From pitching Tron to opening the Stargate, Frank Vitz discusses his career as a Research and Development Artist and Programmer in the new episode of Ed Kramer’s CGI Fridays.

Vitz is best known for his work at animation studio Kleiser-Walczak Construction Co, where – alongside CGI Fridays host Ed Kramer and previous guest Jeff Kleiser – he contributed to the visual effects of the late Doug Trumbull’s multimedia Luxor Las Vegas attraction, and its spiritual successor, Roland Emmerich’s ancient astronaut action movie and accidental franchise-starter, Stargate (1994). 

His association with Kleiser goes back further than the company when by eerie coincidence, Vitz – then working for Robert Abel and Associates – found himself at ground zero for the birth of modern CGI: 1982’s Tron.

Frank Vitz currently works as Senior Art Director/CG Supervisor at Electronic Arts.

Frank Vitz's full IMDB profile reads:

How to Boil a Frog (Documentary) (cgi supervisor)

X-Men 2 (visual effects supervisor: Kleiser-Walczak)

Evolution (TV Mini Series documentary) (animator - 7 episodes, 2002) (visual effects supervisor - 7 episodes, 2002)

Corkscrew Hill (Short) (technical supervisor)

X-Men (visual effects supervisor: Kleiser Walczak)

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (Video short) (visual effects)

The Rage: Carrie 2 (visual effects coordinator)

Judge Dredd (head of software: Kleiser-Walczak)

Stargate (software development: Kleiser-Walczak)

In Search of the Obelisk (Short) (head of software: Klesier Walczak)

TRON (systems programmer: Robert Abel and Associates)