegas,sound designerRandy Thom
Filmography
edit- Star Wars(1977) (assistant cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit)
- The Empire Strikes Back(1980) (effects cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit)
- Dragonslayer(1981) (dragon supervisor: ILM)
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan(1982) (special visual effects supervisor: ILM)
- Return of the Jedi(1983) (visual effects)
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock(1984) (visual effects supervisor)
- Cocoon(1985) (visual effects supervisor)
- Back to the Future(1985) (visual effects supervisor: Bafta)
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home(1986) (effects supervisor)
- The Golden Child(1986) (visual effects supervisor)
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit(1988) (visual effects supervisor)
- Back to the Future Part II(1989) (visual effects supervisor)
- Dreams(1990) (visual effects supervisor)
- Back to the Future Part III(1990) (visual effects supervisor)
- The Rocketeer(1991) (visual effects supervisor, second unit director)
- Death Becomes Her(1992) (visual effects supervisor, second unit director)
- Forrest Gump(1994) (visual effects supervisor)
- The Mask(1994) (visual effects consultant)
- The American President(1995) (visual effects supervisor)
- Jumanji(1995) (visual effects supervisor)
- Phenomenon(1996) (visual effects supervisor: SPI)
- Michael(1996) (visual effects supervisor: SPI)
- Contact(1997) (visual effects supervisor)
- Patch Adams(1998) (visual effects guru)
- Cast Away(2000) (visual effects supervisor)
- America's Sweethearts(2001) (visual effects consultant)
- Men in Black II(2002) (visual effects supervisor: SPI)
- The Forgotten(2004) (visual effects consultant)
- The Polar Express(2004) (visual effects supervisor)
- Beowulf(2007) (visual effects design consultant, special effects)
- Alice in Wonderland(2010) (senior visual effects supervisor)
- Men in Black 3(2012) (visual effects supervisor)
- Alice Through the Looking Glass(2016) (visual effects supervisor)
References
edit- ^abc"Sony Pictures Imageworks - Sony Pictures Imageworks".www.sonypictures.com.
- ^"Phil Tippett: Hands-On Effects".Archived from the original on June 6, 2008.Retrieved2013-08-16.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link),StarWars.com - ^Linda Seger, Edward Jay Whetmore (2004).From script to screen: the collaborative art of filmmaking.Lone Eagle Pub. p. 161.ISBN1580650546.