Michael Conelly

October 2, 1970 - July 31, 2022 MICHAEL CONELLY, 51, VFX SUPERVISOR, VR PIONEER, AUTHOR
Michael Galen Conelly has passed on two months short of his 52nd birthday. He will be remembered for his supportive management style, the scope of his visual work, and a foundational humanity.
Conelly started his career in visual effects for the Oscar-winning studio Rhythm & Hues, and supervised on such films as Charlotte's Web, The Kingdom, Hop, and Snow White and the Huntsman. When R&H dissolved, Conelly went on to found the virtual reality studio Blackthorn Media, known for the award-winning titles Caliban Below and Dragonflight, featured at the Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals. He was a member of The Producers Guild of America as well as The Visual Effects Society.
A long-time resident of Santa Monica, Conelly leaves behind his parents and two brothers, in addition to numerous beloved associates and friends. Donations may be made in his name to any of the UCLA Cancer Research Funds. Note as well that some of Conelly's later creative works remain unfinished; interested parties should contact his family or friends for further information.

AFTERMATH

Our intuition whispers that the dead return to savor momentarily the lands and loves they are compelled to leave, their breath an autumn breeze, their warmth become a sun's ray poured through streams of shadow leaves.

Oh, blessed River of Forgetfulness, your sweep removes the rasp edge of desire, slips vision from its mortal boundary, and soothes the human plight: this change of blood for water, down streaming passages of light.

Let grief be innocence. Let autumn shadows wester from the town and sea as altered strains of music play. Time is not kept. Some final pliancy, at heart, conveys the soul Mike was, and is, and will yet be.