Robert Zemeckis | |
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![]() Zemeckis in 2015 | |
Born | Robert Lee Zemeckis May 14, 1952 |
Other names | Bob Zemeckis[1][2] |
Alma mater | University of Southern California (BFA) |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1972–present |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses |
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Children | 4 |
Awards | Accolades |
Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952)[3] is an American filmmaker. He first came to public attention as the director of the action-adventure romantic comedy Romancing the Stone (1984), the science-fiction comedy Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990), and the live-action/animated comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). He subsequently directed the satirical black comedy Death Becomes Her (1992) and then diversified into more dramatic fare, including the Best Picture winning film, Forrest Gump (1994),[4] for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director.
Zemeckis is regarded as an innovator in visual effects.[5][6] His exploration of state-of-the-art special effects includes the early use of computer graphics inserted into live-action footage in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Forrest Gump, the insertion of hand-drawn animation into live-action footage in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the performance capture techniques seen in The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007), A Christmas Carol (2009), and Welcome to Marwen (2018). He is known for his collaboration with composer Alan Silvestri, with whom he has worked since Romancing the Stone. David Thomson, a prominent film critic, wrote that "no other contemporary director has used special effects to more dramatic and narrative purpose."[7]
'The skateboard associations and the BMX associations should be giving Bob Zemeckis, myself and Steven Spielberg lifetime achievement awards,' joked 'Back to the Future' screenwriter Bob Gale in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the competitions.