American Cinematographer - May 2008 - (Page 65)

In 1978, Don Iwerks was building a visual-effects camera for Disney’s The Black Hole and asked to “borrow” Inglish to work with him at the studio. The 11-month project produced the revolutionary ACES (Automatic Camera Effects System). Inglish continued working with Iwerks, building cameras, projection systems, motion-control systems and other equipment for Disney’s Epcot Center and Tokyo Disneyland Park. When animators working on The Black Cauldron expressed a desire to combine conventional flat animation and computer animation, Inglish led the effort to set up the proof-of-concept test and proposal to key Disney management that eventually resulted in CAPS. Then, in 1986, after seeing John Lasseter’s Luxo Jr. at Siggraph, “a bunch of our animators got together and said, ‘We want to do our own film.’ We called ourselves the Disney Animation Late-Night Group. Every night, after our [regular shift ended], we stayed until the wee hours of the morning putting together Oilspot and Lipstick.” Three years later, in 1991, CAPS was honored with a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy. Inglish’s other accomplishments at Disney included inventing a Xelite for use in motion-picture flatbed editing equipment and, in 1993, building the studio’s first video-conferencing system, which offered realtime broadcast-quality video to artists at Disney’s Los Angeles, Orlando and Paris animation studios. He left Disney in 1995 and did computer-network consulting for such non-entertainment clients as Frito Lay and Neiman Marcus. In 1996, he accepted the position at Universal Studios, now NBC Universal. “You don’t do anything in this business by yourself,” he stresses. “I got lots of help from many people along the way.” He says the Bonner Award took him completely by sur- David Inglish receives the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation for his outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. prise. “It’s getting an award for doing what you love, from those you respect, for something you feel passionate about.” Pioneering lens designer David A. Grafton became the 21st recipient of the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, which is presented to an individual “whose technological contributions have brought credit to the [motion-picture] industry.” The self-effacing Englishman notes, “I wasn’t really in the movie business; I worked for some people who were.” According to Richard Edlund, ASC, Grafton’s “fantastic lens designs made impossible things possible in the photochemical era and enabled visual-effects artists to create seamless illusions in many a blockbuster.” Born in Brighton, England, in 1924, Grafton was a sickly child who was shipped off to Switzerland in the hopes of improving his health. He was privately tutored as a child and eschewed college in order to serve in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He came to the United States in 1952 at the suggestion of his sister, who was in show business in Las Vegas. After working for a short time in Chicago and then Peeksville, New York, he became interested in optics. For the next 30 years, he designed electro-optical systems for companies such as IBM, NCR, EG&G and Xerox. While at Xerox, Grafton was approached by Edlund, who was then building the photographic system at the fledgling Industrial Light & Magic (ILM); Edlund’s team needed a special lens to be designed for the aerial-image printer used in the making of Star Wars. The existing field lens produced field curvature and chromatic distortions, resulting in bluescreen composites that were marred by matte lines. Grafton got rid of the problem with his first “Super Lens,” which was soon adopted by almost every visual-effects facility in the industry. For The Empire Strikes Back, Grafton designed a telecentric anamorphic lens system for Edlund’s Quad optical-effects printer; in 1980, Grafton received a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award for the optical design. Six years later, he received his second such award as part of the team that developed the Zoom Aerial 65mm Optical Printer for Edlund’s Boss Film Studios. “I designed a unique zoom lens that had eight to 10 moving elements that were all manipulated by cams that were able to produce the focus at any point at any time,” he explains. With characteristic modesty, he adds, “It was a very important piece of equipment at the time.” According to Edlund, the lens has been donated to the Academy for its soon-to-be-built Museum of ¢ the Motion Picture. American Cinematographer 65 Photos by Todd Wawrychuk, courtesy of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - May 2008

American Cinematographer - May 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Global Village: The Fall Short Takes: ASC Laszlo Kovacs Short Takes: Heritage Award Winners Production Slate: Anamorph Production Slate: Fugitive Pieces Heavy-Metal Hero A Need for Speed Kink and the City Beautiful Minds A Hollywood Homecoming Post Focus: Paramount Restores The Godfather Filmmakers’ Forum: Levie Isaacks, ASC Teaches Marines to Shoot Movies New Products & Services International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index Clubhouse News ASC Close-Up: Antonio Calvache

American Cinematographer - May 2008

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