Craig Barron

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Craig Barron
Born (1961-04-06) April 6, 1961 (age 63)
Berkeley, California, United States
Occupation(s)Creative director
Visual effects supervisor
Film historian
Lecturer
Years active1979 – present
AwardsAcademy Award, BAFTA Award, Emmy, VES Founders Award, Doctorate of Letters
WebsiteMagnopus

Craig Barron (born April 6, 1961)[1] is an American visual effects artist and creative director at Magnopus, a media company that produces visual development and virtual production services for motion pictures, television, museums and multimedia platforms.[2][3]

Working at

Emmy Award recipient for By Dawn's Early Light and he received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects on Batman Returns. In 2009, he won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
.

Barron is a film historian, museum exhibit curator, and educator with a focus on the history of visual effects in classic films, before and after the digital age. He hosts presentations and lectures on the visual effects from Hollywood’s studio age. He produces short documentaries that reveal the formerly secret history of how visual effects pioneers created seamless visuals using matte paintings, miniatures and optical effects.

Career

Visual effects supervisor

Industrial Light & Magic

Hired at age 18 by VFX cinematographer Richard Edlund in 1979, Barron was then the youngest person working at ILM. He started out in the matte painting department with VFX photographer Neil Krepela, and was apprentice to concept illustrator/matte painter Ralph McQuarrie. Barron eventually was responsible for compositing matte-painted effects for scenes in landmark visual-effects films, including The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.[4][5] He later told Star Wars Insider that he had originally wanted a job in animation and stop motion, but he jumped at the chance to join the matte painting department when there was an opening.[6] Accompanied by matte painters Michael Pangrazio and Chris Evans, at times on international location shoots, Barron and crew designed and photographed matte shots for feature films. From 1984 to 1988 he was matte photography supervisor, working to combine matte paintings and miniatures with live-action photography. He is credited as director of matte photography on Willow (1988), his last film at ILM, before leaving to start his own company Matte World.[7]

Matte World Digital

Co-founded by Barron, Pangrazio and executive producer Krystyna Demkowicz in 1988, Matte World produced seamless matte-painting effects for film and television productions from its Novato, California studio.[7] Soon after formation, Barron's work for HBO's By Dawn's Early Light won an Emmy for Outstanding Visual Effects.[7][8] Throughout the 1980s, Barron and his crew produced traditional effects shots with glass matte paintings and miniature models. Their work received an Academy Award nomination for

Best Visual Effects for Batman Returns in 1992.[9]

That same year, the company was renamed Matte World Digital (MWD) to reflect the new technological tools available to matte painters. MWD produced digital environments for feature films, commercials, cable television, computer games and IMAX projects, serving the artistic visions of directors

Alfonso Cuaron, Gore Verbinski, Ron Howard, Tim Burton, David Fincher, Leonard Nimoy, and Frank Darabont, among others. Barron contributed to the visual effects of more than 100 films at MWD, innovating digital-effects techniques for Zodiac, Alice in Wonderland, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2009.[10] MWD closed in 2012 after 24 years of service. The company's last project was creating stereo CGI matte paintings of 1930s-era Paris and Georges Méliès' glass studio for Martin Scorsese's Hugo.[11]

Innovations

Matte World Digital was the first company to apply radiosity rendering to film, for Martin Scorsese's Casino.[4] Collaborating with software company LightScape, the MWD crew was able to simulate the reflective effect of millions of neon lights from the 1970s-era Las Vegas strip.[12] Radiosity rendering provided a true simulation of bounce-light reflectivity in a computer-generated environment.[7]

For David Fincher's Zodiac, another film mainly set in the 1970s, shots were needed to establish the grittier San Francisco of that era. Barron shot digital images of existing city-building textures, then added painted period details in the computer. One such shot features the Embarcadero Freeway alongside the Ferry Building and San Francisco Bay. The freeway had been demolished after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake so MWD digitally rebuilt the structure, viewed from an overhead computer-generated "helicopter-shot" to introduce San Francisco in 1969. CG lighting techniques were applied for a sped-up animated sequence showing the Transamerica Pyramid being built, establishing the passage of time. Barron researched archival photographs and architectural drawings for the shot.[13][14]

Barron worked with Fincher again in 2008 to build several digital matte and CGI environments for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The interior of the film's New Orleans train station had to change and deteriorate, representing different eras. MWD built the CGI station interiors using Next Limit's Maxwell rendering software—software that was generally used as an architectural visualization and product-design tool. MWD revamped it to mimic real-world lighting as seen from multiple angles and light sources.[15]

Other visual effects work

While heading Matte World Digital, Barron co-produced and directed the science-fiction short, The Utilizer, broadcast on Syfy (then called the Sci-Fi Channel) in 1996. The film won the best special effects award at the Chicago International Film Festival.[16]

Barron was a visual effects supervisor at Tippett Studio in 2013, where he developed digital environments for film and commercial productions alongside his former ILM co-worker Phil Tippett.[17]

Film historian

Author

Growing up watching classic films, Barron was inspired by and curious about how special effects were created. He sought out and interviewed retired Hollywood studio-era cameramen and matte painters who revealed the formerly secretive world of visual effects techniques that were used in films such as

The Wizard of Oz, and Citizen Kane.[18] This oral history of movie-making, along with a growing collection of behind-the-scenes photographs, were the basis of Barron's book, The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting. The Invisible Art..., co-wrriten with Mark Cotta Vaz, is the first comprehensive book on the history of matte painting and its transition into the digital age.[19] The New York Times called it "Eye-opening…increas[ing] our wonder at this heretofore 'invisible art.'"[20]

Educator

As a public-programs lecturer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (

AMPAS), Barron presents public screenings showcasing the art and technique of visual effects in classic studio films, often partnering with friend and fellow effects artist, sound designer Ben Burtt. The duo have been continuing guest hosts on the TCM Network and Barron has been an ongoing contributor to the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood since 2014.[21][22][23] For their presentations, Barron and Burtt rely on extensive research and digital recreations to discover and uncover the hidden history of a century of film production. When preparing for a screening of Gunga Din, they visited the Lone Pine, California Alabama Hills location where the film was shot in 1938, and found pieces of the set buried there. Using camera drones, they then recreated the film's locations as CGI environments.[24]

Barron has been an adjunct associate professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts since 2015.[25] His "World of Visual Effects" course focuses on the history of visual effects in film and how visual effects have influenced narratives in filmmaking from its inception to today.[26]

Selected presentations All screenings co-hosted by Barron and Burtt unless otherwise noted.

  • Techno Chaplin – Modern Times with John Bengstson – Behind-the-scenes photos and multimedia tour explaining how Chaplin used mattes, process shots, miniatures and rear projection within industrial settings of 1930s Los Angeles. 2008, Hollywood/San Rafael, CA.[27][28]
  • The Adventures of Robin Hood – Featured matte paintings and sound design with recreation of archery tests from the film. 2012, New York, NY.[29]
  • Mysteries of the Krell: Making Forbidden Planet – Breakdown of the film's visual effects and innovative sound design alongside collection of rare miniatures, production designs, props, the original Robby the Robot, and analog source tapes from the electronic soundtrack by composers Bebe and Louis Barron. 2011-2012, Hollywood/San Rafael, CA.[30]
  • The War of the Worlds – Demonstration of producer George Pal's Oscar-winning visual effects for TCM Classic Film Festival 2016, Hollywood, CA.[31]
  • The Flame and the Arrow - Discussion and demonstration of director Jacques Tourneur and crew's matte painting and sound effects work for TCM Classic Film Festival 2022, Hollywood, CA.[32]

Documentarian

Barron produces and is featured in a number of documentary supplements for DVD and Blu-ray editions from The Criterion Collection and Turner Classic Movies. The documentary shorts, often in conjunction with Burtt, explain with interviews, animated sequences and reenactments, how 3D effects were produced in classic Hollywood films, such as Citizen Kane, It's a Wonderful Life, and The Incredible Shrinking Man.[33][34][35][36]

Selected documentary filmography

  • Modern Times (1936) / A Bucket of Water and a Glass Matte (2010) – Barron and Burtt demonstrate Chaplin's use of miniatures and sound effects in the film's factory and roller-skating scenes.[37][38]
  • Rebecca (1940) / Constructing the Eerie World of Rebecca (2017) – Barron demonstrates the large-scale Manderlay miniature that Hitchcock’s crew built and filmed onset, which included a miniature car and destruction by fire.[39]
  • A Matter of Life and Death (1946) / Documentary supplement (2018) – A detailed account and 3D rendering of how Michael Powell conceived of and carried out the seemingly endless “stairway to heaven” scene with the use of set design, miniatures and camera angles.[40]
  • Bringing Up Baby (1938), But What About My Leopard? The Magic of Optical Effects Pioneer Linwood Dunn – Interview with Linwood Dunn and demonstration on how a live leopard was safely shot on set with actors.[41][42]
  • Chain Lightning (1950), Jet Jockeys in Love: The Making of Chain Lightning – Aired for TCM Film Festival on HBOMax. Barron and Burtt explain the film’s visual effects and sound design while “piloting” a vintage fighter jet in this Vitaphone-parody short.[43]

Barron and Burtt wrote and produced the documentary series Secrets of the Hollywood Archives, premiering on

The Criterion Channel in the summer of 2022. Each five-minute episode focuses on one scene of a classic Hollywood film to demonstrate how studio VFX departments created its visual effects. In such films as Action in the North Atlantic, 12 O’Clock High, and Forbidden Planet, the producers dig through outtakes that were never released to the public, as well as production clips, stock shots and sound-effect recordings to find buried historical documentation of visual-effects history and technique.[21][44][45]

Museum development and visual effects advisor

From 2007 to the present, Barron served on several planning committees tasked with developing the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. For the Museum’s inaugural exhibit on Citizen Kane, he co-produced videos honoring effects master Linwood Dunn and his use of mattes, miniatures and the optical printer to create Kane’s iconic visuals.[46][47] Painted mattes and the Wayne Manor model for Batman Returns from the Matte World Digital archive were on display at the Academy Museum's inaugural opening in 2021.[48]

Creative director

In 2014 Barron became creative director at Magnopus, a media company based in Los Angeles. Magnopus provides visual development and virtual production for motion pictures, television, and museum exhibits. Barron specializes in interactive and immersive virtual-reality experiences that put filmmakers "inside the movie" during production. Other projects include remote educational experiences with augmented virtual-reality for museums and other multimedia platforms.[49][50]

At Magnopus, Barron directed the VR tie-in to 2017's Blade Runner 2049. Entitled Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab, the 30-minute VR production is set in the world of the film where users act as replicant android hunters. A review in UploadVR said the experience, "...manages to contribute somewhat to 2049's story without stepping on it, shedding more light on one of the film's central characters that gives the entire piece an even deeper sense of purpose."[51][52] Memory Lab was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Original Interactive Program in 2018.[53]

In partnership with Television City and Holocaust Museum LA, Magnopus, with Barron as creative director, developed a virtual museum experience that allows viewers to partake in the Holocaust Museum’s educational exhibits. The AR immersive technology tool on iOS devices expands the range of the museum to a new worldwide audience.[54]

In 2022, Magnopus and Walt Disney Studios’ StudioLab developed the first augmented reality experience for Disney+ for Remembering, a short film produced by and starring Brie Larson and directed by Elijah Allan-Blitz. The film was shot on LED stages at NantStudios, allowing its actors to react to its fanciful "world of imagination" during production. As visual effects supervisor, Barron oversaw production of the cross-platform experience. Viewers can watch the film through an iOS device using the "Remembering: The AR Experience" app, bringing 3D digital elements of waterfalls, forests and dolphins into their family living rooms.[55] [56][57]

Awards, honors and affiliations

Awards and nominations

  • By Dawn's Early Light – Emmy for Outstanding Visual Effects, 1990
  • Batman Returns – Academy and BAFTA Award nominations for Achievement in Visual Effects, 1992[58]
  • The Utilizer – Gold Plaque for Best Special Effects, Chicago International Film Festival, 1996
  • The Truman Show – BAFTA Award nomination for Achievement in Special Visual Effects, 1999[59]
  • The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting, with Mark Cotta Vaz – Theatre Library Association of New York Outstanding Book on Film Award, 2003;[60] Theatre Technology Golden Pen Book Award, 2004[61]
  • Greece: Secrets of the PastVisual Effects Society (VES) Award nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects in a special venue project, 2006[62]
  • Zodiac – VES Award nomination for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Motion Picture, 2007[63]
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Academy and BAFTA Awards for Achievement in Visual Effects, 2009[64]
  • VES Founders Award, 2013[65]
  • Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab – Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Interactive Program, 2018, Clio Entertainment Bronze Winner for Virtual/Augmented Reality, 2018[66]
  • VES Fellows Award, 2018[67]

Honors and affiliations

  • Honorary Doctorate of Letters, PhD, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, 1979
  • Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers
  • Founding member of the Visual Effects Society, 1997
  • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Board of Governors representing the Visual Effects Branch, 2005-2022[68][69]
  • Co-chair of the
    AMPAS Science & Technology Council, 2014-2022[70]

Selected filmography

Publications

  • Barron, Craig and Cotta Vaz, Mark (2002). The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. .
  • Barron, Craig (July 23, 1998). Matte Painting in the Digital Age. "Invisible Effects" series transcript. Orlando, FL: SIGGRAPH 98.[71]

References

  1. ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at MyHeritage
  2. ^ Craig Barron - Creative Director. Magnopus. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  3. ^ What We Do. Magnopus. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  4. ^ .
  5. ^ May 17, 2017. "Star Wars 40th with Craig Barron," Athena Studios. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Brandon Wainerdi (August 2, 2022). "MISSING". Star Wars Insider. No. 212. Titan Publishing Group.[title missing]
  7. ^
  8. ^ Outstanding Achievement In SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS - 1990, By Dawn's Early Light HBO. Emmys. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  9. ^ 1992. Nomination for Visual Effects: Michael Fink, Craig Barron, John Bruno, Dennis Skotak -- Batman Returns. Archived 2012-02-25 at the Wayback Machine The Official Academy Awards Database. Retrieved in search on November 26, 2018.
  10. ^ 2008. VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron. Archived 2012-02-25 at the Wayback Machine The Official Academy Awards Database. Retrieved in search on November 26, 2018.
  11. ^ Failes, Ian. August 27, 2012. “End of an era: Matte World Digital and Fuel,” fxguide. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Barron, Craig. 1998. SIGGRAPH "Matte Painting in the Digital Age - 3-D Lighting Techniques."
  13. ^ Wainerdi, Brandon. November 27, 2019 “Craig Barron: Academy Award-winning VFX Artist and Film Historian." Talking Bay 94. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Robertson, Barbara. March 15, 2007. "Memories of Murder: VFX for Zodiac – Recreating 1970s San Francisco for Director David Fincher." Archived 2008-06-22 at the Wayback Machine Studio Daily. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  15. ^ Duncan, Jody. January, 2009. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Archived 2020-11-24 at the Wayback Machine Cinefex No. 116, pgs. 94–96.
  16. ^ 1996 Awards. Winner - Best Special Effects, The Utilizer. Chicago International Film Festival. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  17. ^ Roman, Jules. January 31, 2013. "Barron Meets The Tippett." Tippett Studio Newsletter. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  18. ^ Braun, Cassandra. March 2, 2002. "In the spotlight – Book explores movie magic," Contra Costa Times. Walnut Creek, California.
  19. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review - The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  20. ^ Benfey, Christopher. December 8, 2002. "Art." The New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  21. ^ a b Green, Eric. August 24, 2022. “Craig Barron and Ben Burtt on How Secrets of the Hollywood Archives Reveals the Movie Magic of the Industry’s Golden Era,” Below the Line. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  22. ^ "The Science of Movie Co-hosted by Ben Burtt & Craig Barron," TCM Academy Conversations. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  23. ^ Accomando, Beth. April 14, 2014. "Rants And Raves: TCM Film Festival," KPBS All Things Considered. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  24. ^ King, Susan. "TCM Classic Film Festival: Oscar winners discuss making of Gunga Din," Los Angeles Times, March 27, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  25. ^ Craig Barron, USC School of Cinematic Arts Directory Profile
  26. ^ Wolff, Ellen. February 10, 2019. "Learning from the Masters: Must-Take US Animation & VFX Classes." Animation Magazine. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  27. ^ "Techno Chaplin: Modern Times." AMPAS Events. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  28. ^ June 30, 2008. "Academy to Visit Modern Times with Techno Chaplin." Webwire. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  29. ^ May 20, 2017. "The Adventures of Robin Hood with Oscar winners Ben Burtt & Craig Barron." Film Forum. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  30. ^ December 8, 2012. "Mysteries of the Krell: Making of Forbidden Planet." AMPAS Events. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  31. ^ "Academy Conversation: The War of the Worlds (1953)." TCM Classic Film Festival, Hollywood, 2016. April 28 - May 1, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  32. ^ April 23, 2022. The Flame and the Arrow (1950). Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  33. ^ Information for Craig Barron, Supplement Participant. Criterion Forum. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  34. ^ Citizen Kane, Edition no. 1104. The Criterion Collection. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  35. ^ Cook, Brad. November 17, 2020. 4K Ultra HD Review – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Flickering Myth. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  36. ^ Atanasov, Dr. Svet. October 16, 2021. Blu-ray.com. The Incredible Shrinking Man Blu-ray Review. Blu-ray.com. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
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  38. ^ Weber, Bill. November 24, 2010. Modern Times DVD Review. Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  39. ^ September 6, 2017. "Constructing the Eerie World of Rebecca." Inside Criterion / Sneak Peeks. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  40. ^ July 27, 2018. "Across the Great Divide: Creating Powell and Pressburger’s Stairway to Heaven." Inside Criterion / Sneak Peeks. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  41. ^ Bringing Up Baby, Edition no. 1085. Criterion Film Forum, The Criterion Collection. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  42. ^ McClannahan, Sean. July 14, 2021. "Fistful of Features investigates new Criterion Collection release Bringing Up Baby," Elements of Madness (EOM). Retrieved on October 20, 2021.
  43. ^ Mallory, Mary. May 10, 2021. "Hollywood Heights: TCM Classic Film Festival 2021." The Daily Mirror. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  44. ^ July 11, 2022. "Criterion Channel's 'Secrets of the Hollywood Archives' Explores Film Industry's Hidden Treasures," A.frame. Retrieved on September 11, 2022.
  45. ^ "Secrets of the Hollywood Archives," The Criterion Channel. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  46. ^ Tangcay, Jazz. February 1, 2022. "Academy Museum Launches 'Branch Selects' Screening Series, With Weekly Movies Honoring Each Branch," Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  47. ^ Significant Movies and Moviemakers: Citizen Kane. Academy Museum. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  48. ^ Yamaot, Jen. September 9, 2021. "Inside the Academy Museum room where you'll meet R2-D2, E.T. and more icons of movie magic. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  49. ^ 2018. Grand CLIO – Disney-PIXAR’s Coco VR. CLIO Awards. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  50. ^ Abramian, Alexandria. January 23, 2014. "New VFX Firm Magnopus Sets Up in Downtown L.A." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  51. ^ Feltham, Jamie. October 25, 2017. "Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab Is A VR Tie-In That Does The Series Proud." UploadVR. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  52. ^ Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab. Magnopus. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  53. ^ Awards & Nominations 2018. Emmys. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  54. ^ Ben-Moche, Erin. February 9, 2021. "Holocaust Museum LA, Television City, Magnopus Team up to Develop Virtual Immersive Experience." Jewish Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  55. ^ Forristal, Lauren. September 8, 2022. "Disney+ releases its first AR-enabled short film, Remembering, starring Brie Larson," TechCrunch. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  56. ^ September 8, 2022 (release date). ‘’Remembering’’. Disney.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  57. ^ Disney+ Remembering: an AR experience. Magnopus Case Study. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  58. ^ Awards Database. BAFTA. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  59. ^ Awards Database. BAFTA. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  60. ^ Wall Award Winners, 1974-Present. Theatre Library Association. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  61. ^ Oscar G. Brockett Golden Pen Award Past Winners. Association for Performing Arts & Entertainment Professionals. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  62. ^ 5th Annual VES Awards. Visual Effects Society. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  63. ^ 6th Annual VES Awards. Visual Effects Society. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  64. ^ Awards Database. BAFTA. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  65. ^ VES Honors. Visual Effects Society. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  66. ^ Clio Entertainment. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  67. ^ Giardina, Carolyn. September 26, 2018. "Oscar Winners Craig Barron, Mike Fink Among New Visual Effects Society Members." The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  68. ^ Robinson, Anna. October 26, 2010. "Caleb Deschanel & Randal Kleiser Join Academy's Science and Technology Council." Alt Film Guide. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  69. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer. May 2, 2013. "Academy Honors Matte Painting and Digital Environments." Animation World Network. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  70. ^ 2015-16 Council Members, Sci-Tech Council, AMPAS. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  71. ^ SIGGRAPH 98 Animation Sketches - Invisible Effects. Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 29, 2018.

External links