Kerner Optical
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Visual effects, Film Production |
Founded | August 2009 |
Headquarters | Kerner Blvd, San Rafael, California, United States |
Key people | Mark Andersen |
Parent | Kerner Group |
Website | [1] |
Kerner Studios (Kerner) is a motion picture visual effects company, motion picture studio and pioneer in 3D technologies including the Kernercam 3D Rigs and a variety of 3D consumer products. Kerner is based in San Rafael and was previously part of Industrial Light & Magic.
History
The Kerner legacy started when George Lucas discovered that 20th Century Fox had closed down their special effects department after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was green lit for production. Lucas, then started his own special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic
Kerner, like Pixar, is a spin-off of Industrial Light & Magic. When George Lucas moved the computer graphics team to The Presidio in 2006 he five physical effects divisions of ILM in a management-led buyout that resulted in the creation of Kerner Optical. Kerner still operates in the same property, in San Rafael, that they have operated from for over 30 years.
In the three years since leaving the LucasFilm family, Kerner has continued to provide outstanding practical special effects to major blockbuster films.
Kerner has also continued several years of significant reseach and development in the areas of 3D camera rigs and consumer products.
Historical Note: The Kerner Name
Before the Kerner Spin off, ILM, rather than hide behind barbed wire and high fences, operated from an inconspicuous property in San Rafael, California. The company hid in plain sight and was known to locals as the Kerner Optical Company.
Milestones
As ILM
- 1976: Resurrected the use of VistaVision; first use of a motion control camera (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope)
- 1981: Richard Edlund developed the Empire Camera, so named by Gary Kurtz because of its first use in (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)
Selected filmography (as ILM)
Selected filmography (as Kerner Optical)
2006 | |
2007 |
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End |
2008 |
Iron Man |
Recent films
Kerner worked on Transformers II providing practical effects for memorable elements including the air craft carrier crash, bridge destruction and building collapse sequences.
Kerner worked on Terminator Salvation providing practical effects and pyrotechnics including building collapse, plane explosions, the climatic Serena's Tower explosion and a number of super realistic nuclear explosion and mushroom cloud sequences.
Kerner has also recently worked on the recent STAR TREK movie and the soon to be release Ashtun Kutcher film, 5 Killers.
Trivia
Adam Savage, Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci of Mythbusters fame have all worked at Industrial Light & Magic at Kerner's facility in San Rafael.
Kerner's 'creature shop' also manufactures extremely life-like servo-controlled dummies with simulated injuries used for training military medics.