With the release of Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron is set to take special effects to a whole new level. In a sense, he’s been a pioneer in this area since the release of The Abyss in 1989 and then Terminator 2: Judgement Day a couple of years later. However, it took the hard work and dedication of many skilled artists to bring his vision to life. The team at Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic’s computer graphics department played a vital part in the evolution of filmmaking.
Animation supervisor Steve Williams was one of the main driving forces behind this progression. Indeed, ILM went on to change the face of cinema with their work on Jurassic Park, but the people doing the hard work never received the award recognition they deserved. While ‘Spaz’ is a genius, he had no intention of playing the game and fell afoul of Hollywood’s corporate structures. As digital became the new fad, his recalcitrance ended up being his downfall. Jurassic Punk tells his story.
Jurassic Punk is a fascinating documentary about an area of modern big budget cinema which is often overlooked. Scott Leberecht’s documentary also focusses on the man himself, whose inability to change and stubbornness almost ruined his life. Using a number of interviews with key players, including Phil Tippett and Robert Patrick, Jurassic Punk tells the inspiring story of a troubled soul.
Jurassic Punk is out in US cinemas and VOD/digital on 16 December.
