James Straus

History

James Satoru Straus is known for his work on Dragonheart (1996), Jurassic Park (1993), G.I. Joe (2009), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Dark was the Night. He is an animation director, writter, artist and animation supervisor.

Movies

Dark Was the Night
Animation Director
An evil is unleashed in a small town when a logging company sets up shop in the neighboring woods. Isolated and threatened, a mysterious force hidden within the trees outside the small town of Maiden Woods, strikes fear in the townspeople as Sheriff Paul Shields attempts to overcome the demons of his past while protecting those that he loves.
The Horror of It All: The Visual F/X of The Mist
Himself
This 16-minute featurette focuses on CafeFX, the team behind the CG work in The Mist (as well as Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth). They discuss a wide array of points, from matching models with the KNB creature crew to documentaries that inspired the designs. It's great to see a lot of the work-in-progress materials (grid assembly, texture work, etc), as it helps to appreciate exactly what pops up on screen. Furthermore, it also discusses a lot of the "mist" effects that play off of their environments
Constantine
Animation
John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.
Shrek
Animation Director
It ain't easy bein' green -- especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot -- a wisecracking donkey.
Star Trek: Insurrection
Animation Supervisor
When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as the very ideals upon which the Federation itself was founded.
Spawn
Animation Supervisor
After being murdered by corrupt colleagues in a covert government agency, Al Simmons makes a pact with the devil to be resurrected to see his beloved wife Wanda. In exchange for his return to Earth, Simmons agrees to lead Hell's Army in the destruction of mankind.
Jumanji
Supervising Animator
When siblings Judy and Peter discover an enchanted board game that opens the door to a magical world, they unwittingly invite Alan -- an adult who's been trapped inside the game for 26 years -- into their living room. Alan's only hope for freedom is to finish the game, which proves risky as all three find themselves running from giant rhinoceroses, evil monkeys and other terrifying creatures.