10. JOHN KNOLL
AGE 45
JOB TITLE Visual-effects
supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
SMART BECAUSE He designed some
of the most groundbreaking
computer-generated effects of
this generation. In 1989 he
helped conjure the morphing
magic in James Cameron's The Abyss, and he has overseen the
effects on all three Star Wars prequels and the entire Pirates of
the Caribbean franchise. Long after audiences forget that Orlando
Bloom is even in Pirates, they'll remember the startling octopus
face of Davy Jones, a breakthrough in realistic animation. As studios
increasingly depend on blockbusters to stay in the black, visual
effects have become indispensable to their success. The industry
has come to rely on ILM to blow audiences' minds every time out
of the gate. Thanks in large part to Knoll, it does.
SAY CHEESE Ever
use Adobe Photoshop? Knoll created the software with his brother.
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