Search a film or person :
FacebookConnectionRegistration
John Knoll is a Actor, Story, Executive Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor American born on 6 october 1962 at Ann Arbor (USA)

John Knoll

John Knoll
If you like this person, let us know!
Nationality USA
Birth 6 october 1962 (62 years) at Ann Arbor (USA)

John Knoll (born 1962) is a visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer (CCO) at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). One of the original creators of Adobe Photoshop (along with his brother, Thomas Knoll), he has also worked as visual effects supervisor on the Star Wars prequels and the 1997 special editions of the original trilogy. He also served as ILM's visual effects supervisor for Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean series. His work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest earned him the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Knoll has been praised by directors James Cameron, Gore Verbinski, Guillermo del Toro, and Brad Bird. Del Toro, who worked with Knoll for the first time on Pacific Rim (film), stated "He basically has the heart of a kid and the mind of a scientist, and that’s a great combination."

Along with Photoshop, Knoll is also the inventor of Knoll Light Factory, a lens flare generating software inspired by his work at Industrial Light and Magic.

Knoll was also the Computer Graphics Project Designer on The Abyss, an achievement which earned ILM its tenth Academy Award for Visual Effects, and worked on two Star Trek episodes - Star Trek: The Next Generation's pilot episode ("Encounter at Farpoint") and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Explorers".

His brother is Thomas Knoll and their father is Glenn Knoll, who is a professor at University of Michigan.

Best films

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
(Story)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
(Visual Effects Supervisor)

Usually with

George Lucas
George Lucas
(6 films)
Matthew Wood
Matthew Wood
(5 films)
Ben Burtt
Ben Burtt
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of John Knoll (27 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Side by Side, 1h38
Origin USA
Genres Documentary
Themes Films about films, Documentary films about business, Documentary films about the visual arts, Documentary films about the film industry
Actors James Cameron, David Fincher, John Malkovich, Danny Boyle, David Lynch, Robert Rodríguez
Roles Self
Rating75% 3.795533.795533.795533.795533.79553
The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation. It shows what artists and filmmakers have been able to accomplish with both film and digital and how their needs and innovations have helped push filmmaking in new directions. Interviews with directors, cinematographers, colorists, scientists, engineers and artists reveal their experiences and feelings about working with film and digital.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, 2h20
Directed by George Lucas, David Tattersall
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Pregnancy films, Monde imaginaire, Films about sexuality, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Films about extraterrestrial life, Political films, Dystopian films, Space opera, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, James Earl Jones, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson
Roles Fire Ship Pilot (uncredited)
Rating75% 3.798683.798683.798683.798683.79868
During a space battle over Coruscant between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance, Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a mission to rescue the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from Separatist commander General Grievous. After infiltrating Grievous' flagship, the Jedi engage Count Dooku in a lightsaber duel, which ends with Anakin killing Dooku at Palpatine's urging. Grievous flees the battle-torn cruiser, which the Jedi crash-land on Coruscant. There, Anakin reunites with his wife, Padmé Amidala, who reveals she is pregnant. Initially excited, Anakin begins to have premonitions of Padmé dying in childbirth.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, 2h16
Directed by George Lucas
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about children, Space adventure films, Seafaring films, Monde imaginaire, Transport films, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Films about extraterrestrial life, Political films, Space opera, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Terence Stamp
Roles Lt. Rya Kirsch - Bravo 4 / Flag Bearer (uncredited)
Rating65% 3.2504353.2504353.2504353.2504353.250435
In response to taxation on trade routes in the Galactic Republic, the Trade Federation organizes a blockade of battleships around the planet Naboo. Supreme Chancellor Valorum dispatches Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi to negotiate with the Trade Federation leadership to end the blockade. Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and the Trade Federation's secret adviser, orders Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray to kill the Jedi and invade Naboo with an army of battle droids. The Jedi flee to Naboo, where Qui-Gon saves Gungan outcast Jar Jar Binks from being killed during the invasion. Indebted to the Jedi, Jar Jar leads them to an underwater Gungan city. There the Jedi try but fail to persuade the Gungan leader, Boss Nass into helping the people of Naboo, though they are able to obtain transportation to Theed, the capital city on the surface. They rescue Queen Amidala, the ruler of the Naboo people, and escape the planet on her royal starship, which is damaged as they pass the Federation blockade.
Mission: Impossible, 1h50
Directed by Brian De Palma
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Spy films, Transport films, Rail transport films, Road movies, Heist films, Chase films, Gangster films, Escroquerie
Actors Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames
Roles Passenger on Train in Tunnel (uncredited)
Rating71% 3.5980753.5980753.5980753.5980753.598075
Several years after the events of the series, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) and his team, the Impossible Mission Force, are assigned to retrieve the IMF non-official cover list from the American embassy in Prague. Their mission fails: Phelps is shot point blank, his wife Claire (Emmanuelle Beart) dies in a car bombing, and the rest of the team except agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) are eliminated by an unknown assassin. Meeting later with IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), Hunt learns the job was a setup designed to lure out a mole within IMF, whom IMF believes to be in contact with an arms dealer known as "Max" as part of "Job 314." As Hunt is the only member left, Kittridge suspects him of being the mole, and Hunt flees.

Scriptwriter

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 2h13
Directed by Tony Gilroy, Gareth Edwards
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, War, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Films about extraterrestrial life, Space opera, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed
Roles Story
Rating77% 3.896733.896733.896733.896733.89673
L'univers de Star Wars tourne autour des tentatives de séparation d'un groupe favorable à un empire de la République galactique. Pour ce faire, les séparatistes entraînent des dirigeants de la République dans des affaires ingérables grâce aux manigances du Chancelier Suprême Palpatine, qui dit servir la démocratie tout en étant favorable à un empire. Pour maintenir la paix en place, les Jedi combattent les ennemis de la République, mais ceux-ci doivent faire face aux Seigneurs Sith (dont Palpatine est secrètement membre, sous le nom de Dark Sidious), tous sont sensibles à la Force, une capacité d'origine physiologique qui permet à leurs détenteurs d'acquérir certains pouvoirs surnaturels.

Producer

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 2h13
Directed by Tony Gilroy, Gareth Edwards
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, War, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Films about extraterrestrial life, Space opera, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed
Roles Executive Producer
Rating77% 3.896733.896733.896733.896733.89673
L'univers de Star Wars tourne autour des tentatives de séparation d'un groupe favorable à un empire de la République galactique. Pour ce faire, les séparatistes entraînent des dirigeants de la République dans des affaires ingérables grâce aux manigances du Chancelier Suprême Palpatine, qui dit servir la démocratie tout en étant favorable à un empire. Pour maintenir la paix en place, les Jedi combattent les ennemis de la République, mais ceux-ci doivent faire face aux Seigneurs Sith (dont Palpatine est secrètement membre, sous le nom de Dark Sidious), tous sont sensibles à la Force, une capacité d'origine physiologique qui permet à leurs détenteurs d'acquérir certains pouvoirs surnaturels.

Visual effects

Jungle Cruise
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Children's films
Actors Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Édgar Ramírez, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating66% 3.309733.309733.309733.309733.30973
Dans les années 1930, durant la Grande Dépression, Frank, capitaine d'un bateau, prend à son bord une scientifique et son frère. Ils partent en mission dans la jungle à la recherche d'un mystérieux pouvoir. Le trio va croiser de nombreux obstacles sur sa route, notamment une expédition allemande concurrente.
The Other Side of the Wind, 2h2
Directed by Orson Welles
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy
Actors John Huston, Peter Bogdanovich, Norman Foster, Lilli Palmer, Robert Random, Joseph McBride
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating66% 3.3492653.3492653.3492653.3492653.349265
Un vieux réalisateur, J.J. Hannaford, mélange de John Ford et d'Ernest Hemingway fait son retour à Hollywood après plusieurs années d'exil en Europe. Il est en train de finir un nouveau film avec lequel il veut mettre au défi, sur le terrain, « toute la palette du jeune cinéma américain, depuis les cinéphiles mélancoliques jusqu'à Andy Warhol ». Une fête est organisée en son honneur dans son ranch par tout le gratin hollywoodien à l'occasion de son soixante-dixième anniversaire. Cette soirée se terminera par la mort du réalisateur au volant de la voiture de sport qu'il voulait offrir à son acteur favori, sans que l'on sache s'il s'agit d'un accident ou d'un suicide.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 2h13
Directed by Tony Gilroy, Gareth Edwards
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Science fiction, War, Thriller, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Films about extraterrestrial life, Space opera, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating77% 3.896733.896733.896733.896733.89673
L'univers de Star Wars tourne autour des tentatives de séparation d'un groupe favorable à un empire de la République galactique. Pour ce faire, les séparatistes entraînent des dirigeants de la République dans des affaires ingérables grâce aux manigances du Chancelier Suprême Palpatine, qui dit servir la démocratie tout en étant favorable à un empire. Pour maintenir la paix en place, les Jedi combattent les ennemis de la République, mais ceux-ci doivent faire face aux Seigneurs Sith (dont Palpatine est secrètement membre, sous le nom de Dark Sidious), tous sont sensibles à la Force, une capacité d'origine physiologique qui permet à leurs détenteurs d'acquérir certains pouvoirs surnaturels.
Pacific Rim, 2h12
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure
Themes La fin du monde, Kaiju films, Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, Transport films, Films set in the future, Films about extraterrestrial life, Giant monster films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Alien invasions in films, Robot films, Disaster films
Actors Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins, Jr., Robert Kazinsky
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating69% 3.4500053.4500053.4500053.4500053.450005
In 2013, Earth's coastal cities come under attack from Kaijus, colossal beasts that periodically emerge from a dimensional portal on the Pacific Ocean floor called "The Breach." To fight them, the Pacific Rim nations build the Jaegers, equally colossal humanoid war machines. Each Jaeger is controlled by two or more pilots whose brains are linked, called "drifting" to share the heavy mental load of operating the machine. The Jaegers are initially effective, but many are destroyed as the Kaijus grow more powerful and their attacks become more frequent. In 2025, the participating governments deem the Jaeger program unsustainable and discontinue it in favor of building defensive coastal walls. The four remaining Jaegers are redeployed to Hong Kong to protect the coast until the walls are completed. Jaeger commander Stacker Pentecost resolves to make a last-ditch attempt to end the Kaiju threat by destroying The Breach with a nuclear weapon, even though past nuclear strikes on the portal have been unsuccessful.
Rango
Rango (2011)
, 1h47
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure, Animation, Western
Themes Films about animals, Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Children's films, Reptile
Actors Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating72% 3.645243.645243.645243.645243.64524
Rango, a pet chameleon (Johnny Depp) becomes stranded in the Mojave Desert after his terrarium falls from his owners' car by accident. He meets an armadillo named Roadkill (Alfred Molina) who is seeking the mystical Spirit of the West and directs the parched chameleon to find water at a town called Dirt. While wandering the desert, he narrowly avoids being eaten by a vicious red-tailed hawk and has a surreal nightmare before meeting the desert iguana Beans (Isla Fisher), a rancher's daughter, who takes the chameleon to Dirt, an Old West town populated by desert animals.
Super 8
Super 8 (2011)
, 1h52
Directed by J. J. Abrams
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction
Themes Films about films, Films about extraterrestrial life
Actors Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Ron Eldard
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating69% 3.4979653.4979653.4979653.4979653.497965
In 1979, Deputy Sheriff Jack Lamb (Kyle Chandler) of Lillian, Ohio, and his 14-year-old son Joe (Joel Courtney), mourn the death of his mother Elizabeth (Caitriona Balfe) in a steel mill accident. Jack blames her co-worker, Louis Dainard (Ron Eldard), as she was covering his shift while he recovered from a hangover.
Hugo
Hugo (2011)
, 2h7
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Fantastic, Adventure
Themes Films about films, Films about children, Films about magic and magicians, Transport films, Rail transport films, Steampunk films, Children's films, Robot films
Actors Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating74% 3.7466553.7466553.7466553.7466553.746655
In 1931, 12-year-old Hugo Cabret lives in Paris with his father, a widowed, but kind and devoted master clockmaker. Hugo's father takes him to see films and loves those of Georges Méliès best of all.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, 2h13
Directed by Brad Bird
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Action, Adventure, Spy
Themes Spy films, Films about terrorism
Actors Tom Cruise, Jeremy Lee Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Josh Holloway
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating73% 3.697183.697183.697183.697183.69718
In Budapest to intercept a courier working for an individual code-named "Cobalt", IMF agent Trevor Hanaway is killed by assassin Sabine Moreau. Hanaway's team leader, Jane Carter, and newly promoted field agent Benji Dunn extract Ethan Hunt and his source, Bogdan, from a Moscow prison. Ethan is recruited to lead Jane and Benji to infiltrate secret Moscow Kremlin archives and locate files identifying Cobalt. During the mission, someone broadcasts across the IMF frequency, alerting the Russians to Ethan's team. Although Benji and Jane escape, a bomb destroys the Kremlin and SVR agent Anatoly Sidorov arrests Ethan, suspecting him as a key player in the attack.
Confessions of a Shopaholic, 1h44
Directed by Paul John Hogan
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Actors Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, John Goodman, Joan Cusack, John Lithgow
Roles Visual Effects Supervisor
Rating58% 2.9100252.9100252.9100252.9100252.910025
Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) is a shopping addict who lives with her best friend Suze (Krysten Ritter). She works as a journalist for a gardening magazine but dreams of joining the fashion magazine Alette. On the way to an interview with Alette, she buys a green scarf. Her credit card is declined, so Rebecca goes to a hot dog stand and offers to buy all the hot dogs with a check, if the seller gives her back change in cash, saying the scarf is to be a gift for her sick aunt. The hot dog vendor refuses but a man offers her $20.