Boss Film Studios
Boss Film Studios was a prominent American visual effects company, founded by visual effects veteran Richard Edlund after his departure from Industrial Light and Magic, producing visual effects for over thirty films from 1983 to 1997.[1] Before that period Edlund had worked at ILM on films like Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and the original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983).
 | |
| Industry | Visual effects, CGI animation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Marina del Rey, California, United States |
Key people | Richard Edlund |
History
Boss Film Studios (originally Boss Film Corporation) initially undertook two projects, Ghostbusters (1984) and 2010, simultaneously. In an effort to set up the new venture quickly, Edlund acquired Douglas Trumbull's Entertainment Effects Group, taking over their Marina Del Rey facility.
Competition with ILM
Boss Film soon established itself as one of ILM's competitors as it contributied to such projects as Die Hard, Poltergeist II, and Big Trouble in Little China.
Edlund and his team chose to compete with ILM technically, continuing EEG's preference for using 65mm film for the creation of their optical effects work. This provided potentially cleaner effects than ILM's VistaVision format due to its much larger negative area.
Boss Game Studios
Boss Film branched out into video game production in 1994 through sister company Boss Game Studios. Boss Film also operated a commercial production company producing many television spots for companies including Budweiser, Dodge, United Airlines, and DHL.
Closure
Boss Film announced it was closing its doors on August 26, 1997, citing the difficulties of sustaining an independent effects house within the competitive environment at the time.[2]
Awards
- Nominated for the 1993 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Alien 3. The named nominees were Richard Edlund, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., and George Gibbs.
- Nominated for the 1989 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Die Hard. The named nominees were Richard Edlund, Al Di Sarro, Brent Boates, and Thaine Morris.
- Nominated for the 1987 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Poltergeist II. The named nominees were Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Garry Waller, and Bill Neil.
- Boss Film was awarded a Scientific and Engineering Award from the AMPAS in 1987 for the design and development of a Zoom Aerial (ZAP) 65mm Optical Printer. The winners were Richard Edlund, Gene Whiteman, David Grafton, Mark West, Jerry Jeffress, and Robert Wilcox.
- Nominated for the 1985 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for both 2010 (Richard Edlund, Neil Krepela, George Jenson, and Mark Stetson) and Ghostbusters (Richard Edlund, John Bruno, Mark Vargo, and Chuck Gaspar).
Notable Boss Film alumni
Facility location
13335 Maxella Avenue, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Filmography
1984
- Ghostbusters (credited as Effects Entertainment Group)
- 2010 (credited as Effects Entertainment Group)
1985
1986
- Big Trouble in Little China
- Poltergeist II: The Other Side
- Solarbabies
- Legal Eagles
- The Boy Who Could Fly
1987
1988
1989
- Tales from the Crypt series opening
1990
1992
1993
- Cliffhanger
- Last Action Hero
- Journey to Technopia
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
References
- "John A. Bonner Medal | 2006 Scientific and Technical Awards". Oscars.org. 12 February 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
- Vaziri, Todd (September 2007). "Boss Calls It Quits: The Industry Reacts". www.vfxhq.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- Kaufman, Debra (21 October 2004). "Jim Rygiel - Global Creativity". ITConversations. Archived from the original on 16 November 2004.
- Kaufman, Debra (3 April 2006). "Mark Stetson on Making Superman Fly (And Other Neat Tricks)". www.studiodaily.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
