Jurassic Punk

First Impressions:

It's always wonderful to celebrate the 'lost' excellence of someone who, over the course of time, didn't attain the popularity or celebrity they so justly deserved. The name Steve "Spaz" Williams can be spoken in the same breath as pioneering computer animation. And this documentary returned to him some of the justice he'd lost over the years.

Documentary Analysis & Deep Dive:

This documentary is essentially a love letter to fans of CGI and dinosaurs, particularly the "Jurassic Park" movies. After all, it was Steve Williams who sat in the CGI chair creating digital dinos for significant portions of the 1993 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg.

I especially liked how the documentary didn't merely extol Steve's computer-cool virtues but also his penchant for disobedience and disruption. That reckless punk-like attitude led to his downfall in the business at a time when he could have soared to great heights.

But the "punk" in the title of this documentary actually stands for the revolutionary artistic decisions and actions that Steve took, which ended up redefining the way movies like "Jurassic Park" were even made. It certainly set wide standards for Sci-Fi and Fantasy movies to come.

Steve used traditional art techniques that involved line drawings to create super-realistic digital art, like the time he focused those skills on rendering dinosaurs for the "JP" movie. He was the first to pull it off and become a sensation. And though the sensation was short-lived, his techniques weren't.

His efforts were pivotal to the quality that Industrial Light & Magic (the reputed film company) and LucasFilm (another prestigious movie company) desired for their projects. He was sought after by Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, for crying out loud!

Final Notes:

Steve's work spanned cult-classic movies like "Jurassic Park" (1993), "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991), "The Abyss" (1989), "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (1977), "Spawn" (1997), "Eraser" (1996), "The Mask" (1994), and "Jumanji" (1995).

I loved every movie, and only after watching this stellar documentary did I realize what exactly made me admire and adore the realism and attention to natural detailing in those productions. It was the work of a dedicated team of artists and filmmakers, one of whom was Steven Williams.

There was a lot of pain in this documentary and plenty of regret too. They also captured Steve's struggles with alcohol in poignant ways. Watching it all made me feel bad for Steve but also immense respect for what he had accomplished before things went downhill for him.

I hope more people see this documentary primarily because it contains a Canadian computer graphics legend that so many of us, especially dinosaur and Science Fiction fans, need to know about.

The documentary is also a wake-up call to the entertainment industry to change the way it approves or accepts people who don't quite fit into their behavioural mould or expectations.

In a business built on Art, it only makes sense to embrace the misfits and outcasts, because those are the people who often possess the most creativity. Case in point, Steve Williams.

This documentary is amazing. For everyone, but especially for people born in the 70ies or early 80ies, who saw movies like Jurassic Park at the theatre as a teenager or young adult. I remember being amazed by the dinosaur scenes and CGI of Jurassic Park, I went to see it twice at the local theatre. It is mind-blowing to see the back story to the events around the creation of the movie in this very personal and intimate documentary.

What an amazing artist he is and was. What he went through would break the spirit of most, I am glad he is where he is at today, it takes a lot of strength and courage! I am thankful to the filmmakers for taking the time to tell his story, it touched me deeply. As it is said in the film "That's the gift of getting older. You allow yourself to make big mistakes, like really big mistakes, and going through the wrong door and finding your way out - that's where the gold is."

This film helps the world to see who the real artists were creating those amazing movies and insane special effects, and how they were being used and mistreated by their "superiors".

A must watch.

Scott Leberecht's biographical documentary, Spaz, introduces Williams to the general public at large. He's an alcoholic, 'bacco chewing rebel who never compromised, rarely played by the rules, and one-hundred-percent, absolutely, totally, almost single-handedly brought dinosaurs to life. Spaz is a warning tale. Spaz is a head-shaker of regret. And Spaz is one helluva documentary.

True to his dichotomous nature, Spaz was an animator who happened to also be a computer programer. When James Cameron was shooting "The Abyss," he imagined an entirely unique F/X sequence. ILM brought Williams on-board, who along with computer programmer Mark Dippé, brought the water alien to life using computer graphics in a manner never before seen. Following that success, Cameron enlisted the two to go even further, commanding them to give life to the tireless T-1000 automaton in "Terminator 2". One would think this level of success would lead to a Hollywood ending.

One would think.

Spaz gets into Williams' rebellious nature. There is an internal fight raging beneath his skin that only cheap beer seems to quiet. There is no filter between his brain and tongue. Yes, perhaps creative head of ILM Dennis Muren should have given Williams and Dippé credit while on the award circuit for T-2, but perhaps Williams should have had a proper dialogue with his boss.

Leberecht candidly captures Spaz in all his sarcastic glory and its painful consequences.

Williams was a contender. Williams could have had it all. Now, Williams is a has-been in search of a new mission. Hopefully, Spaz provides Williams a second wind and gives this dinosaur of man the Hollywood coda he deserves.

This movie was amazing to show that true talent is within the individual and not based on politics or smarts. Spaz is a true talent and reckless individual that broke all the rules to accomplish what he loved. What a great story on how such talent works behind the scenes and gets no recognition for his ground breaking contribution to computer animation that sett the world stage for what movies are today. Its crazy how so many people that are original trend setters get thrown away as if they are taboo to even talk about. He designed the beginnings to from what I remember to of been the best real life computer graphics I have ever seen in my life back in 1988.

Just imagine being catapulted in 1988 by Cameron himself at ILM (after some extensive research to find the right person) and 30 years later struggling with alcohol addiction and with paying the mortgage.

It's a tragic, unsettling story about the ones behind the curtain and a reminder to all artists working in the industry not to "burn the bridges" with the veterans. I mean come on, being upset that you must work under PHIL TIPPETT supervision? You must really be a rebel "punk". :) But everyone should admire him for being the only one with the guts to mention that taking home an Oscar representing 30-40 people is... theft.

And for the one who wrote that rejection email in 2017: it's only you who will never understand why Steve would want to return to ILM. For EVERY animator, modeler or rigging artist working and sweating there, it would be a magic privilege.