BladeZone's Off World Forums

I have been going through some more items to put on my website and i come across something i think is quite interesting. I have a couple of invoices the were from John Dykstra to the production company for services rendered on Dangerous Days. The first one is for dated 11/1/1980 and the second one 7/10/1980. These are the only 2 i have but it looks like he was on board for quite some time. I have not seen his name mentioned with regards to Blade Runner before, has anybody else?

I havee double checked the credits in Future Noir and IMDB so i hope don't look like a dick if i missed something.

That name doesn't ding a bell to me. He's not listed in the credits?

I have been doing a search and i think i have found the connection, he worked with Douglas Trumbull on Silent Running in 1972. I need to find out what he actually did though. According to one site he invented reverse Bluescreen for the Empire strikes back.
Dykstra was supervisor for the special effects of Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. He was also Senior Visual Effects for Stuart Little. Dykstra was Visual Effects Designer on the first two Spider-Man films, and was rewarded with an Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his efforts on Spider-Man 2.

So, what was his involvment on Blade Runner?

Probably his cameras, for the motion controll work?

Andy

Think i got it, when he left Industrial Light and Magic he formed Apogee Inc. That must be the connection. Ridlynoir you were right.
But i wonder why he was not credited.

IIRC correctly Douglas's father Don Trumbull also worked with John on the ''Dyxtraflex" motion control system. John was a Protege' of Douglas too and was given the job on Star Wars on Douglas's referral. His cameras were used on just about every sci-fi movie since. I also think there are union rules that determine whether you get credit on a movie or not.

I will take a look into a few of my books to see if anything pops out.

Andy

I di not realise Dougs father was in the buisness as well, i have been going through some more of the invoices and to be honest not looked to closley at them untill now. I now see that Don Trumbull was also involved with the production, i have 2 invoices and the first one "Trumbull Engineering Inc was for consulting services on Blade Runner and dated 3/12/1981 and another on the 19/3/1981.

Another thing i noticed was that John Dykstra Film services sent invoices too and was paid by Apogee Inc. Is that weird because he formed Apogee, i suppose he may of employed himself perhaps.
I hope anyone looking at this post is not thinking "so what" i just thought it was interesting.

Sorry
me again with a bee in the bonnet. Another special effects person that is not in the credits was Bob shepherd, he had also worked on Silent Running with Doug and then Close Encounters and Star Trek.

He wasn't in the business, he was the business.

Sorry, couldn't not post that.