In last week’s e.dition, SHOOT‘s Visual Effects Series offered insights and observations from those who created the effects for the three commercials nominated for Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards. The winner will be announced and honored during a gala awards ceremony on Feb. 16 in Los Angeles.
But beyond commercials–and for that matter awards in the other marquee feature and TV categories–another kudo will be bestowed that evening: the VES’ inaugural Georges Melies Award for lifetime achievement. Unfortunately, the lifetime of the first recipient ended a little more than three years ago: Robert Abel, who passed away on Sept. 23, 2001, at the age of 64.
It’s fitting that Abel should win the first Melies Award, named after the illusionist turned motion picture visual effects pioneer. Melies’ accomplishments included the first double exposure effect in 1898, the first split screen shot with performers acting opposite themselves, also in 1898, and the first dissolve in 1899. Melies is generally credited with being the cinema’s first fantasist and his achievements influenced generations of filmmakers, including many today.
Similarly, Abel left behind a legacy of creative inspiration–and mentorship. Among those who got their start with Abel were such directors as Peter Smillie, Randy Roberts, Bruce Dorn, Rod Davis and Kenny Mirman. There were also notable executives, including John Hughes, principal in Rhythm & Hues Studios, Los Angeles. They all were alumni of the venerable Robert Abel & Associates, a production house that was a spawning ground for creative talent.
The Abel studio also developed assorted pieces of software, which went on to serve as templates for visual effects tools that continue to be used today. In its heyday, spanning much of the 1970s and ’80s, Robert Abel & Associates turned out numerous classic spots, including Levi’s “Trademark” and “Working Man,” 7-Up’s “Bubbles” and the Canned Food Information Council’s “Brilliance–Sexy Robot.” For much of its existence, the studio was generally regarded as the leading producer of visual effects for advertising, often breaking new ground in that discipline, as well as in seamlessly combining effects with live action.
Over the years, Robert Abel & Associates amassed a slew of awards. The tally included 33 Clios, a couple of Emmys and a technical Oscar. The company is credited with helping to innovate the slit-scan effect employed in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, and developing breakthroughs in motion-control camera systems and computer animation of human movement. After Abel & Associates closed in ’87 following an ill-fated merger with now defunct Omnibus, Abel himself resurfaced to produce interactive multimedia projects for such clients as Apple Computer, IBM and the Smithsonian Institution.
Abel was one of the industry pioneers interviewed in The Story of Computer Graphics, a feature-length documentary presented by the Association of Computing Machinery–which launched and is the founding sponsor of the annual SIGGRAPH convention. The film, which debuted just prior to the ’99 SIGGRAPH confab in Los Angeles, recognized Abel’s contributions to the CG industry; he was featured alongside the likes of George Lucas of Star Wars fame and Ed Catmull of Pixar.
Shortly after Abel’s death, I talked to several of his colleagues, including director Mirman, who observed: “To call Bob a pioneer is accurate, but doesn’t truly do him justice. He was so much more when you consider the work he generated–the people whose careers he helped develop, spanning all areas: directing, producing, effects artists, software developer. These are people who went on to positively influence others and contribute creatively to the art and the industry….His energy level and his ability to generate excitement, enthusiasm and collaboration were incredible.”
