Believing the Unbelievable...
There are many people out there responsible for making that statement true, but perhaps one of the most notable names in the film industry, Stan Winston comes to mind.
Stan passed away at his home in Malibu with his family around him on 15 June after a seven year battle with multiple myeloma.
He was 62.
Having moved to L.A. in 1968 to become an actor, Stan wound up first becoming a stand-up comedian.
He later got a job working for Disney as an apprentice (3 years-6000 hours) makeup man.
He grew up in Virginia fascinated by old horror movies and enjoyed puppetry and drawing.
Stan was nominated for NINE Academy awards, winning FOUR.
And I know that anyone and everyone reading this blog has seen QUITE A FEW of the movies in which is work is prominently featured, such as:
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Gargoyles
Starman
The Terminator
Aliens
Edward Scissorhands
Predator
Alien Nation
Monster Squad
Predator 2
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Batman Returns
Jurassic Park
Interview With a Vampire
Congo
A.I.
Small Soldiers
Pearl Harbor
Galaxy Quest
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Constantine
Iron Man
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And that covers MOST of his major works.
He did a lot for television as well.
His son was also busy as the time-jumping Temporal Agent Daniels in the Enterprise series.
But what is remarkable about this one man, is that he made things appear "real" that once,we could only dream of, allowing our mind's eye to be given free reign and allow ALL our senses to become involved. It's as though the characters of a great novel suddenly jumped off the pages into our room (or in this case, movie theater).
The late Ray Harryhausen had done much the same for HIS generation of special effects artists. And now, another bearer of that torch has passed away.
Stan Winston was one of those people this world will not see again. Every man (or woman) in this field brings their own UNIQUE perspectives and talents to whatever work they are involved in, and it's that "uniqueness" that keeps us coming back for more every time. But there ARE those that stand out from the crowd.
Stan Winston was one of those people.
Many would view Winston as a quintessential visual effects person, and they'd be pretty much on target with that assessment. But they miss one very important aspect to his particular skills.
His work was nothing short of remarkable.
He took us on journeys (through his work), that we could only fantasize about in times past.
He showed us incredible things.
But above all...
He was someone who made us all BELIEVE.