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(ron thornton has no credits on any episode of DW; need proof of the statement that he worked on DW)
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{{Sidebar crew|
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[[File:Ron Thornton.jpg|thumb|Ron Thornton]]
  
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| Name = Ron Thornton
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[[File:Foundation Imaging founders.jpg|thumb|Ron Thornton (left) with fellow [[Foundation Imaging]] founder [[Paul Bryant]]]]
  
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| image = Ron Thornton.jpg
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'''Ron Thornton''' is a British-born cinematographer and was a key member of the visual effects company [[Foundation Imaging]]. He worked on a number of ''[[Star Trek]]'' productions.
  
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| Birth name =
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| Gender = Male
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| Date of birth =
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| Place of birth = London, Great Britain
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| Date of death =
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| Place of death =
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| Awards for Trek = [[Emmy Award|1 Emmy Award nomination]]
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| Roles = [[:Category:Special and Visual effects staff|Visual Effects Supervisor]]
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| image2 = Foundation Imaging founders.jpg
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| imagecap2 = Thornton (l) with fellow Foundation Imaging founder Paul Bryant
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}}
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'''Ron Thornton''' is a British-born cinematographer and was a key member and co-founder of the visual effects company [[Foundation Imaging]]. He worked on a number of ''[[Star Trek]]'' productions, receiving an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''s [[VOY Season 5|fifth season]] episode {{e|Timeless}}.
   
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Much of Ron Thornton's early visual effects career was spent working with miniatures and motion-control technology, on British television series such as ''[[Doctor Who]]''{{incite|not credited on any ep of DW}}, ''Blake's 7'' and ''The Tripods'', prior to his move to America, where he initially worked on ''[[Babylon 5]]'' adopting [[CGI]] techniques that he would later bring to ''Star Trek''. He remembered, "''The reason I got into CGI work in the first place is purely because the limitations of motion control suddenly disappeared.''" Thornton went on to say that he specifically meant the limitations of shooting models. Thornton was also attracted to animating such CG creations as [[Species 8472]] for ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Regarding the task of giving a performance to such a being, he noted, "''That's something I love to do.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine]]'', issue #16, pp. 36 & 37)
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Much of Ron Thornton's early visual effects career was spent working with miniatures and {{w|Motion control photography|motion control}} technology, on British television series such as ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''Blake's 7'' and ''The Tripods'', prior to his move to America, where he initially worked on Warner Bros. Television's ''[[Babylon 5]]'', adopting [[CGI]] techniques that he later brought to ''Star Trek''. He remembered, "''The reason I got into CGI work in the first place is purely because the limitations of motion control suddenly disappeared.''" Thornton went on to say that he specifically meant the limitations of shooting models. Thornton was also attracted to animating such CG creations as [[Species 8472]] for ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. Regarding the task of giving a performance to such a being, he noted, "''That's something I love to do.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine]]'', issue #16, pp. 36 & 37)
   
 
Ron Thornton was instrumental in the changeover of Foundation Imaging from ''Babylon 5'' to ''Star Trek''. He recalled, "''It was only ''after Babylon 5'' decided not to renew us that I turned around to them [meaning ''Star Trek: Voyager''{{'}}s producers] and basically begged for work. We were in such dire straits; I had to lay ''everybody'' off–and I never thought ''that'' was going to happen–but ''Voyager'' was really wonderful and started coming in with stuff.''" Thornton also said, "''When ''Babylon 5'' decided they were going to do it on their own, it was absolutely devastating, but it ended up being the ''best'' thing that ever happened to me.''" Thornton was so eager to work on ''Star Trek'' that he would have liked Foundation Imaging to be given more work on ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' than they ultimately were. "''I would love to do more work on the show,''" Thornton said, during the [[DS9 Season 6|sixth season]] of the series, "''but it's very much up to the supervisor.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine]]'', issue #16, pp. 35, 38 & 39)
  
Ron Thornton was instrumental in the changeover of Foundation Imaging from ''Babylon 5'' to ''Star Trek''. He recalled, "''It was only ''after Babylon 5'' decided not to renew us that I turned around to them [meaning ''Star Trek: Voyager''{{'}}s producers] and basically begged for work. We were in such dire straits; I had to lay ''everybody'' off–and I never thought ''that'' was going to happen–but ''Voyager'' was really wonderful and started coming in with stuff.''" Thornton also said, "''When ''Babylon 5'' decided they were going to do it on their own, it was absolutely devastating, but it ended up being the ''best'' thing that ever happened to me.''" Thornton was so eager to work on ''Star Trek'' that he would have liked Foundation Imaging to be given more work on ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' than they ultimately were. "''I would love to do more work on the show,''" Thornton said, during the [[DS9 Season 6|sixth season]] of the series, "''but it's very much up to the supervisor.''" (''[[The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine]]'', issue #16, pp. 35, 38 & 39)
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After Thornton moved to the United States in 1984, but prior to founding Foundation Imaging in 1992, he has worked as free-lancer for a multitude of companies, among others [[Apogee, Inc.]] Quick Silver FX Studio, VCE, All Effects, and Todd Rundgren's Nutopia, as visual effects staffer, usually as a prop and model maker. Productions he worked upon in that period included ''Critters '' (1986), ''Spaceballs'' (1987), ''Robot Jox'' (1989), ''After Midnight'' (1989) as well as the science fiction series ''Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future'' (1987-1988), where some early CGI was employed, and which introduced Thornton to the new technique (as well as to the precursor of the software package {{w|LightWave 3D}}, the package of choice at Foundation Imaging). An uncredited contribution as model maker for [[David Stipes|David Stipes Productions]], proved in hindsight to be Thornton's earliest contribution to the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He built the alien [[Studio models (TNG)#Promellian battle cruiser|studio model]], designed by [[Steve Burg]], for the 1986 movie ''{{w|Night of the Creeps}}'', that was later reused for the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' [[TNG Season 3|third season]] episode {{e|Booby Trap}} as the [[Cleponji]].
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After his experiences with CGI on ''Captain Power'', Thornton started to entertain in 1990 notions to go into the possibility of creating a digital effects facility utilizing the latest advances in desk-top computer technologies, together with his friend [[Paul Bryant|Paul Beigle-Bryant]], with whom he had worked in Great Britain in 1983. This led in 1992 to the founding of Foundation Imaging, with Thornton selling off all his own camera equipment and motion control systems in order to raise capital for the new computer systems. Rock musician and multimedia artist Todd Rundgren, with whom Thornton had worked on a short computer-animated film, was the one who suggested using computers for all the visual effects on ''Babylon 5'', the company's first project. Thornton and Beigle-Bryant created a one-minute video of proposed visual effects for the series that was instrumental in selling the show in July 1992. The pilot episode of the series won the duo an Emmy Award in 1993, complemented by an International Monitor Award the next year for the pilot episode of the television series ''Viper''.
   
 
== ''Star Trek'' credits ==
  
== ''Star Trek'' credits ==
 
<div class="appear">
  
<div class="appear">
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* {{Star Trek films}}
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** ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)]]'' - visual effects producer
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** {{film|10}} - additional 3D matte elements
 
* {{TNG}}
  
* {{TNG}}
 
** {{e|Booby Trap}} - Model Maker: [[Promellian battle cruiser]] (uncredited)
  
** {{e|Booby Trap}} - Model Maker: [[Promellian battle cruiser]] (uncredited)
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**{{e|Shattered}} - visual effects producer
 
**{{e|Shattered}} - visual effects producer
 
**{{e|Endgame}} - visual effects producer
  
**{{e|Endgame}} - visual effects producer
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* [[Star Trek films|''Star Trek'' films]]
  
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** {{film|1}} - visual effects producer
  
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** {{film|10}} - additional 3D matte elements
  
 
*{{ENT}}
  
*{{ENT}}
 
**{{e|Broken Bow}} - visual effects producer
 
**{{e|Broken Bow}} - visual effects producer
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</div>
  
</div>
   
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== External link ==
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== Emmy Award ==
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Thornton received the following Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series:
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* {{y|1999}} Emmy Award nomination for {{e|Timeless}}, shared with [[John Allardice]], [[Eric Chauvin]], [[Arthur J. Codron]], [[Dan Curry]], [[Don Greenberg]], [[Sherry Hitch]], [[Greg Rainoff]], [[Mitch Suskin]], [[John Teska]], and [[Robert Bonchune]]
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==Bibliography==
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* "The Year at a Glance", ''[[Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models]]'', issue 32, September 1998, p. 50
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==Further reading==
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*"Foundation Imaging: Putting the CGI into ''Star Trek''", [[Larry Nemecek]], {{STM|31}}, September 1997, pp. 38-42
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* "Ron Thornton: CGI Effects Director", Joe Nazzaro, ''[[The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine]]'', issue 16, April 1998, pp. 35-43
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* "Behind the Scenes: Foundation Imaging", {{STTM|1|6}}, pp. 46-51
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== External links ==
 
* {{IMDb-link|page=nm0861591}}
  
* {{IMDb-link|page=nm0861591}}
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* [http://www.digitalanimators.com/HTM/Features/Starship_Troopers/TrooperImage5a.htm Ron Thornton biography] at [http://animators.digitalmedianet.com/ Digital Animators]
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* [http://cn.linkedin.com/in/ronthornton Ron Thornton] at [http://www.linkedin.com/ Linkedin.com]
   
 
[[es:Ron Thornton]]
  
[[es:Ron Thornton]]
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[[Category:Special and Visual effects staff]]
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[[Category:Special and Visual effects staff|Thornton, Ron]]
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[[Category:Emmy Award nominees|Thornton, Ron]]

Revision as of 18:44, 28 July 2013

Template:Realworld

Ron Thornton is a British-born cinematographer and was a key member and co-founder of the visual effects company Foundation Imaging. He worked on a number of Star Trek productions, receiving an Emmy Award nomination for Star Trek: Voyagers fifth season episode "Timeless".

Much of Ron Thornton's early visual effects career was spent working with miniatures and motion control technology, on British television series such as Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and The Tripods, prior to his move to America, where he initially worked on Warner Bros. Television's Babylon 5, adopting CGI techniques that he later brought to Star Trek. He remembered, "The reason I got into CGI work in the first place is purely because the limitations of motion control suddenly disappeared." Thornton went on to say that he specifically meant the limitations of shooting models. Thornton was also attracted to animating such CG creations as Species 8472 for Star Trek: Voyager. Regarding the task of giving a performance to such a being, he noted, "That's something I love to do." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #16, pp. 36 & 37)

Ron Thornton was instrumental in the changeover of Foundation Imaging from Babylon 5 to Star Trek. He recalled, "It was only after Babylon 5 decided not to renew us that I turned around to them [meaning Star Trek: Voyager's producers] and basically begged for work. We were in such dire straits; I had to lay everybody off–and I never thought that was going to happen–but Voyager was really wonderful and started coming in with stuff." Thornton also said, "When Babylon 5 decided they were going to do it on their own, it was absolutely devastating, but it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me." Thornton was so eager to work on Star Trek that he would have liked Foundation Imaging to be given more work on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine than they ultimately were. "I would love to do more work on the show," Thornton said, during the sixth season of the series, "but it's very much up to the supervisor." (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine, issue #16, pp. 35, 38 & 39)

After Thornton moved to the United States in 1984, but prior to founding Foundation Imaging in 1992, he has worked as free-lancer for a multitude of companies, among others Apogee, Inc. Quick Silver FX Studio, VCE, All Effects, and Todd Rundgren's Nutopia, as visual effects staffer, usually as a prop and model maker. Productions he worked upon in that period included Critters (1986), Spaceballs (1987), Robot Jox (1989), After Midnight (1989) as well as the science fiction series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (1987-1988), where some early CGI was employed, and which introduced Thornton to the new technique (as well as to the precursor of the software package LightWave 3D, the package of choice at Foundation Imaging). An uncredited contribution as model maker for David Stipes Productions, proved in hindsight to be Thornton's earliest contribution to the Star Trek franchise. He built the alien studio model, designed by Steve Burg, for the 1986 movie Night of the Creeps, that was later reused for the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode "Booby Trap" as the Cleponji.

After his experiences with CGI on Captain Power, Thornton started to entertain in 1990 notions to go into the possibility of creating a digital effects facility utilizing the latest advances in desk-top computer technologies, together with his friend Paul Beigle-Bryant, with whom he had worked in Great Britain in 1983. This led in 1992 to the founding of Foundation Imaging, with Thornton selling off all his own camera equipment and motion control systems in order to raise capital for the new computer systems. Rock musician and multimedia artist Todd Rundgren, with whom Thornton had worked on a short computer-animated film, was the one who suggested using computers for all the visual effects on Babylon 5, the company's first project. Thornton and Beigle-Bryant created a one-minute video of proposed visual effects for the series that was instrumental in selling the show in July 1992. The pilot episode of the series won the duo an Emmy Award in 1993, complemented by an International Monitor Award the next year for the pilot episode of the television series Viper.

Star Trek credits

Emmy Award

Thornton received the following Emmy Award nomination in the category Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series:

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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