Dennis Muren

Dennis Muren

Birth : 1946-11-01, Glendale, California, USA

History

Dennis Muren is the Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic. A recipient of nine Oscars for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and a Technical Achievement Academy Award®, Muren is actively involved in the evolution of the company, as well as the design and development of new techniques and equipment. In June 1999, Muren became the first visual effects artist to be honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In February 2007, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society. Muren is currently working on a book focusing on “observation” for digital artists. As Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic, Muren is a key member of the company’s leadership team and collaborates with all of ILM’s supervisors on each of the films that the company contributes to.

Profile

Dennis Muren

Movies

Light & Magic
Self
Showcasing the people of Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects division of Lucasfilm, this series takes us back in time as they create the effects for some of the biggest and most successful films of the last 45 years.
Mad God
Associate Producer
A figure known as "The Assassin" descends from the heavens into a nightmarish pit full of monsters, titans, and cruelty.
In Search of Tomorrow
Self - Interviewee
A nostalgic journey through ’80s Sci-Fi-films, exploring their impact and relevance today, told by the artist who made them and by those who were inspired to turn their visions into reality.
Empire at 40
Self
A special livestream conversation with effects legends Dennis Muren, Joe Johnston, Phil Tippett, and Lorne Peterson in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. ILM's VFX Supervisor Bill George will moderate the discussion.
Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters
Self
An in-depth, sad, and beautiful documentary about the stop motion and VFX artist Phil Tippett, a man who changed the landscape of visual effects in film.
T2: Reprogramming The Terminator
Self
This retrospective documentary focuses on the cast and crew reminiscing about the making of the film and its legacy. It features new interviews James Cameron, William Wisher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton, Edward Furlong, Brad Fiedel, Mario Kassar, Stephanie Austin, Adam Greenberg and Dennis Muren.
Spielberg
Self
A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.
Finding Harryhausen with Dennis Muren
Himself
Visual effects artist Dennis Muren discusses the legacy of Ray Harryhausen.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Creative Consultant
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Himself
The Frankenstein Complex takes a historical as well as a creative perspective, with a mix of fascinating scenes behind the camera, film clips, and dozens of interviews with all the big names in the industry. In addition to the many wonderful anecdotes, the film also offers a wealth of beautiful test material, while along the way showing how the art of filmmaking has changed over the years. An affectionate ode to monster makers throughout history.
Ralph McQuarrie: Tribute to a Master
Himself
Ralph McQuarrie, concept artist of the original Star Wars trilogy, was essential in bringing the characters, ships, and locales of a galaxy far, far away to life. In this special retrospective, Star Wars creator George Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic effects legend Dennis Muren, and many others discuss the impact of McQuarrie, his artistic gifts, and his legacy.
From Morf to Morphing: The Dawn of Digital Filmmaking
Self - Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Documentary about the invention of MORF, the program for morphing, which was created for the film Willow (1988).
Side by Side
Self
Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
Self
There’s only one person who so accurately personifies movie magic in the history of film, and that man is special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. Focusing on the man behind the landmark effects on films like Clash Of The Titans, One Million Years B.C., Jason And The Argonauts and many more, this in-depth film features interviews with the great man himself, and with an array of animators and directors influenced by his work including Guillermo del Toro, Peter Jackson, Nick Park, Terry Gilliam, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg. The film also features unseen footage of tests and experiments recently uncovered.
Super 8
Visual Effects Supervisor
In 1979 Ohio, several youngsters are making a zombie movie with a Super-8 camera. In the midst of filming, the friends witness a horrifying train derailment and are lucky to escape with their lives. They soon discover that the catastrophe was no accident, as a series of unexplained events and disappearances soon follows. Deputy Jackson Lamb, the father of one of the kids, searches for the terrifying truth behind the crash.
Return to Jurassic Park
Self
A multi-part documentary about the making of the Jurassic Park trilogy. Each part walks through the making of part of one of the films, including the hurricane during the shooting of the first film, and how advances in CGI for Jurassic Park helped change the world of special effects forever. All interviews for these retrospective documentaries come with comments from Spielberg, Johnston, Neill, Dern, Goldblum, the effects crews, the child actors, and Peter Stormare. This documentary is broken into five parts: Dawn of a New Era (25 min) Making Prehistory (20 min), the Next Step in Evolution (15 min), and the Third Adventure (25 min), Finding the Lost World (28 min), and Something Survived (16 min).
Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible
Self
Leslie Iwerks' documentary takes audiences behind the scenes at ILM with in depth interviews with some of the company's top talent and showcases never before seen footage highlighting many of their pioneering milestones. From creating the first ever computer generated character in a feature film to the latest advancements in visual effects for film franchises like Transformers and Iron Man, ILM has created some of the most memorable movie moments in recent history.
Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001
Self
This documentary about "2001: A Space Odyssey" looks at some of the things that seemed fanciful in 1968, which don't seem quite as much anymore.
The Pixar Story
Self
A look at the first years of Pixar Animation Studios - from the success of "Toy Story" and Pixar's promotion of talented people, to the building of its East Bay campus, the company's relationship with Disney, and its remarkable initial string of eight hits. The contributions of John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs are profiled. The decline of two-dimensional animation is chronicled as three-dimensional animation rises. Hard work and creativity seem to share the screen in equal proportions.
Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet
Self
A documentary about the making of, and legacy of, the Forbidden Planet movie.
The Sci-Fi Boys
Self
Legendary all-stars of cinema bring to life the evolution of science-fiction and special effects films from the wild and funny days of B-movies to blockbusters that have captured the world's imagination. This is the story of the Sci-Fi Boys, who started out as kids making amateur movies inspired by Forrest J Ackerman's FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine and grew up to take Hollywood by storm, inventing the art and technology for filming anything the mind can dream.
War of the Worlds
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
George Lucas: Creating an Empire
Self
A Biography of George Lucas.
Hulk
Visual Effects Supervisor
Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers massive radiation exposure in his laboratory that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.
No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects
A look at the digital effects in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Visual Effects Supervisor
Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot that could change the galaxy forever.
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome
Self
Mockumentary telling the never before told life story of the fictional robot R2-D2 from the Star Wars film series. The movie was made as a fun project by the cast and crew of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Using interviews, fake archive photos, film clips, and behind the scenes footage the "true" story was told of Artoo's life.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Visual Effects Supervisor
David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David.
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Self
A documentary film on the making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
Self
The incredible evolution of George Lucas' special effects dream factory, including an inside look at "Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace."
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Visual Effects Supervisor
Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.
Deconstructing Harry
Creative Consultant
This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.
The Making of 'The Lost World'
Himself
Behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of director Steven Spielberg's 1997 film "The Lost World."
Star Wars: The Magic & the Mystery
Self
Host Howie Long takes viewers on a tour of the "Star Wars" universe, as Fox TV celebrates the re-release of the original three legendary films in this one hour special.
The Harryhausen Chronicles
Himself
As an actor, director and producer, Ray Harryhausen has been a vibrant figure in Hollywood, working on everything from family films to mind-bending sci-fi. But his true genius lay in the creation of special effects for movies such as Mighty Joe Young and It Came from Outer Space. Narrated by Leonard Nimoy and featuring appearances by George Lucas and Ray Bradbury, this film documents Harryhausen's remarkable life's work.
The Making of 'E.T. The Extraterrestrial'
Self
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Steven Spielberg's 1982 film "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."
The Making of 'Jurassic Park'
Self
This documentary treats film fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Jurassic Park, one of the 90's biggest hits and a milestone in special effects development. Narrated by James Earl Jones, it includes footage of the filming process, as well as interviews with director Steven Spielberg, and other members of the cast and crew, who give their insights into what it was like working together on this project and the efforts it took to bring the film to completion.
Jurassic Park
Visual Effects Supervisor
A wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park and help calm anxious investors. However, the park is anything but amusing as the security systems go off-line and the dinosaurs escape.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Visual Effects Supervisor
Set ten years after the events of the original, James Cameron’s classic sci-fi action flick tells the story of a second attempt to get the rid of rebellion leader John Connor, this time targeting the boy himself. However, the rebellion has sent a reprogrammed terminator to protect Connor.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Visual Effects
Set ten years after the events of the original, James Cameron’s classic sci-fi action flick tells the story of a second attempt to get the rid of rebellion leader John Connor, this time targeting the boy himself. However, the rebellion has sent a reprogrammed terminator to protect Connor.
The Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'
Self
Documentary of the making of the sequel to the popular Schwarzenegger film, The Terminator.
The Abyss
Visual Effects Supervisor
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.
Ghostbusters II
Visual Effects Supervisor
Five years after they defeated Gozer, the Ghostbusters are out of business. When Dana begins to have ghost problems again, the boys come out of retirement to aid her and hopefully save New York City from a new paranormal threat.
Willow: The Making of an Adventure
Self - Visual Effects
A behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the film Willow (1988). Included are interviews with cast and crew and scenes of the actual filming of the production itself.
Innerspace
Visual Effects Supervisor
Test pilot Tuck Pendleton volunteers to test a special vessel for a miniaturization experiment. Accidentally injected into a neurotic hypochondriac, Jack Putter, Tuck must convince Jack to find his ex-girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell, to help him extract Tuck and his ship and re-enlarge them before his oxygen runs out.
The Ewok Adventure
Special Effects
The Towani family civilian shuttlecraft crashes on the forest moon of Endor. The four Towani's are separated. Jermitt and Catarine, the mother and father are captured by the giant Gorax, and Mace and Cindel, the son and daughter, are missing when they are captured. The next day, the Ewok Deej is looking for his two sons when they find Cindel all alone in the shuttle (Mace and Cindel were looking for the transmitter to send a distress call), when Mace appears with his emergency blaster. Eventually, the four-year old Cindel is able to convince the teenage Mace that the Ewoks are nice. Then, the Ewoks and the Towani's go on an adventure to find the elder Towanis.
The Making of 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'
Self
A documentary following the various stages in the production of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Visual Effects Supervisor
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees – and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.
Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi
Himself
Go behind the scenes — and into the costumes — as production footage from Return of the Jedi is interspersed with vintage monster movie clips in this in-depth exploration of the painstaking techniques utilized by George Lucas to create the classic creatures and characters seen in the film.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Visual Effects Supervisor
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliot who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliot, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
Dragonslayer
Visual Effects Supervisor
The sorcerer and his apprentice Galen are on a mission to kill an evil dragon to save the King’s daughter from being sacrificed according to a pact that the King himself made with the dragon to protect his kingdom.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Nazi Spy on the Airplane (uncredited)
When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
Equinox
Director
Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic, due to possession of a tome of mystic information, and find themselves pitched into a world of evil that overlaps our own.
Equinox
Special Effects
Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic, due to possession of a tome of mystic information, and find themselves pitched into a world of evil that overlaps our own.
Equinox
Associate Producer
Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic, due to possession of a tome of mystic information, and find themselves pitched into a world of evil that overlaps our own.
The Equinox...A Journey Into the Supernatural
Special Effects
Deep within the woods and canyons of California, four teenagers happen upon an ancient book containing the secrets of a strange, malevolent world that coexists with that of mankind.
The Equinox...A Journey Into the Supernatural
Producer
Deep within the woods and canyons of California, four teenagers happen upon an ancient book containing the secrets of a strange, malevolent world that coexists with that of mankind.
The Equinox...A Journey Into the Supernatural
Director
Deep within the woods and canyons of California, four teenagers happen upon an ancient book containing the secrets of a strange, malevolent world that coexists with that of mankind.