Matt Sweeney, the inventor and special effects artist who received an Oscar nomination for his work on Apollo 13 and three Technical Achievement Awards during his long career, has died. He was 75.
Sweeney died Monday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after a long battle with lung cancer, Dave Burle, who worked alongside Sweeney at his company for many years, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Sweeney also handled effects for films in the Lethal Weapon and Fast & Furious franchise and for 1941 (1979), 9 to 5 (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Goonies (1985), The Color Purple (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Arachnophobia (1990), Natural Born Killers (1994) and Galaxy Quest (1999), among many other movies.
Sweeney won his Technical Achievement Awards in 1987 for an Automatic Capsule Gun, which simulates bullet hits and is known as the “Sweeney Gun”; in 1998 for a Liquid Synthetic Air system, which mixes liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen to produce safe,...
Sweeney died Monday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after a long battle with lung cancer, Dave Burle, who worked alongside Sweeney at his company for many years, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Sweeney also handled effects for films in the Lethal Weapon and Fast & Furious franchise and for 1941 (1979), 9 to 5 (1980), On Golden Pond (1981), Goonies (1985), The Color Purple (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Arachnophobia (1990), Natural Born Killers (1994) and Galaxy Quest (1999), among many other movies.
Sweeney won his Technical Achievement Awards in 1987 for an Automatic Capsule Gun, which simulates bullet hits and is known as the “Sweeney Gun”; in 1998 for a Liquid Synthetic Air system, which mixes liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen to produce safe,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...
- 7/1/2015
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Studio Pali Fekete architects/©A.M.P.A.S.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.
“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”
“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...
- 6/27/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Strangely dropping a press release on a historic day where the nation's attention is elsewhere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their annual list of new member invitees this morning. For those who criticize the makeup of the Academy there was some good news and the stark realization the organization still has a long way to go. The Academy has spent the last eight to 10 years attempting to diversify its membership and this year's class mostly reflects that. There are significantly more invitees of Asian and African-American descent, but the male to female disparity is still depressing. Out of the 25 potential new members of the Actor's Branch only seven are women. And, no, there isn't really an acceptable way for the Academy to spin that sad fact. Additionally, It's important to realize the 322 people noted in the release have only been invited to join Hollywood's most exclusive club.
- 6/26/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Industrial Light & Magic, the San Francisco-based visual effects house that has changed the course of cinema history countless times over the years, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015. Wired Magazine has rounded up a who's who to discuss its impact and how the advances made there — first in a sweaty Van Nuys warehouse, and now in a swank Presidio complex — have morphed the film industry into what it is today. It's well worth your time. If, however, you're the "tl;dr" type, I couldn't help but jot down a few takeaways as I read. Here are seven. But seriously, take some time to read through it if you can. It's a tight but detailed look back, full of the kind of stories — from "Star Wars" to "Transformers" — that make "movie magic" a thing. George Lucas wants Marvel to make another "Howard the Duck" movie I've actually always loved Willard Huyck...
- 5/19/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic have been creating amazing characters for four decades now, and the latest issue of Wired Magazine takes a closer look at their amazing legacy. Lots of interesting quotes from those who have worked with Ilm can be found by clicking the link below, but Cary Phillips, Research and Development Supervisor for Ilm, talks here about the biggest challenges they've taken on. "There were three times in my 20 years here that I’ve almost soiled myself looking at a challenge we were going to take on. The first was the concept art for Star Wars: Episode I. The second time was Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The third time I almost soiled myself was seeing the concept art for the film we’re working on now, Warcraft; it’s the most amazing work we’ve done in the 20 years I’ve been here.
- 5/19/2015
- ComicBookMovie.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 21 scientific and technical achievements represented by 58 individual award recipients will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation on Saturday, February 7, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.
In addition, veteran sound engineer and Dolby Laboratories executive David W. Gray will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette), presented “to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.” Gray’s career has encompassed the design, refinement and implementation of groundbreaking cinema sound technologies, including stereo optical soundtracks, digital sound on film and most recently, Dolby Atmos®. He has served for many years on the Academy’s Science and Technology Council and its Theater Standards Committee, among others, as well as chaired the audio study group of Smpte’s pioneering DC28 technology committee, from which the first two...
In addition, veteran sound engineer and Dolby Laboratories executive David W. Gray will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette), presented “to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.” Gray’s career has encompassed the design, refinement and implementation of groundbreaking cinema sound technologies, including stereo optical soundtracks, digital sound on film and most recently, Dolby Atmos®. He has served for many years on the Academy’s Science and Technology Council and its Theater Standards Committee, among others, as well as chaired the audio study group of Smpte’s pioneering DC28 technology committee, from which the first two...
- 1/13/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
And the Oscars go to … the Mat-Towercam Twin Peek, the Biscuit Jr., the Mova Facial Performance Capture System, the Ilm PhysBAM Destruction System and the early conceptualization of sparse-tiled voxel data structures.
That may be Greek to most of us, but it makes sense to the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, which on Tuesday announced that those achievements, and 16 others, will be the recipients of this year’s Scientific and Technical Academy Awards.
See photos: Golden Globe Awards: Winners Gallery (Photos)
The awarded achievements include camera mounts and platforms, digital projection technology, advancements that aid in the creation of computer-generated foliage and hair,...
That may be Greek to most of us, but it makes sense to the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, which on Tuesday announced that those achievements, and 16 others, will be the recipients of this year’s Scientific and Technical Academy Awards.
See photos: Golden Globe Awards: Winners Gallery (Photos)
The awarded achievements include camera mounts and platforms, digital projection technology, advancements that aid in the creation of computer-generated foliage and hair,...
- 1/13/2015
- by Deborah Day and Steve Pond
- The Wrap
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