So sad to hear. This guy always impressed me with the level of special effects he was able to put together for many of my favorite films of all time.
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080616l.php
Oscar-winning special effects and make-up legend Stan Winston passed away on Sunday night after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma.
The 62-year-old Winston was best known for his work in the Terminator, Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Predator franchises. Other notable films included Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Pearl Harbor, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Big Fish, Constantine, End of Days, Lake Placid, Congo, Leviathan, The Ghost and the Darkness and The Thing.
He was only the second special effects artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His most recent work was creating the physical suit for use by Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man" and top-secret creations for James Cameron's upcoming project "Avatar".
To his friends, family, and many, many admirers - our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to you. This is a very sad day for anyone whose ever loved the craft of filmmaking. Peace be with you Stan.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91BDUV04&show_article=1
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Stan Winston, the Oscar-winning special-effects maestro responsible for bringing the dinosaurs of "Jurrasic Park" and other iconic movie creatures to life, has died. He was 62.
Winston died at his home in Malibu surrounded by family on Sunday evening after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a representative from Stan Winston Studio.
Working with such directors as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tim Burton in a career spanning over four decades, Winston created some of the most memorable visual effects in cinematic history. He helped bring the dinosaurs from "Jurassic Park," the extraterrestrials from "Aliens, the robots from "Terminator" and even "Edward Scissorhands" to the big screen.
"The entertainment industry has lost a genius, and I lost one of my best friends with the death Sunday night of Stan Winston," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Stan's work and four Oscars speak for themselves and will live on forever. What will live forever in my heart is the way that Stan loved everyone and treated each of his friends like they were family."
Winston won visual effects Oscars for 1986's "Aliens," 1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and 1993's "Jurassic Park." He also won a makeup Oscar for 1992's "Batman Returns."
Winston was nominated for his work on "Heartbeeps," "Predator," "Edward Scissorhands," "Batman Returns," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "A.I." He last worked with director Jon Favreau on "Iron Man."
At the time of his death, Winston was in the process of transforming his physical makeup and effects studio into the new Winston Effects Group with a team of senior effects supervisors. Winton's most recent projects included "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," "G.I. Joe," "Shutter Island" and Cameron's "Avatar."
As a child growing up in Virginia, Winston enjoyed drawing, puppetry and classic horror films. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville in 1968, Winston moved to Southern California to become an actor but instead worked behind the scenes and completed a three-year makeup apprenticeship program at Walt Disney Studios in 1972.
Winston is survived by his wife, Karen; a son, daughter, brother and four grandchildren.
http://www.variety.com/VR1117987531.html
Winston, who set the industry standard for robotic/animatronic creatures and prosthetic makeup, won four Oscars: a visual effects Oscar for 1986's "Aliens," visual effects and makeup Oscars for 1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and a visual effects Oscar for 1993's "Jurassic Park," for which he created animatronic dinosaurs that complemented the film's digitally animated creatures.
The conference room at Winston's Van Nuys studio was long one of the most effective sales tools any effects company could hope for. It was a combination museum and resume, with many of the most memorable movie creatures of recent decades -- including the queen alien from "Aliens," the Predator and even Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator -- lunging toward the conference table on all sides. Steven Spielberg, who worked with Winston on several films, said in a statement: "Stan was a fearless and courageous artist/inventor, and for many projects, I rode his cutting edge from teddy bears to aliens to dinosaurs. My world would not have been the same without Stan. What I will miss most is his easy laugh every time he said to me, 'Nothing is impossible.' "
Producer Gale Anne Hurd, who worked with Winston on the "Terminator" franchise, "Aliens" and "The Relic," recalled that she and helmer James Cameron first approached makeup artist Dick Smith to do the prosthetic effects on "The Terminator." Smith declined and recommended Winston, saying, "One day, you'll thank me."
At the time, Winston's movie credits were slender, with "The Wiz" foremost among them. Not long thereafter, though, he received an Oscar nomination for "Heartbeeps." Hurd credits Winston with designing the prosthetic makeup for "The Terminator" before the film even had financing, and with making it possible to do the makeup effects on a small budget.
Winston soon became the foremost maker of animatronic and robotic creatures in the movie industry, as well as a leader in prosthetic makeup. John Nelson, visual effects supervisor for "Iron Man," said: "Stan was the man when it came to making those kind of prosthetic effects; he was the guy. If you look at the litany of other good people in the business, they tend to be people who worked for Stan."
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080616l.php
Oscar-winning special effects and make-up legend Stan Winston passed away on Sunday night after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma.
The 62-year-old Winston was best known for his work in the Terminator, Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Predator franchises. Other notable films included Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Interview with the Vampire, Pearl Harbor, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Big Fish, Constantine, End of Days, Lake Placid, Congo, Leviathan, The Ghost and the Darkness and The Thing.
He was only the second special effects artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His most recent work was creating the physical suit for use by Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man" and top-secret creations for James Cameron's upcoming project "Avatar".
To his friends, family, and many, many admirers - our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to you. This is a very sad day for anyone whose ever loved the craft of filmmaking. Peace be with you Stan.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91BDUV04&show_article=1
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Stan Winston, the Oscar-winning special-effects maestro responsible for bringing the dinosaurs of "Jurrasic Park" and other iconic movie creatures to life, has died. He was 62.
Winston died at his home in Malibu surrounded by family on Sunday evening after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a representative from Stan Winston Studio.
Working with such directors as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Tim Burton in a career spanning over four decades, Winston created some of the most memorable visual effects in cinematic history. He helped bring the dinosaurs from "Jurassic Park," the extraterrestrials from "Aliens, the robots from "Terminator" and even "Edward Scissorhands" to the big screen.
"The entertainment industry has lost a genius, and I lost one of my best friends with the death Sunday night of Stan Winston," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Stan's work and four Oscars speak for themselves and will live on forever. What will live forever in my heart is the way that Stan loved everyone and treated each of his friends like they were family."
Winston won visual effects Oscars for 1986's "Aliens," 1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and 1993's "Jurassic Park." He also won a makeup Oscar for 1992's "Batman Returns."
Winston was nominated for his work on "Heartbeeps," "Predator," "Edward Scissorhands," "Batman Returns," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "A.I." He last worked with director Jon Favreau on "Iron Man."
At the time of his death, Winston was in the process of transforming his physical makeup and effects studio into the new Winston Effects Group with a team of senior effects supervisors. Winton's most recent projects included "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," "G.I. Joe," "Shutter Island" and Cameron's "Avatar."
As a child growing up in Virginia, Winston enjoyed drawing, puppetry and classic horror films. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville in 1968, Winston moved to Southern California to become an actor but instead worked behind the scenes and completed a three-year makeup apprenticeship program at Walt Disney Studios in 1972.
Winston is survived by his wife, Karen; a son, daughter, brother and four grandchildren.
http://www.variety.com/VR1117987531.html
Winston, who set the industry standard for robotic/animatronic creatures and prosthetic makeup, won four Oscars: a visual effects Oscar for 1986's "Aliens," visual effects and makeup Oscars for 1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and a visual effects Oscar for 1993's "Jurassic Park," for which he created animatronic dinosaurs that complemented the film's digitally animated creatures.
The conference room at Winston's Van Nuys studio was long one of the most effective sales tools any effects company could hope for. It was a combination museum and resume, with many of the most memorable movie creatures of recent decades -- including the queen alien from "Aliens," the Predator and even Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator -- lunging toward the conference table on all sides. Steven Spielberg, who worked with Winston on several films, said in a statement: "Stan was a fearless and courageous artist/inventor, and for many projects, I rode his cutting edge from teddy bears to aliens to dinosaurs. My world would not have been the same without Stan. What I will miss most is his easy laugh every time he said to me, 'Nothing is impossible.' "
Producer Gale Anne Hurd, who worked with Winston on the "Terminator" franchise, "Aliens" and "The Relic," recalled that she and helmer James Cameron first approached makeup artist Dick Smith to do the prosthetic effects on "The Terminator." Smith declined and recommended Winston, saying, "One day, you'll thank me."
At the time, Winston's movie credits were slender, with "The Wiz" foremost among them. Not long thereafter, though, he received an Oscar nomination for "Heartbeeps." Hurd credits Winston with designing the prosthetic makeup for "The Terminator" before the film even had financing, and with making it possible to do the makeup effects on a small budget.
Winston soon became the foremost maker of animatronic and robotic creatures in the movie industry, as well as a leader in prosthetic makeup. John Nelson, visual effects supervisor for "Iron Man," said: "Stan was the man when it came to making those kind of prosthetic effects; he was the guy. If you look at the litany of other good people in the business, they tend to be people who worked for Stan."