First Impressions:
It's always wonderful to celebrate the 'lost' excellence of someone who, over the course of time, didn't attain the popularity or celebrity they so justly deserved. The name Steve "Spaz" Williams can be spoken in the same breath as pioneering computer animation. And this documentary returned to him some of the justice he'd lost over the years.
Documentary Analysis & Deep Dive:
This documentary is essentially a love letter to fans of CGI and dinosaurs, particularly the "Jurassic Park" movies. After all, it was Steve Williams who sat in the CGI chair creating digital dinos for significant portions of the 1993 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg.
I especially liked how the documentary didn't merely extol Steve's computer-cool virtues but also his penchant for disobedience and disruption. That reckless punk-like attitude led to his downfall in the business at a time when he could have soared to great heights.
But the "punk" in the title of this documentary actually stands for the revolutionary artistic decisions and actions that Steve took, which ended up redefining the way movies like "Jurassic Park" were even made. It certainly set wide standards for Sci-Fi and Fantasy movies to come.
Steve used traditional art techniques that involved line drawings to create super-realistic digital art, like the time he focused those skills on rendering dinosaurs for the "JP" movie. He was the first to pull it off and become a sensation. And though the sensation was short-lived, his techniques weren't.
His efforts were pivotal to the quality that Industrial Light & Magic (the reputed film company) and LucasFilm (another prestigious movie company) desired for their projects. He was sought after by Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, for crying out loud!
Final Notes:
Steve's work spanned cult-classic movies like "Jurassic Park" (1993), "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991), "The Abyss" (1989), "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (1977), "Spawn" (1997), "Eraser" (1996), "The Mask" (1994), and "Jumanji" (1995).
I loved every movie, and only after watching this stellar documentary did I realize what exactly made me admire and adore the realism and attention to natural detailing in those productions. It was the work of a dedicated team of artists and filmmakers, one of whom was Steven Williams.
There was a lot of pain in this documentary and plenty of regret too. They also captured Steve's struggles with alcohol in poignant ways. Watching it all made me feel bad for Steve but also immense respect for what he had accomplished before things went downhill for him.
I hope more people see this documentary primarily because it contains a Canadian computer graphics legend that so many of us, especially dinosaur and Science Fiction fans, need to know about.
The documentary is also a wake-up call to the entertainment industry to change the way it approves or accepts people who don't quite fit into their behavioural mould or expectations.
In a business built on Art, it only makes sense to embrace the misfits and outcasts, because those are the people who often possess the most creativity. Case in point, Steve Williams.
It's always wonderful to celebrate the 'lost' excellence of someone who, over the course of time, didn't attain the popularity or celebrity they so justly deserved. The name Steve "Spaz" Williams can be spoken in the same breath as pioneering computer animation. And this documentary returned to him some of the justice he'd lost over the years.
Documentary Analysis & Deep Dive:
This documentary is essentially a love letter to fans of CGI and dinosaurs, particularly the "Jurassic Park" movies. After all, it was Steve Williams who sat in the CGI chair creating digital dinos for significant portions of the 1993 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg.
I especially liked how the documentary didn't merely extol Steve's computer-cool virtues but also his penchant for disobedience and disruption. That reckless punk-like attitude led to his downfall in the business at a time when he could have soared to great heights.
But the "punk" in the title of this documentary actually stands for the revolutionary artistic decisions and actions that Steve took, which ended up redefining the way movies like "Jurassic Park" were even made. It certainly set wide standards for Sci-Fi and Fantasy movies to come.
Steve used traditional art techniques that involved line drawings to create super-realistic digital art, like the time he focused those skills on rendering dinosaurs for the "JP" movie. He was the first to pull it off and become a sensation. And though the sensation was short-lived, his techniques weren't.
His efforts were pivotal to the quality that Industrial Light & Magic (the reputed film company) and LucasFilm (another prestigious movie company) desired for their projects. He was sought after by Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, for crying out loud!
Final Notes:
Steve's work spanned cult-classic movies like "Jurassic Park" (1993), "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991), "The Abyss" (1989), "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (1977), "Spawn" (1997), "Eraser" (1996), "The Mask" (1994), and "Jumanji" (1995).
I loved every movie, and only after watching this stellar documentary did I realize what exactly made me admire and adore the realism and attention to natural detailing in those productions. It was the work of a dedicated team of artists and filmmakers, one of whom was Steven Williams.
There was a lot of pain in this documentary and plenty of regret too. They also captured Steve's struggles with alcohol in poignant ways. Watching it all made me feel bad for Steve but also immense respect for what he had accomplished before things went downhill for him.
I hope more people see this documentary primarily because it contains a Canadian computer graphics legend that so many of us, especially dinosaur and Science Fiction fans, need to know about.
The documentary is also a wake-up call to the entertainment industry to change the way it approves or accepts people who don't quite fit into their behavioural mould or expectations.
In a business built on Art, it only makes sense to embrace the misfits and outcasts, because those are the people who often possess the most creativity. Case in point, Steve Williams.
