Kenneth Ralston is a visual effects artist, currently the Visual Effect Supervisor and Creative Head at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Ralston begun his career at the seminal commercial animation and visual effects company, Cascade Pictures in Hollywood, where he worked on over 150 advertising campaigns in the early 1970s. In 1976 he was hired at Industrial Light & Magic by Dennis Muren to help George Lucas create the effects for Star Wars. He remained in ILM for 20 years before joining Sony Pictures Imageworks as president. Ralston is best known for his work in the films of Robert Zemeckis.Ralston has won five Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, including a Special Achievement Oscar for the visual effects in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, and regular awards for his work on Forrest Gump, Death Becomes Her, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Cocoon. He was nominated seven more times, for The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Dragonslayer, Back to the Future Part II and Alice in Wonderland.
After the motion capture is done, no one ever appreciates the mountain of effort that goes in on the so-called back end. It isn't really the back end. It's really the main production. The effort required to grasp that material and get it on screen looking the way it does is beyond monumental.
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Fact
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President of Sony Pictures Imageworks
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Joined Sony Pictures' digital effects division, Imageworks, in 1996 after nearly 20 years at ILM.
Visual Effects
Title
Year
Status
Character
Alice Through the Looking Glass
2016
visual effects supervisor
Men in Black 3
2012
visual effects supervisor
Alice in Wonderland
2010/I
senior visual effects supervisor
Beowulf
2007
visual effects design consultant
The Polar Express
2004
visual effects supervisor
The Forgotten
2004
visual effects consultant
Men in Black II
2002
senior visual effects supervisor: SPI
America's Sweethearts
2001
visual effects consultant
Cast Away
2000
visual effects supervisor
Patch Adams
1998
visual effects guru - uncredited
Contact
1997
senior visual effects supervisor
Michael
1996
senior visual effects supervisor: SPI
Phenomenon
1996
visual effects supervisor: SPI
Jumanji
1995
visual effects supervisor
Sabrina
1995
visual effects supervisor: ILM - uncredited
The American President
1995
visual effects supervisor
Tales from the Crypt
1995
TV Series visual effects supervisor - 1 episode
The Mask
1994
visual effects consultant
Forrest Gump
1994
visual effects supervisor
Death Becomes Her
1992
visual effects supervisor
The Rocketeer
1991
visual effects supervisor
Back to the Future Part III
1990
visual effects supervisor
Dreams
1990
visual effects supervisor
Back to the Future Part II
1989
visual effects supervisor
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988
visual effects supervisor
The Golden Child
1986
visual effects supervisor
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986
visual effects supervisor
Back to the Future
1985
supervisor of visual effects: ILM - uncredited
Cocoon
1985
visual effects supervisor
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1984
visual effects supervisor - as Kenneth Ralston
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
1983
visual effects
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982
special visual effects supervisor: ILM
Dragonslayer
1981
dragon supervisor: ILM
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
1980
effects cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
1977
assistant cameraman: miniature and optical effects unit - as Kenneth Ralston
Assistant Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Death Becomes Her
1992
second unit director
The Rocketeer
1991
second unit director
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988
Judge Doom when he runs away in Toontown (uncredited)
Special Effects
Title
Year
Status
Character
Beowulf
2007
special effects
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pondwing
2015
Documentary short special thanks
Rape Kit
2011
Short special thanks
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy
2004
Video documentary special thanks
The Story of 'The Tortoise & the Hare'
2002
Short special thanks
Pearl Harbor II: Pearlmageddon
2001
Short special thanks
Lions and Monkeys and Pods... Oh My!: The Special Effects of 'Jumanji'
1999
Video documentary short thanks
Patch Adams
1998
thanks
Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump
1994
TV Movie documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Star Wars: Greatest Moments
2015
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
2011
Documentary
Himself - Visual Effects Supervisor of Alice in Wonderland
Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition
2010-2011
TV Series
Himself
Alice in Wonderland: Effecting Wonderland
2010
Documentary short
Himself
Getting Past Impossible: Forrest Gump and the Visual Effects Revolution
2009
Video documentary short
Himself
Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection
2005
Video documentary
When Star Wars Ruled the World
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy
2004
Video documentary
Himself - Visual Effects
Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit
2003
Video documentary short
Himself
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: On Set!
2003
Video short
Himself
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Toon Stand-Ins
2003
Video short
Himself
From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Movie Magic
1994-1997
TV Series documentary
Himself
The 67th Annual Academy Awards
1995
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump
1994
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Visual Effects Supervisor
The 65th Annual Academy Awards
1993
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Rocketeer: Excitement in the Air
1991
TV Special documentary
Himself
The Secrets of the Back to the Future Trilogy
1990
TV Special documentary short
Himself
The 61st Annual Academy Awards
1989
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
1988
TV Special documentary
Himself
The 58th Annual Academy Awards
1986
TV Special
Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Horizon
1985
TV Series documentary
Himself - Visual Effects
The 56th Annual Academy Awards
1984
TV Special documentary
Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2010
Satellite Award
Satellite Awards
Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
1998
Monitor
International Monitor Awards
Theatrical Releases - Electronic Visual Effects
Contact (1997)
1998
Golden Satellite Award
Satellite Awards
Best Visual Effects
Contact (1997)
1995
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Forrest Gump (1994)
1995
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Effects
Forrest Gump (1994)
1994
Best Special Effects
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
The Mask (1994)
1993
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Death Becomes Her (1992)
1993
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Effects
Death Becomes Her (1992)
1993
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Death Becomes Her (1992)
1991
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
1990
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Effects
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
1990
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
1989
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
1989
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Effects
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
1986
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Cocoon (1985)
1984
Special Achievement Award
Academy Awards, USA
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
1984
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Visual Effects
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
1984
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2011
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2011
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2011
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2011
Critics Choice Award
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2011
Gold Derby Award
Gold Derby Awards
Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2011
VES Award
Visual Effects Society Awards
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
2001
OFTA Film Award
Online Film & Television Association
Best Visual Effects
Cast Away (2000)
2000
Sierra Award
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
Best Visual Effects
Cast Away (2000)
1998
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Contact (1997)
1998
OFTA Film Award
Online Film & Television Association
Best Visual Effects
Contact (1997)
1995
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Forrest Gump (1994)
1992
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
The Rocketeer (1991)
1990
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
1987
Saturn Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Best Special Effects
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
1986
BAFTA Film Award
BAFTA Awards
Best Special Visual Effects
Back to the Future (1985)
1982
Oscar
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects
Dragonslayer (1981)
Known for movies
Forrest Gump (1994) as Visual Effects
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) as Visual Effects
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) as Visual Effects
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) as Visual Effects
$8 Million
