Adam Beckett
Encyclopedia
Adam Beckett was an animator, special effects artist and teacher, most notable for his work on Star Wars
.
.
He attended the California Institute of the Arts
from 1970-75 as part of the first class of the Experimental Animation program. While there, he learned from instructors such as Jules Engel
and Pat O'Neill
, and worked alongside animators including Kathy Rose and Sky David.
In 1974 he began his independent animation company, Infinite Animation, where he continued to produce his own work. In addition to his animation, he taught at CalArts and worked in the film industry, most notably at ILM, as head of Animation and Rotoscoping on Star Wars.
He died in 1979 as the result of a house fire.
His work has been restored by the iotaCenter
and the Academy Film Archive
. His films are distributed by Canyon Cinema
.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
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Work
Beckett developed a unique technique that involved creating a loop of images that continued to evolve with each loop cycle. In this way a series of drawings, say 12, would be shot, modified and re-shot. So while the final artefacts of the film would amount to only a handful of images, the film itself appears as a growing and expanding abstract loop. This was augmented with phasing of the imagery, changing the area of view, and other sophisticated uses of the optical printerOptical printer
An optical printer is a device consisting of one or more film projectors mechanically linked to a movie camera. It allows filmmakers to re-photograph one or more strips of film...
.
He attended the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
from 1970-75 as part of the first class of the Experimental Animation program. While there, he learned from instructors such as Jules Engel
Jules Engel
Jules Engel was a Jewish-Hungarian American filmmaker, painter, sculptor, graphic artist, set designer, animator, film director, and teacher...
and Pat O'Neill
Pat O'Neill
Pat O'Neill is an independent experimental filmmaker and artist who has also worked in the special effects industry. Although his work embraces an extremely wide technical and aesthetic scope, he is perhaps best known for his startling, surrealistic, and humorous film compositions achieved through...
, and worked alongside animators including Kathy Rose and Sky David.
In 1974 he began his independent animation company, Infinite Animation, where he continued to produce his own work. In addition to his animation, he taught at CalArts and worked in the film industry, most notably at ILM, as head of Animation and Rotoscoping on Star Wars.
He died in 1979 as the result of a house fire.
His work has been restored by the iotaCenter
IotaCenter
The iotaCenter is a Los Angeles-based cinema and visual media non-profit organization.-Overview:The iotaCenter is concerned primarily with abstract animation and visual music, as well as the work of west coast experimental filmmakers...
and the Academy Film Archive
Academy Film Archive
The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of motion picture history...
. His films are distributed by Canyon Cinema
Canyon Cinema
Canyon Cinema is a San Francisco based filmmakers' cooperative specializing in the distribution of avant-garde and experimental film. The organization was instigated in about 1960 by Bruce Baillie as an exhibition outlet for independent film, and was formally established as a non-profit...
.