Douglas Trumbull

Visionary master of special effects for science-fiction features and state-of-the-art theme park rides who first gained acclaim for with his groundbreaking work as FX supervisor on Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). Trumbull performed similar chores for Robert Wise's film version of Michael Crichton's "The Andromeda Strain" (1971) before crafting a small gem of a directorial debut with "Silent Running" (1971), a sad and beautiful ecological tale starring Bruce Dern.

Trumbull scientifically gauged the amount of visual and audio information the human brain could absorb before reaching overload. He utilized this data to invent the revolutionary Showscan system which projects a 70mm film at 60 frames per second to create a nearly overpowering sensory experience for viewers. The future of film, Trumbull has said, will not be found in movie theaters. In 1976, he coupled Showscan with a motion base to create the first simulator theater at his Future General company. This was a full decade before Disney played catch up by developing a similar idea for their immensely popular "Star Tours" ride at its theme parks.

Trumbull elevated the art of film special effects once again with Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977). His prodigious skills were the most impressive aspect of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979) but all the creative elements came together to make Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" (1983) a classic of the genre. Directing the intriguing but ill-fated "Brainstorm" (1983)--remembered mainly because star Natalie Wood died during production in 1981--proved less rewarding than designing special effects, so Trumbull left Hollywood to explore new formats for cinematic expression in theme parks and special venues. Even when his work does not appear in theaters, Trumbull continues to be a film pioneer.