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FrankFosterFilms

Frank Foster Biography

Home The SIGGRAPH History Mission in regards to the film project: The Story of Computer Graphics Frank Foster Biography
1980 LASERMEDIA
1984 HYBRID ARTS INC.
1985 ATARI CORP.
1991 Sony Pictures Imageworks
2000 Thru the Moebius Strip - in China
2006 MAYA DIGITAL STUDIOS - in India
2010 FRANK FOSTER FILMS
1980 LASERMEDIA

Computer controlled LASERs

After several years touring the country doing analog LASER shows, Foster was hired to put digital graphics to work for entertainment company LASERMEDIA.  Project highlights include: The 1980 Olympic games in Lake Placid, working for Steve Jobs on the Macintosh dealer roll out in 84, with Maurice White for Earth, Wind and Fire, with Prince on the Purple Rain tour, with Michael Jackson on the Triumph tour and many other music projects.  Movie effects included films Staying Alive, Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie and STARMAN.

Large Format Presentations

The versatility of the LASER allowed computer image to be projected in large presentations.  The show at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta used LASERS to project the world’s largest computer graphics on to the side of a mountain.  Foster designed and programmed the show for 3 years and which appeared on the cover of National Geographic.  He was also the LASER technical director for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic closing ceremonies.

1984 HYBRID ARTS INC.
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MIDI  (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

 

Realizing the potential of a new standard in the music industry Foster founded Hybrid Arts Inc. to manufacture one of the first software based sequencers “MIDITRACK” and the first PC based digital audio sample editor “ADAP”.

1985 ATARI CORP.

The ATARI ST

 

Foster’s experience with MIDI software led to running the music division at ATARI Computers.  Including marketing partnerships with Tangerine Dream, Fleetwood Mac and Peter Gabriel.

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1991 Sony Pictures Imageworks
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Sony Pictures

Foster was brought in by the co-chairs of TriStar Pictures to start an R&D project to test computer based planing of feature films or Previsualization. The system was used on the Bruce Willis action film Striking Distance.   From there he wrote the business plan for a larger group and helped present the plan to Sony Pictures chair Peter Guber and Mr. Olga in Tokyo.  The plan was accepted under the name Sony Pictures Digital Production and later renamed Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Imageworks

As the first digital “in studio” production division Imageworks started with an SGI based workstation group that did projects like In the Line of Fire.  Foster’s PC based group specialized on Previs and digital titles some of the first computer rendered in Hollywood.  They also did the first full frame visual effects on Intel based PCs for Johnny Mnemonic and later the first computer butterfly animation for The Craft.

2000 Thru the Moebius Strip - in China

Working with the legendary MOEBIUS

While in post production for the SIGGRAPH documentary The Story of Computer Graphics, Foster was recruited by Global Digital Creations, Holdings LTD to collaborate with the highly respected French comic book author Jean “Moebius” Giruad.  Originally planned for production in Hong Kong the animation company was rebuilt from scratch in mainland China.  First setting up a school for 1000 animators, then after the first year taking the cream of the crop to do the actual production.  It took five years to complete Thru the Moebius Strip now a cult film and the first CG feature animation to be done in China.

2006 MAYA DIGITAL STUDIOS - in India

Maya Digital Studios

While lecturing in India in the mid 1990’s Foster met film director Ketan Metha, together with Deepa Sahi they wrote the business plan for Maya Magic Shoppe, which was later named Maya Digital Studios.  Foster rejoined the company in 2006 as CEO and helped supervise the 3D conversion of one of India’s most successful feature films, SHOLAY.

2010 FRANK FOSTER FILMS

Frank Foster Films

After returning to Los Angeles from India, Foster started his own production company to use the experience gained from international digital production for smaller sustainability and environmental based projects.  Working with non-profits like Rotary Club he produced short films such as One Bucket of Water and Sustainable Coffee: A Global Solution.  A 3D IMAX film called Sustainable Baja is now in production.  He is also the current president of the SIGGRAPH Pioneer’s Group.

Pioneering media technologies for over 30 years