Randy Fullmer
Encyclopedia
Randall "Randy" Wyn Fullmer (born April 27, 1950) is recognized as a talent in both the world of animation and in the realm of guitar-making. After a successful eighteen-year career at Walt Disney Feature Animation
, Fullmer launched his own business, Wyn Guitars, through which he handcrafts bass guitars of his own design, often in close collaboration with the intended instrument owners.
. His father was a nuclear physicist and his mother was a physical therapist. While Fullmer always had artistic and musical inclinations—drawing, painting, building and playing musical instruments—his parents were not convinced that such creative pursuits were ever going to amount to anything, hoping that one day he'd "get that out of his system.” Nevertheless, Fullmer continued to proceed along an artistic path and made a name for himself in several creative circles.
(WSU), from 1968 to 1970. During his second year at WSU, he took a film class and became hopelessly hooked on animation, which motivated him to apply to California Institute of the Arts
(Cal Arts). Fullmer was accepted into the animation program at Cal Arts and graduated in 1974 with a degree as a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
; television commercials; and Saturday morning television programs.
In 1983 and 1984, Fullmer worked for Don Bluth
Studios, creating special effects for Dragon's Lair
and Space Ace
, the first video games to be produced on laserdisc. Fullmer also worked at Apogee, John Dykstra
's live action special effects house, and he then moved on to Filmation
, where he animated on both television and theatrical features from 1985 to 1987. He worked on projects shuch as Happily Ever After, BraveStarr
, She-Ra: Princess of Power
and Ghostbusters
.
In 1987, Fullmer was hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation (now known as Walt Disney Animation Studios) for a three-month contract to animate on the “Toon Town” section of Who Framed Roger Rabbit
, a job that turned into an 18-year career at The Walt Disney Studios. Fullmer's animation film credits include: effects animator on Oliver & Company
; effects animator on The Little Mermaid
; effects supervisor on The Rescuers Down Under
; visual effects supervisor on Beauty and the Beast
; artistic coordinator on The Lion King
; artistic coordinator on The Hunchback of Notre Dame
; producer on The Emperor's New Groove
; and producer on Chicken Little
.
He and director Mark Dindal
worked on many special effects projects both in Filmation
and at Disney.
At the age of twelve, Fullmer asked his parents if he could buy a 12-string guitar to complement his 6-string electric guitar. When they said, “no, you already have a guitar, you don't need another one," Fullmer asked if he could purchase the wood to build his own 12-string instead. His parents were so thrown by this bizarre request that they acquiesced. Over the next six years, Fullmer proceeded to build approximately 30 guitars, craftsmanship that was both self-taught and mentored by an old country western fiddle maker named Tom. (Fullmer continued to build guitars throughout his life, but this task was relegated to hobby status while his animation career took precedent.)
Fullmer formed several rock bands with friends throughout his youth, including the rock group "The Isle of Phyve" which toured the Pacific Northwest on weekends, summers and holidays while Fullmer was in high school.
, Abraham Laboriel
, James LoMenzo
, Ben Jones, Stewart McKinsey, Robin Zeilhorst, Maurice Fitzgerald, Adam Johnson and Ethan Farmer, among others.
Wyn is Fullmer’s middle name, given to him as a tribute to a Welch uncle who also happened to be musically inclined.
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios is an American animation studio headquartered in Burbank, California. The studio, founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney, is the oldest subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, Fullmer launched his own business, Wyn Guitars, through which he handcrafts bass guitars of his own design, often in close collaboration with the intended instrument owners.
Early life
Fullmer was born on April 27, 1950 in Richland, WashingtonRichland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
. His father was a nuclear physicist and his mother was a physical therapist. While Fullmer always had artistic and musical inclinations—drawing, painting, building and playing musical instruments—his parents were not convinced that such creative pursuits were ever going to amount to anything, hoping that one day he'd "get that out of his system.” Nevertheless, Fullmer continued to proceed along an artistic path and made a name for himself in several creative circles.
Education
Fullmer studied architecture for two years at Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
(WSU), from 1968 to 1970. During his second year at WSU, he took a film class and became hopelessly hooked on animation, which motivated him to apply to 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...
(Cal Arts). Fullmer was accepted into the animation program at Cal Arts and graduated in 1974 with a degree as a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
In the World of Animation
After graduation from Cal Arts, Fullmer spent roughly seven years running his own animation business producing works such as: medical, scientific and other educational films; segments for Sesame StreetSesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
; television commercials; and Saturday morning television programs.
In 1983 and 1984, Fullmer worked for Don Bluth
Don Bluth
Donald Virgil "Don" Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner. He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated films such as The Secret of NIMH , An American Tail ,The Land Before Time , and All Dogs Go to Heaven ,...
Studios, creating special effects for Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair
Dragon's Lair is a laserdisc video game published by Cinematronics in 1983. It featured animation created by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth....
and Space Ace
Space Ace
Space Ace is a laserdisc video game produced by Don Bluth Studios, Cinematronics, and Advanced Microcomputer Systems...
, the first video games to be produced on laserdisc. Fullmer also worked at Apogee, John Dykstra
John Dykstra
John Charles Dykstra, A.S.C. is an Academy Award-winning special effects supervisor and pioneer in the development of the use of computers in filmmaking.-Education and early career:...
's live action special effects house, and he then moved on to Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
, where he animated on both television and theatrical features from 1985 to 1987. He worked on projects shuch as Happily Ever After, BraveStarr
Bravestarr
BraveStarr is an American space Western animated television series. The original episodes aired from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. It was created simultaneously with a collection of action figures. BraveStarr was the last animated series produced by Filmation and Group W...
, She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, aimed primarily at a young girls' audience to counter-balance the latter show's popularity with boys...
and Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters (1986 TV series)
Ghostbusters was an animated television series created by Filmation and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting and launched following the success of Ivan Reitman and Columbia Pictures' 1984 film Ghostbusters. It ran from September 8 to December 5, 1986 in daytime syndication and produced 65 episodes...
.
In 1987, Fullmer was hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation (now known as Walt Disney Animation Studios) for a three-month contract to animate on the “Toon Town” section of Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters...
, a job that turned into an 18-year career at The Walt Disney Studios. Fullmer's animation film credits include: effects animator on Oliver & Company
Oliver & Company
Oliver & Company is a 1988 American animated film in which a homeless kitten named Oliver joins a gang of dogs to survive on the 1980s New York City streets. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and became the twenty-seventh animated feature released in the Walt Disney Animated...
; effects animator on The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...
; effects supervisor on The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990...
; visual effects supervisor on Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
; artistic coordinator on The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
; artistic coordinator on The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of...
; producer on The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove
The Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000. It is the 40th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics...
; and producer on Chicken Little
Chicken Little (2005 film)
Chicken Little is a 2005 computer-animated science fiction family comedy film loosely based on the fable The Sky Is Falling. It was the 46th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation...
.
He and director Mark Dindal
Mark Dindal
Mark L. Dindal is an American effects animator and director, who created The Emperor's New Groove as well as Cats Don't Dance...
worked on many special effects projects both in Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
and at Disney.
In the World of Music
Fullmer started taking trombone lessons at the age of six, but his arm wasn't long enough to hit all the scale notes until he was eight. By age ten, he was taking guitar lessons, and within a year, he appeared on television playing a duet of Malagueña with his guitar teacher.At the age of twelve, Fullmer asked his parents if he could buy a 12-string guitar to complement his 6-string electric guitar. When they said, “no, you already have a guitar, you don't need another one," Fullmer asked if he could purchase the wood to build his own 12-string instead. His parents were so thrown by this bizarre request that they acquiesced. Over the next six years, Fullmer proceeded to build approximately 30 guitars, craftsmanship that was both self-taught and mentored by an old country western fiddle maker named Tom. (Fullmer continued to build guitars throughout his life, but this task was relegated to hobby status while his animation career took precedent.)
Fullmer formed several rock bands with friends throughout his youth, including the rock group "The Isle of Phyve" which toured the Pacific Northwest on weekends, summers and holidays while Fullmer was in high school.
Wyn Guitars
Wyn Guitars was established in 2006. Fullmer is both the founder and sole luthier for the company and has crafted guitars for musical talents including Jimmy HaslipJimmy Haslip
Jimmy Haslip is an American electric bass player and record producer best known as a founding and current member of the pioneering fusion group Yellowjackets...
, Abraham Laboriel
Abraham Laboriel
Abraham Laboriel, Sr. is a Mexican bassist of Garifuna descent who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. Guitar Player Magazine described him as "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and...
, James LoMenzo
James Lomenzo
James "JLo" LoMenzo is a metal bassist known for his roles as a former member of White Lion and Megadeth. He is also known for his work in Black Label Society .-Past bands and other works :...
, Ben Jones, Stewart McKinsey, Robin Zeilhorst, Maurice Fitzgerald, Adam Johnson and Ethan Farmer, among others.
Wyn is Fullmer’s middle name, given to him as a tribute to a Welch uncle who also happened to be musically inclined.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
| 1985 1985 in film -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie... |
Lifeforce Lifeforce (film) Lifeforce is a 1985 science fiction film directed by Tobe Hooper from a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby, from the novel The Space Vampires, published in 1976, by Colin Wilson.-Plot:... |
Special Visual Effects Crew |
| 1987 1987 in film -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records.... |
Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night Pinocchio and the Emperor of The Night is a 1987 animated film that was released on December 25, 1987 by New World Pictures. and is a unofficial sequel to Pinocchio . Created by the now defunct Filmation Studios, the movie underperformed at the box office, having a cost of $10 million but making... |
Special Effects Animator |
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
BraveStarr: The Legend BraveStarr: The Movie BraveStarr: The Movie is an animated space Western released on March 18, 1988 by Taurus Entertainment. The film was based on Filmation's television series and Mattel's action figure of the same name, and was also among the first animated features to use computer graphics... |
Special Effects Animator |
| 1988 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit Who Framed Roger Rabbit Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters... |
Effects Animator: Additional Animator |
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Oliver & Company Oliver & Company Oliver & Company is a 1988 American animated film in which a homeless kitten named Oliver joins a gang of dogs to survive on the 1980s New York City streets. The film was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and became the twenty-seventh animated feature released in the Walt Disney Animated... |
Effects Animator |
| 1989 1989 in film -Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million... |
The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid (1989 film) The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in... |
Effects Animator |
| 1990 1990 in film The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2.... |
The Rescuers Down Under The Rescuers Down Under The Rescuers Down Under is a 1990 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution on November 16, 1990... |
Effects Supervisor |
| 1991 1991 in film The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November... |
Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast (1991 film) Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period... |
Visual Effects Supervisor |
| 1993 1993 in film The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:... |
Happily Ever After | Special Effects Animator |
| 1994 1994 in film 1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time... |
The Lion King The Lion King The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series... |
Artistic Coordinator |
| 1996 1996 in film Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:... |
The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of... |
Artistic Coordinator |
| 2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... |
The Emperor's New Groove The Emperor's New Groove The Emperor's New Groove is a 2000 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures through Buena Vista Distribution on December 15, 2000. It is the 40th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics... |
Producer |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Chicken Little Chicken Little (2005 film) Chicken Little is a 2005 computer-animated science fiction family comedy film loosely based on the fable The Sky Is Falling. It was the 46th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation... |
Producer |
External links
- Wyn Guitars
- Randy Fullmer at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...