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DOUG BESWICK
Doug Beswick had seen many movies when he was growing up, but it wasn’t until he saw “The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad” that he was amazed and awestruck of the images on the screen. The all to familiar question “How’d they do that?” plagued his mind for months and he took it upon himself to find the answers. Doug remembers, “We didn’t have all of the magazines and books back then that people have today. The main source of my research was a magazine called “Famous Monsters of Film Land.” It’s in this magazine that Doug read about Ray Harryhausen and the technique he used to create his inspiring effects Stop Motion Photography.
Doug recalls his first few attempts at this film making process. His version of a Sinbad movie, that he shot in regular 8mm and called “Phantom Island”, gave him results that he was, to say the least “not as impressing as images from the silver screen”. Regardless Doug took this film, his demo reel, and used it in an attempt to get a job as an apprentice stop-motion animator. His first interview with Jim Danfourth at Cascade Pictures, the studio that animated the Pillsbury Doughboy, went well, but he didn’t get the job. Jim recommended Doug see a man named Art Clokey, the creator of a show called “The Adventures of Gumby” at Clokey Productions. Doug went in with his demo reel, had a meeting with Mr. Clokey that went well, but he didn’t get that job either! Doug took a job as a box boy in a super market, while waiting for the phone to ring. Three months later it did. Doug was offered a job, building props on a stop motion animated show called “The Adventures of Davey and Goliath” for $2.12 1/2 cents an hour / $85.00 a week. After working with animators like Ray Peck and Peter Klieno, Doug was taught the rules and tricks of the trade and 2 years later he became a full time animator making $5.00 an hour. Doug’s work experience in Stop motion animation includes, but is not limited to…
Doug made his jump from Stop motion animator to practical effects artists when friend Rick Baker asked Doug to build several mechanical props to be used in the film “An American Werewolf in London” Doug’s work experience in Practical / Puppets / Mechanical Effects include, but are not limited to…
Doug received a call from the Special Effects Company VCE to created a Stop-motion puppet for the “Hercules” television movie produced by Pacific Renaissance Pictures. VCE employee Kevin O’Neill, encouraged Doug Beswick to learn a new animating technique called “CGI Animating”. Doug learned Lightwave 3D from fellow animator Don Waller while working for Kevin O’Neill on the first season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”. Not long after that, Kevin O’Neill and fellow animator Kevin Kutchaver, asked Doug to join them in starting their own Special Effects Company called Flat Earth Productions. Flat Earth became very successful and they were now handling effects for shows “Hercules: The Legendary Journey’s”, “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Young Hercules” for Pacific Renaissance and Universal / USA Television. Doug became 3D Animation Supervisor on the 2nd season of “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”, then VFX Supervisor for “Young Hercules” and “Xena: Warrior Princess” Season 5.
Doug’s work experience as 3d Animation supervisor and VFX Supervisor with Flat Earth Productions includes, but is not limited to…
Then in late September 2000, Doug opened the doors to his newest venture, Cantina Pictures SFX and Development Company. Doug is very optimistic about the future, and looking at his life, from box boy to now, he has every right to be! |
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