Dennis Muren is an American film special effects artist and supervisor. He was born in 1940 in Glendale, California, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of special effects. He is best known for his work on the original Star Wars trilogy and the Jurassic Park films.
Muren studied film at the University of Southern California and got his first job in special effects at George Lucas's company, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). He worked on Lucas's first feature film, THX 1138, and went on to work on the original Star Wars trilogy. Muren won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for Star Wars in 1977.
Muren continued to work at ILM, and during the 1980s he worked on a variety of films, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and The Abyss. He won another Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for his work on Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991.
In 1993, Muren worked on the first Jurassic Park film, for which he won another Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. He also worked on all the subsequent Jurassic Park films, as well as other films such as War of the Worlds and the prequel trilogy of Star Wars films.
Muren has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects a record nine times. He has also been honored with the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, which is presented to individuals who have made outstanding technological contributions to the motion picture industry.
Muren continues to work as a special effects supervisor and consultant at ILM, and he has also served as a consultant for films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of special effects and remains an inspiration to filmmakers and effects artists around the world.
