Douglas Trumbull was a visual effects legend and filmmaker who created groundbreaking effects for films including “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Blade Runner.”
- Died: February 7, 2022 (Who else died on February 7?ccccc)
- Details of death: Died of complications from mesothelioma at the age of 79.
- We invite you to share condolences for Douglas Trumbull in our Guest Book.
Creating fantastic worlds
Trumbull was new to the field of visual effects when he was hired to work on “2001” – his sole previous credit was a short about spaceflight for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, “To the Moon and Beyond.” But he created visual magic for “2001” as he built memorable effects including the “Star Gate” sequence. Trumbull innovated the use of slit scan photography for the sequence. His pioneering work on “2001” opened doors for him, and he went on to work as visual effects supervisor for “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” and “Blade Runner,” all of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects. Among Trumbull’s innovations was the Showscan process, in which 70mm film was projected at 60 frames per second, much faster than the standard, providing a vivid visual experience.
Filmmaker
Trumbull was also a director, beginning with the critically acclaimed 1972 movie “Silent Running.” But the second film he helmed, “Brainstorm,” marked the beginning of a long hiatus from the movie industry. It was Natalie Wood’s (1938–1981) last film, as she died mysteriously during a break in production. The experience of losing Wood, as well as the subsequent challenges of working with the studio to complete the film, soured Trumbull on Hollywood, and he left California for the Berkshire Hills. Trumbull did continue to work, developing the “Back to the Future” ride for Universal Studios among other projects. In 2011, he returned to provide the visual effects for “The Tree of Life.”
Trumbull on his favorite project
“I still like ‘2001;’ as a young man – as a man now – I feel that was the most interesting movie, that touched on the deepest, most profound ideas. On missions, omnipotence, infinity…big issues. You don’t see that in a monster movie. And it’s really sad to me that I don’t see many like that. So that was a big moment for me, it was great to be involved with it, I’m very proud of it, and it’s been disappointing that things like that haven’t happened more often.” —from a 2012 interview with Wolfram Hannemann
Tributes to Douglas Trumbull
Full obituary: The Los Angeles Times
