Born: 29th June 1920
Died: 7th May 2013 (Age 92)
Ray Harryhausen was an American artist, designer, visual effects creator, writer and producer who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation".
His works include the animation for Mighty Joe Young (1949), with his mentor Willis H. O'Brien, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects; his first color film, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958); and Jason and the Argonauts (1963), which featured a sword fight with seven skeleton warriors. His last film was Clash of the Titans (1981), after which he retired.
Harryhausen moved to the United Kingdom, became a dual American-British citizen and lived in London from 1960 until his death in 2013. During his life, his innovative style of special effects in films inspired numerous filmmakers. In November 2016 the BFI compiled a list of those present-day filmmakers who claim to have been inspired by Harryhausen, including Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Joe Dante, Tim Burton, Nick Park, James Cameron, and Guillermo del Toro. Others influenced by him include George Lucas, John Lasseter, John Landis, Henry Selick, J. J. Abrams, and Wes Anderson.
Don't miss the Ray Harryhausen exhibition at National Galleries of Scotland - also available on line.
How do you rate Ray Harryhausen's movies?
Our 2021 Summer Camps have a Ray Harryhausen influence with our
GREEK GODS MYTHS & LEGENDS Theme!
WATCH RAY HARRYHAUSEN THIS WEEK
ON TV:
FILM: Clash of the Titans (1981)
Sunday 4th July, BBC1, 3:25pm
Some of Harryhausen's greatest creations appear in his final foray into special effects. Including the terrifying MEDUSA!
What's your favourite Ray Harryhausen movie / creation?
Make sure you are booked in for this week's DRAMA CLASSES
