Wikipedia submission

SKOTAK BROTHERS

Submission to Wikipedia, The free encyclopedia

Robert and Dennis Skotak are visual effects supervisors, designers and photographers known professionally as the Skotak Brothers. Their films include Aliens (1986), Tremors (1989), The Abyss (1989) Darkman (1990), Terminator 2 : Judgment Day  (1991), House On Haunted Hill(1999) and Starship Trooper: Marauder (2007)

Professionally they worked together for most of their careers but occasionally have worked independently. In 1989 they founded the visual effects company 4ward Productions. Collectively they have won three Academy awards in the visual effects category  for Aliens, The Abyss and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In addition to his work as a visual effects supervisor, Robert is also a writer, film historian and production designer. Dennis is an experienced still photographer and digital artist.

EARLY CAREER

Both brothers were influenced early on by the works of George Pal specifically the film War Of The Worlds and the films of IB Melchior (Angry Red Planet). They eventually moved from their home state of Michigan to Los Angles, CA to seek work professionally in film production. In their adolescence they created several award winning short films, usually tackling subjects in the science fiction or fantasy realm.

One of the first projects they were hired for was to create several visual effects shots for the low budget thriller THE AFTERMATH (1977), a post apocalyptic science fiction film directed and starring Steve Barkett.

CORMAN STUDIOS/ NEW WORLD PICTURES

In the late 70’s the Skotaks went to work for Roger Corman’s New World Studios. Corman, impressed and motivated by the success of Star Wars (1977), began his own visual effects studio to provide effects for his own productions and to service other modestly budgeted film productions.

It was at the Corman studios that the Skotaks met fellow artist James Cameron. Together they worked on the visual effects and sets for Battle Beyond The Stars (1979), Corman’s response to George Lucas’ hit film. The Skotaks worked in multiple capacities on the film including set building, design, Photography, Matte Paintings. After the success of that film, The Skotaks continued working for Corman creating effects for Galaxy of Terror (1981),which Robert co-production designed with James Cameron, John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981) and Forbidden World (1982)

WORKING WITH JAMES CAMERON

In 1985 the Skotaks were contacted by producer Gale Anne Hurd to supervise the visual effects for James Cameron’s follow up to his surprise hit The Terminator (1984). Cameron admired their skill and abilities in many areas of filmmaking including miniature construction, matte painting and photography. They ended up spending nearly a year on England on the film. Despite the limitations of the budget and the firing of the LA Effects Group from the film, the film earned Robert his first visual effects Oscar (shared with Stan Winston and special effects supervisor John Richardson)(2)

In 1988, the Skotaks were called up again by producer Gale Anne Hurd to work on Cameron’s next film, the ambitious The Abyss . Instead of taking on the supervision of the entire film they chose to work on certain sections of the film including the Benthic Explorer crane collapse and the DSRV drop from the tanker.  Dennis Skotak was awarded an academy award for his work on the film. (2)

In 1991 the Skotaks again collaborated with Cameron on his sequel to his 1984 independent hit The Terminator with Terminator 2 Judgment day. Although the majority of the press for the film focused on ILM's morphing T-1000 liquid metal effects, 4Ward cleverly incorporated digital effects with miniature work into the “nuclear nightmare” sequence.  For the shockwave blast effect, the Skotak used Mac computers to create a particle effect that would be digitally composited with the miniature building explosions. T2 would earn Robert his second academy award for visual effects supervision in 1992(shared with Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Gene Warren Jr)

The Skotaks would work again with Cameron on T-2 ride film as well as several key sequences in Titanic. (1997)

4WARD PRODUCTIONS

In 1989 The Skotaks along with partner Elaine Edford formed the visual effects studio 4Ward Productions. Their first project was the Gale Ann Hurd-produced science fiction Horror film Tremors.  Over the next two decades, 4Ward would create visual effects for such high profile films as Darkman (1990), Batman returns (1992), Hearts and Souls (1993), No Escape (1994), Captain Ron (1994), Tank Girl (1994), The Arrival (1996)and Hard Rain (1998)

The Skotaks had dabbled with integrating digital technology with Terminator 2 nuclear dream sequence but with House On Haunted hill (1999) they would use the new digital compositing tools on a much grander scale. They developed a technique of shooting miniatures and puppet effects on film and transferring the footage to high resolution digital tape and then compositing and manipulating the elements in a high speed composite system called The Flame. The resulting effects were impressive and millions were saved by avoiding expensive 3D CGI costs.

In 2007 they tackled their biggest project in years, Starship Troopers 3; Marauder. In this follow up to Paul Verhoven’s original 1997 film, the Skotaks would help design sets and hardware, help design creature effects and supervise all miniature and CG photography. Robert would also design the marauder suits and the boss creature, The Bethmacotyl. (6)

Today the Skotaks continue to run 4Ward from their studios in Chatsworth, California. Their most recent film was Joe Dante’s The Hole.

WRITING

Before Michigan for Los Angeles, the Skotak brothers wrote, edited and published the genre tribute fanzine, Fantascene and are currently working on a documentary on Soviet fantasy cinema. (1)

Robert Skotak is a noted film historian and has written several articles and biographies most notably Ib Melchior: Man of Imagination (3)

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

Robert Skotak

Academy award/ Best visual effects- Terminator 2 (1992)

Academy award/ Best visual effects- Aliens (1987)

Saturn Award/ Best visual effects- Aliens  (1987)

BAFTA Award/ Best visual effects –Terminator 2 (1992)

BAFTA Award/ Best visual effects- Aliens (1987) (5)

Dennis Skotak

Academy award/ Best visual effects- the Abyss (1990)

Academy award Nomination/ Best visual effects- Batman Returns (1993)

Saturn Award/ Best visual effects- Aliens  (1987)

BAFTA Nomination/ Best visual effects- Batman Returns (1993)

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY (as VFX supervisors/ designers) (5)

Alien
Titanic 
T2 3D Battle Across Time 
Ghost
Dracula 
Terminator 2 Judgement Day 
, Failure to Launch ,Young MacGyver
,The Tuxedo
Joe and Max
The Skys the Limit 
House on Haunted Hill
,Hard Rain 
Stepford Wives 
Mousehunt ,
Mars Attacks!,
,The Arrival
Tank Girl
No Escape
Clifford
Mad House 
Heart and Souls,
Captain Ron, 
Honey I Blew Up The Kid 
Batman Returns
Cast a Deadly Spell ,
Darkman ,
Tremors,
Syngenor, 
The Abyss
Space Rage 
The Lords of the Deep
City Limits 
Creature 
To Be or Not to Be 
Jaws 3 D 
Forbidden World
,The Aftermath ,
Galaxy of Terror 
Escape from New York 
Battle Beyond the Stars
,The Sky is Falling: The Making of 'The War of the Worlds' 
The Alien Legacy 
Batman Returns 
Strange Invaders 
The Demon Lover
Baby Killer 
Superior Firepower: The Making of 'Aliens' 
The Making of Tremors 
Movie Magic - Action Miniatures - Fast and Furious 
Shadows of the Bat
The Naked Monster 
Bio-Dome 
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins 
Trapped Ashes(3)

REFERENCES

1..http://www.brooklynrail.org/2006/09/film/new-maps-of-heaven

2.http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/87922%7C0/Aliens.html

3. http://www.mentorhuebnerart.com/featuredguests/filmmakers/robertanddennisshotak.shtml

4. Sci Fi Fantasy FX, 25 years of moving $ward: a retrospect of the skotak Brothers

5.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0804738/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

6. Sci Fi Fantasy Modeller, Happy Medium Press, 2008, “Battle Plan”  creating the effects of Starship troopers 3