Biography:Edward A. Kramer

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Not to be confused with Edward E. Kramer, the American editor and convicted child molester.

Edward A. "Ed" Kramer is a computer graphics pioneer who worked in computer-generated imagery (CGI). ACM SIGGRAPH, a Special Interest Group focused on computer graphics within the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), recognizes him as a member of "SIGGRAPH Pioneers." As of 2024, he is chair of the SIGGRAPH Pioneers.

Early life and education

Kramer was educated at Duke University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in 1977. He earned a Master of Arts in Film Production/Animation in 1981 at the University of Texas at Austin, where he'd done 3D vector animation in the physics lab for a local PBS series.[1]

Career

He worked as a professional CGI artist from 1981, with jobs in Hollywood, New York, Atlanta, and for NASA in Houston.[2] In 1993, he worked as a CGI supervisor on the Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid trilogy of ride films for the Luxor Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.[3] Between 1994 and 2006, he worked for Industrial Light & Magic in San Rafael as Senior Technical Director[4] and Sequence Supervisor. He was one of the first users of many tools for video production, among them ADO, Via Video, Quantel paint systems, System IV, Bosch FGS-4000, Abekas, Wavefront, and digital videotape.[5] In his film career, he worked on the computer graphics for six films nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, including the 2006 winner, Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest, as well as Twister (1996), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002).[6][7] Kramer also worked in television, including for CBS Evening News, ABC Sports, HBO, Cinemax, Lifetime Cable Network,[8] CNN and Coca-Cola.[9] From 2010, he was an instructor of CGI Lighting, Modeling, Dynamics, and Portfolio Development at the Colorado Film School (now the Cinematic Arts Department of the Community College of Aurora, Colorado), before moving to the now defunct Art Institute of Colorado.[2]

Kramer was an early participant in SIGGRAPH conferences, for instance as both course organizer and a presenter of "Computer Animation Using Video Techniques" in 1985,[10] 1986,[11] and 1987.[12] As SIGGRAPH Pioneers Chair 2019–2024,[13] he interviewed the SIGGRAPH Conference Chairs for 1979, 1980, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2020, as well as chairing or participating in panels. These panels and interviews are preserved on video.[14]

Assessments

Kramer's importance in the development of computer graphics is attested by his capsule biography,[5] one of only four, along with industry luminaries John Whitney Sr., David C. Evans and Ivan Sutherland, in Terrence Masson's "first and only detailed behind-the-scenes history about the people and companies that have formed today's industry."[15] Masson himself, chairing the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival, described the eight jurors whom he chose, including Kramer, as

people who've been deep in production for a long time... who've seen it all, having dwelt at the very highest levels of quality so long that our standards would be positively stratospheric.[16]

An essay, "Who are the Siggraph Pioneers?" from 2024, answers that question in several paragraphs. Quoting: "Rather than sitting passively on the sidelines, they have influenced continued discoveries, developments, and the maturation of the industry. People like Ed Kramer, ..." followed by thirteen other names, "... and many more."[17]

Filmography

Visual effects (feature film)

  • 101 Dalmatians (1996): Visual effects[7]
  • Twister (1996): Visual effects[7]
  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997): Visual effects[7]
  • Deep Impact (1998): Visual effects[7]
  • The Mummy (1999): Digital effects supervisor[7]ILM
  • Galaxy Quest (1999): CGI artist[7]
  • Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999): Visual effects[7]ILM
  • The Mummy Returns (2001): Visual effects supervisor[7]ILM
  • Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002): Visual effects[7]ILM
  • Dreamcatcher (2003): CGI artist[7]
  • Van Helsing (2004): Digital effects[7]ILM
  • Son of the Mask (2005): Computer graphics supervisor[7]
  • Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005): CGI artist[7]

Animation (feature film)

  • Clear and Present Danger (1994): Animator[7]
  • The Island (2005): Animation director[7]

Art department (feature film)

  • Jumanji (1995): Graphic artist[7]
  • Planet of the Apes (2001): Graphic artist[7]ILM
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002): Computer graphics artist[7]ILM

Miscellaneous crew (feature film)

  • Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005): Digital effects artist[7]
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006): Digital effects artist[7]ILM

Other

  • Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid trilogy In Search of the Obelisk, Luxor Live, Theater of Time (1993): CGI supervisor.[3]
  • Stargate (1994):[9]
  • The Perfect Storm (2000): Digital effects artist[9]ILM
  • Chasing Ice (2012): Animation: Look development:[18]

Selected bibliography

Notes

ILM.^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ while working at Industrial Light & Magic.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Ed Kramer". ACM SIGGRAPH, Association for Computing Machinery, Bowling Green State University. https://history.siggraph.org/person/ed-kramer/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Presenter Bios". SIGGRAPH '14: ACM SIGGRAPH 2014 Panels. New York: Association for Computing Machinery. 27 July 2014. doi:10.1145/2614208. ISBN 978-1-4503-2959-0. OCLC 903236968. https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/2614208. Retrieved 21 December 2024. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wolf, Mark J. P. (2025). Calculated Imagery: A History of Computer Graphics in Hollywood Cinema. New York City: Association for Computing Machinery. p. 296. ISBN 9798400712654. OCLC 1514252098. 
  4. ↑ "Ed Kramer". ACM SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Committee. https://dac.siggraph.org/person/808/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Masson, Terrence (1999). CG 101 : a computer graphics industry reference. Indianapolis: New Riders. p. 462. ISBN 9780735700468. OCLC 42416832. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780977871001/page/462/mode/1up. Retrieved 2 January 2025. 
  6. ↑ "Results (displayed by award category; sort is chronological)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. https://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/search/getresults?query=%7B%22Sort%22%3A%223-Award%20Category-Chron%22%2C%22AwardCategory%22%3A%5B%2224%22%5D%2C%22AwardShowNumberFrom%22%3A69%2C%22AwardShowNumberTo%22%3A79%2C%22Search%22%3A30%7D. 
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 "Ed Kramer: Filmography". https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1114382%7C0/Ed-Kramer#filmography. 
  8. ↑ Parker, Sally (October 1, 2004). "Lights, Camera, Magic: Computer Graphics expert Ed Kramer". Duke Magazine. https://alumni.duke.edu/magazine/articles/lights-camera-magic. Retrieved 21 December 2024. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Desowitz, Bill (March 1, 2007). "VFX Supervisor Ed Kramer Joins !mpossible Pictures". https://www.awn.com/news/vfx-supervisor-ed-kramer-joins-mpossible-pictures. 
  10. ↑ "Computer Animation Using Video Techniques". Association for Computing Machinery. 1985. https://history.siggraph.org/learning/computer-animation-using-video-techniques-by-kramer-chiani-jackson-and-rosenfeld/. 
  11. ↑ "Computer Animation Using Video Techniques". Association for Computing Machinery. 1986. https://history.siggraph.org/learning/computer-animation-using-video-techniques-chaired-by-ed-kramer/. 
  12. ↑ "Computer Animation Using Video Techniques". Association for Computing Machinery. 1987. https://history.siggraph.org/learning/computer-animation-using-video-techniques-by-kramer-winkler-chiani-and-rosenfeld/. 
  13. ↑ Kramer, Ed (editor); submitted and curated by the SIGGRAPH Pioneers (2023). Rare Gems from CGI History (video). Retrieved 1 January 2025 – via Google Docs.
  14. ↑ edk (Kramer, Ed). "SIGGRAPH Pioneers Online Content". Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZiVT9MZYzScFMnWzGqwkMKkzwATuBbX0XKOxPa-hz5Q/edit?tab=t.0. 
  15. ↑ "CG 101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference". Pearson Education. https://www.peachpit.com/store/cg-101-a-computer-graphics-industry-reference-9780735700468. 
  16. ↑ Plantec, Peter (July 7, 2006). "The Digital Eye: Inside the SIGGRAPH 2006 CAF". https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/digital-eye-inside-siggraph-2006-caf. 
  17. ↑ Moltenbrey, Karen (3 July 2024). "Who are the Siggraph Pioneers?". https://www.jonpeddie.com/news/who-are-the-siggraph-pioneers/. 
  18. ↑ "Submarine Deluxe Presents: An Exposure Lab Production". https://chasingice.com/credits/. 



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