Hollywood special effects producer to speak at UF

October 13, 2009

RICHARD KIDD, a University of Florida graduate and accomplished Hollywood special effects producer, will be visiting and speaking at the College of Fine Arts’ Digital Worlds Institute on October 15. Kidd has worked on a number of high profile projects since graduating from UF. He will be presenting at the Digital Worlds REVE at 1:50 PM. The presentation, which will include audience interaction, is free and open to the UF Community.

THURSDAY OCT 15 @ 1:50 at Digital Worlds REVE (Old Norman Gym)

Directions: www.digitalworlds.ufl.edu/facilities/directions/REVE.htm

In his early career, Richard spent seven years managing and supervising visual effects work and teams in the entertainment industry. He formed and oversaw the team that generated all of the ocean water in James Cameron’s Academy Award winning Titanic. He was then hired to work with the Wachowski brothers to design and breakdown visual effects for 1999′s visually stunning The Matrix.

In 2007, Richard supervised visual effects for both Spiderman 3 and Transformers. Recently, he supervised the visual effects for award winning director Catherine Hardwicke on the blockbuster film Twilight and also contributed to Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and pre-production on Kingdom Come for director Dean Wright and Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.

Richard sits on the Gnomon School of Visual Effects Advisory Board and is a former member of the Visual Effects Society Board of Directors. He has lectured on visual effects and film making at UCLA, the American Film Institute, The Art Institute of Los Angeles, University of Florida, as well as for the Entertainment Industry Development Council.
Visit Catalyst Media website at www.catalystmedia.tv/richardkidd.html

For More Information on Mr. Kidd’s presentation, call Digital Worlds at 352-294-2020 or visit www.digitalworlds.ufl.edu.