Bill Westenhofer is a visual effects supervisor for Rhythm and Hues Studios, for which he has worked since 1994. His hometown is Brookfield, Connecticut, where he graduated from Brookfield High School in 1986. He then earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from Bucknell University in 1990.[1] Westenhofer also received his Masters at School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at George Washington University in 1995, where he studied the use of dynamics in physically based animation.[2]
In 1994, he joined Rhythm & Hues as a technical director, and Westenhofer’s lighting and effects animation work was featured in Batman Forever and numerous commercials. He was promoted to CG supervisor for Speed 2: Cruise Control, and continued in that role for Spawn, Mouse Hunt, Kazaam and Waterworld.[3] His other VFX supervisor credits include Elf, The Rundown, Stuart Little 2, Men in Black II, Cats & Dogs, Along Came a Spider, Frequency, Stuart Little, and Babe: Pig in the City.
In 2005, Westenhofer supervised a team of 400 digital artists on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Later he would win both the BAFTA and the Academy Award for the 2007 release The Golden Compass,[4] and 2012's Life of Pi in 2013.[5] During the Academy Awards, when Westenhofer brought up Rhythm and Hues' financial issues during his speech, the microphone was cut off, which prompted many protests by the visual effects industry.[6] He had intended to say:[7]
"What I was trying to say up there is that at a time when visual effects movies are dominating the box office, visual effects companies are struggling," Westenhofer told reporters. "And I wanted to point out that we aren't technicians. Visual effects is not just a commodity that's being done by people pushing buttons. We're artists, and if we don't find a way to fix the business model, we start to lose the artistry. If anything, 'Life of Pi' shows that we're artists and not just technicians."
Westenhofer will also work as VFX supervisor for Wonder Woman, scheduled for a 2017 release.[8]
References
- ↑ Dirk Perrefort (May 14, 2010). "Teacher inspired Brookfield's Oscar winner". Gloucester Daily Times. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ↑ Alexa Millinger (February 28, 2008). "Alumnus wins Oscar for "The Golden Compass"". The GW Hatchet. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ↑ http://www.rhythm.com/features/vfx-supervisors/bill-westenhofer/[]
- ↑ Rick DeMott (February 10, 2008). "Ratatouille Smells Sweet at BAFTAs". Animation World Network. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ↑ "The army of Narnia: Bill Westenhofer reveals the magic behind the beasties". Los Angeles Times. February 25, 2009. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ↑ "Biggest Oscars snub: A shark attack on the VFX industry". The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ↑ "Uninterrupted Statement from "Life of Pi" VFX Winner".
- ↑ "Gersh, CEC, WPA Book Clients". Variety. August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
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