After director James Cameron made a name for himself with Terminator and Aliens, he was given the rare position in Hollywood of being allowed to do whatever he wanted, spending whatever budget he thought was necessary. That would eventually lead to Titanic and Avatar, but the seeds for both were planted in The Abyss, Cameron’s 1989 flick about deep sea diving that at the time was one of the most ambitious films made.
My newest interview subject, John Bruno, is an accomplished visual effects artist. He’s helped to create some of the most memorable images of the last few decades of blockbuster cinema in projects ranging from Ghostbusters and the first two Poltergeist films to Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Batman Returns to Avatar and the Twilight films. He’s even won an Oscar, taking home the Best Visual Effects Oscar for The Abyss. I spoke to John Bruno recently about his long and diverse career, and we put this together over the course of two phone calls. I hope you all enjoy getting to know this amazing talent.