Science fiction cinema would not be what it is today without the work of Douglas Trumbull. Trumbull helped develop the effects in films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, each time changing the field in ways that would resonate for decades. After an incredible life and career, Trumbull this week lost his two-year battle with cancer and died at the age of 79.
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Born in Los Angeles, California in 1942, Trumbull began working in the visual effects field in his 20s. His work was noticed by an up-and-coming director named Stanley Kubrick , and Kubrick asked him to help with his new film called 2001: A Space Odyssey. Trumbull moved to London to work with Kubrick on the film and ended up pioneering some of the most impressive and famous visual effects in all of film. This film not only inspired a generation of film fans, but it also laid a solid foundation for Trumbull to continue working in the field.
After impressing with the visual effects on The Andromeda Strain, Trumbull followed up with Silent Running, which was his directorial debut. In addition to the visual effects he brought to that film, he also collaborated with Donald Trumbull, his father. It turns out that visual effects expertise ran in the family, as his father contributed to a film called The Wizard of Oz. After that, they collaborated on many other films.
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However, immediately after Silent Running, Donald Trumbull (who died in 2004 at the age of 95) continued to work for Industrial Light and Magic on the Star Wars film – while Douglas turned down the collaboration and worked with Steven Spielberg on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He created the visuals for the unforgettable starship at the climax of the film. At the same time, he worked on the effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
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Trumbull's list of works is not as long as one might assume for someone who worked in the field for nearly five decades. But every time he put himself into a project, chances are he was going to change the course of cinematic history with it. His imagination and creativity led to works that will inspire and drive cinema from now until forever.
Information source: gizmodo.com
