Jim Rygiel (born February 17, 1955) is an American

visual effects supervisor In the context of film and television production, a visual effects supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process ...

. He has worked on major feature films since 1984, including ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's b ...

'' movie trilogy (for which he won three consecutive Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects) and ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

''. He currently works at FuseFX visual effects studio.

Early life

Rygiel was born in

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

. Rygiel attended St. Joseph Catholic High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscon ...

. In 1980, he received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Otis Parsons School of Design (now called

Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aerospace headquarte ...

Career

Pacific Electric Pictures

Starting his career in 1980, Rygiel joined Pacific Electric Pictures, one of the earliest companies to employ computer animation for the advertising and film markets.

Digital Productions

In 1983, Rygiel's work took him to Digital Productions where he began work on ''

The Last Starfighter ''The Last Starfighter'' is a 1984 American space opera film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan ( Lance Guest), a teenager recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also features Robe ...

'' (1984), a film notable for its pioneering use of digital imaging in place of models. While at Digital Productions, Rygiel's commercial work was nominated for numerous awards, winning a prestigious CLIO award for the introduction of the

Sony Walkman Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term fo ...

Pacific Data Images and Metrolight

From 1987 to 1989, Rygiel supervised numerous projects while at visual effects companies Pacific Data Images (PDI) and Metrolight.

Boss Film Studios

In 1989, Rygiel was asked to form and head a computer animation department at Boss Film Studios. This department of one grew to over 75 animators and 100 support staff within a little more than a year, winning several awards, including a CLIO Award for the Geo Prism automobile commercial. While at Boss, Rygiel supervised many feature films, both as Digital Effects Supervisor and Visual Effects Supervisor. His credits there include ''Starship Troopers'', ''Species'', ''Outbreak'', ''Air Force One'', ''The Scout'', ''The Last Action Hero'', ''Cliffhanger'', ''Batman Returns'', ''Alien III'', and ''Ghost''.

Post-Boss Films career

After Boss Films' closure, he went on to supervise '' The Parent Trap'', '' Star Trek: Insurrection'', '' Anna and the King'', and '' 102 Dalmatians''. In 2006, Rygiel co-founded Rocket Science Studios. He currently serves as president of production.

Awards and nominations

In 2002, Rygiel received the American Film Institute's first AFI Digital Effects Artist of the Year award, the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Visual Effects for his work on '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''. Rygiel is a member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

as well as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and The British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rygiel, Jim Living people Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners Best Visual Effects BAFTA Award winners Otis College of Art and Design alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Visual effects supervisors 1955 births