Academy Award winning special effects wizard Bill Taylor has died. I will write more on him later here, but for now I will just mention that he was one of the kindest human beings I ever had the pleasure of knowing. I cannot believe I will never see him again.
RIP, Bill. Thanks for everything.
https://www.visualeffectssociety.com/in-memoriam/
RIP Bill Taylor
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Dustin Stinett
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Bill Mullins
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Re: RIP Bill Taylor
Dustin -- do you know how long ago this happened?
I only me him once, at the final LA Magic History Conference, where (as you say) he was quite kind to provide me with copies of the photos he took of me speaking. Straight-up gentleman.
I showed them to my wife, and explained who he was and we looked up some of his film work. She looked at the shots and said "He made you look presentable -- that's a special effect right there."
I only me him once, at the final LA Magic History Conference, where (as you say) he was quite kind to provide me with copies of the photos he took of me speaking. Straight-up gentleman.
I showed them to my wife, and explained who he was and we looked up some of his film work. She looked at the shots and said "He made you look presentable -- that's a special effect right there."
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: RIP Bill Taylor
He died the day before yesterday of pancreatic cancer.
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Bob Farmer
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Re: RIP Bill Taylor
Very sad news. I corresponded with Bill several times over the years; we were both interested in the same sort of card effects. I never met him but I could tell from his letters he was a gentlemen.
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Dustin Stinett
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Re: RIP Bill Taylor
As we had to "stop the press" for the Castle's newsletter, here are my personal comments about Bill, followed by the hastily-written obituary I penned (Please keep in mind that these are both written for the members of the AMA):
Bill was an astonishing man. I will always remember his genuine humanity, and every minute we would spend talking magic. An example of his kindness to me took place years ago at one of the L.A. History Conferences. I was wandering around the Exhibit Room with my little Kodak digital camera. He and another friend—also a great photographer—Pete Biro were there, too. They each, of course, had the best-known brands of cameras hanging around their necks. I quipped about my feelings of inadequacy given my comparatively small equipment. “No, no,” said Bill in all seriousness. “That’s the same camera I used to shoot the Steve Forte book!” Alas, I will never know whether or not he was BSing me just to make me feel better, but either way it worked, and I will never forget it, or him.
Aloha Bill Taylor:
The magic of Bill Taylor, VES, ASC, could be seen in both film and television as well as in our cloistered world of conjuring. A pioneer of visual effects, he began his career in Hollywood during the 1970s mostly as a matt photographer, though his early work included optical effects. His work—both matt and visual effects—can be seen in every genre of film; from sci-fi (Blade Runner, Star Trek: Nemesis), to drama (Chaplin, Glory), to comedy (The Addams Family, Spaceballs). His credits list hundreds of projects, including many Academy Award-winning films.
He won the Academy’s Award for Technical Achievement in 1982, and in 2013 he received the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He helped write the book (literally) on blue and greenscreen technology.
Bill garnered a Primetime Emmy in 1985 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects on the mini-series A.D. He was also nominated two additional times for his work on Star Trek the Next Generation.
Bill co-founded his “FX Shop” Illusion Arts, which operated from 1984 to 2009. He was a founding member of Visual Effects Society as well as a Life Member of American Society of Cinematographers. He won many other awards from these and other organizations.
Closer to our home, besides a fine magician in his own right—he was an AMA member—Bill was a collector (he owns one of the two sets of silver cups used by Dai Vernon), historian, and—of course—sought-after photographer. For years he was the official photographer of the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. His work can also be seen on the covers, as well as inside the pages, of both Genii and MAGIC magazines. In addition, he did the principal photography for Steve Forte’s first book, Casino Game Protection, as well as Mike Caveney’s opuses Wonders and The Conference Illusions.
Bill’s kind and generous manner made everyone he met feel like a longtime friend. His presence at the Castle and magic conventions will be sadly missed. He was 77.
Bill was an astonishing man. I will always remember his genuine humanity, and every minute we would spend talking magic. An example of his kindness to me took place years ago at one of the L.A. History Conferences. I was wandering around the Exhibit Room with my little Kodak digital camera. He and another friend—also a great photographer—Pete Biro were there, too. They each, of course, had the best-known brands of cameras hanging around their necks. I quipped about my feelings of inadequacy given my comparatively small equipment. “No, no,” said Bill in all seriousness. “That’s the same camera I used to shoot the Steve Forte book!” Alas, I will never know whether or not he was BSing me just to make me feel better, but either way it worked, and I will never forget it, or him.
Aloha Bill Taylor:
The magic of Bill Taylor, VES, ASC, could be seen in both film and television as well as in our cloistered world of conjuring. A pioneer of visual effects, he began his career in Hollywood during the 1970s mostly as a matt photographer, though his early work included optical effects. His work—both matt and visual effects—can be seen in every genre of film; from sci-fi (Blade Runner, Star Trek: Nemesis), to drama (Chaplin, Glory), to comedy (The Addams Family, Spaceballs). His credits list hundreds of projects, including many Academy Award-winning films.
He won the Academy’s Award for Technical Achievement in 1982, and in 2013 he received the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He helped write the book (literally) on blue and greenscreen technology.
Bill garnered a Primetime Emmy in 1985 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects on the mini-series A.D. He was also nominated two additional times for his work on Star Trek the Next Generation.
Bill co-founded his “FX Shop” Illusion Arts, which operated from 1984 to 2009. He was a founding member of Visual Effects Society as well as a Life Member of American Society of Cinematographers. He won many other awards from these and other organizations.
Closer to our home, besides a fine magician in his own right—he was an AMA member—Bill was a collector (he owns one of the two sets of silver cups used by Dai Vernon), historian, and—of course—sought-after photographer. For years he was the official photographer of the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. His work can also be seen on the covers, as well as inside the pages, of both Genii and MAGIC magazines. In addition, he did the principal photography for Steve Forte’s first book, Casino Game Protection, as well as Mike Caveney’s opuses Wonders and The Conference Illusions.
Bill’s kind and generous manner made everyone he met feel like a longtime friend. His presence at the Castle and magic conventions will be sadly missed. He was 77.
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Steve Bryant
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Re: RIP Bill Taylor
Such sad news. My son interviewed with him for a job once. Didn't get it -- wrong qualifications -- but was very well treated. Bill and I chatted about him over the years.