Dennis Muren (born November 1, 1946) is an American film special effects artist, most notable for his work on the films of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Image File history File links This work is copyrighted. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (born December 18, 1946) is a Jewish American film director. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ...

Early career

Muren was born in Glendale, California, where he developed an interest in film-making and special effects from an early age. While studying business at Pasadena City College, Muren spent $8000 to make Equinox, a short science fiction film. Tonylyn Productions, a small film company, liked the film enough to distribute it. Tonylyn hired film editor Jack Woods to direct additional footage in order to make Equinox into a feature-length movie. When the feature-length Equinox was released in October 1970, Muren was credited as a producer in spite of having directed much of the film and creating the special effects himself. Despite mixed to poor reviews, the movie made enough money for Muren to recoup his $8000 investment, and consistent play on late-night TV actually led it to become something of a cult classic. It is scheduled for DVD release in June as a part of The Criterion Collection. Nickname: The Jewel City Official website: http://www. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total   - Width   - Length    - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 158,302 sq mi  410,000 km² 250 miles  402. ... Equinox is an horror movie by Jack Woods. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Film editing. ... Equinox is an horror movie by Jack Woods. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... The official DVD logo. ... The Criterion Collection is a line of authoritative consumer versions of classic and important contemporary films on laserdisc and, later, DVD. It was established as a joint venture between Janus Films and The Voyager Company in the mid-1980s. ...

After earning his associate's degree, Muren began working as a visual effects artist full-time. In 1976, Muren was hired at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), then an upstart visual effects studio founded by little-known director George Lucas. Lucas and ILM's first film, Star Wars, was released in 1977 to wide critical and public acclaim and was the highest grossing film of all time up until that point. An associates degree is a degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges and some bachelors degree-granting colleges and universities in Canada and the United States upon completion of a course of study equivalent to the first two years in a four-year college or university. ... Industrial Light & Magic original logo, designed by Drew Struzan Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is a motion picture special visual effects company, founded in July 1975 by George Lucas and owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... The cover of the 2004 DVD widescreen release of the modified original Star Wars Trilogy. ... // Events In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network. ...

Later career

Muren has been an important voice for pioneering new technologies in special effects. Muren spearheaded ILM's move from models and miniatures to CGI for the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In a 2000 interview, he stated that Terminator 2: Judgment Day was the film he was most proud of. The pseudopod in The Abyss marked CGIs acceptance in the visual effects industry. ... Terminator 2: Judgment Day (commonly abbreviated T2) is a 1991 movie directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Robert Patrick. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Muren later convinced Steven Spielberg that ILM's visual effects technology was advanced enough to make CGI dinosaurs possible for the film Jurassic Park. Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... This article is about the 1993 hit movie. ...

In June of 1999, Muren was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first visual effects artist to ever be so recognized. He has also been the recipient of nine Academy Awards, the most of any living movie-maker. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... An example of a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, for the film actress Carole Lombard. ... Academy Awards The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States and most watched awards ceremony in the world. ...

Muren continues to work for ILM to this day; his title is Senior Visual Effects Supervisor.

He has a small, non-speaking role in Raiders of the Lost Ark as a spy. He's the man who looks over the newspaper as Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford,) boards the passenger plane. Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a film released by Paramount Pictures in 1981. ... Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones Professor Henry Indiana Jones, Junior is a fictional bullwhip-toting, fedora-wearing archaeologist with an ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). ... Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. ...

Muren has an almost-invisible cameo in the theme park ride Star Tours. He and two other ILM'ers are visible in a movie-within-a-movie... they're rear-projected into the windows of a miniature Maintenance Bay building, which is then rear-projected into the cabin of the flight simulator. They can be seen ducking in fear as the point-of-view spaceship almost careens into them. Star Tours is a simulator ride located in many of the Disney theme parks, including Disneyland in California, Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, Disneyland Park in Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan. ...

Dennis is married to British documentary filmmaker "Dream of The Sea Ranch" and Landscape Architect Zara Muren, and they have two children together. They currently live in California.

References

• Starwars.com (2005). Dennis Muren. Retrieved 3 July 2005.

• Hollywood.com (2005). Dennis Muren. Retrieved 3 July 2005.

• Tome, Chris for 3dvfx.net (2000). The Dennis Muren Interview. Retrieved 3 July 2005.

• Erickson, Hal for All Movie Guide (2004). Equinox entry at All Movie Guide. Retrieved 3 July 2005.

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External links

• Dennis Muren at The Internet Movie Database