Biography .
After graduating high school Pangrazio worked as scenic artist for a
television network[which?], which was a euphemistic term for “bucket
boy”, as he was charged with cleaning paint buckets, dirty brushes and
other menial tasks. He subsequently performed these tasks for a small
Hollywood effects studio, before he met Joe Johnston of Industrial
Light & Magic. It was through him that he was hired in 1978 at ILM.
Lacking any experience, Ralph McQuarrie, who taught him the craft of
matte painting, learning the trade in about three years. he worked at
ILM fropm 1978 to 85
After leaving ILM, Pangrazio co-founded Matte World Digital with Craig
Barron in 1988. Barron and Pangrazio continued to work with the crew
at ILM on notable matte-painting scenes in several classic feature
films.
In 2004 Pangrazio returned to the film industry and joined the world’s
number one visual effects studio Weta Digital in New Zealand as Art
Director.
Michael Pangrazio working on a painting for “Willow”.
Mike giving the last touches to a painting made for “The young
Sherlock Holmes”.
Michael Pangrazio joined ILM to start working at Empire Strikes Back
mattes.
Filmography:
- Man of steel(2013) (digital effects crew: Weta Digital)
- The Hobbit: An unexpected journey(2012) (senior art director: WETA
Digital)
- Prometheus (2012)(production/data resource department: Weta
Digital)
- The Warrior’s Way(2010) (visual effects art director: Weta Digital)
- The Lovely Bones (2009)(visual effects art director: Weta Digital)
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)(art director, visual effects:
Weta Digital)
- The Water Horse (2007) (matte painting supervisor: Weta Digital)
- 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) (visual effects art director:
Weta Digital)
- Bridge to Terabithia (2007) (visual effects art director: Weta
Digital)
- Eragon (2006) (visual effects art director: Weta Digital)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) (digital effects artist: Weta Digital)
- King Kong (2005) (art director: Weta Digital)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) (matte painter: The
Orphanage) (uncredited)
- Sin City (2005) (matte painter: The Orphanage) (as Mike Pangrazio)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) (matte painter: The
Orphanage) (as Mike Pangrazio)
- Catwoman (2004) (matte painter: ESC Entertainment)
- Shadow, The (1994) (special visual effects supervisor)
- Clear and Present Danger (1994) (matte artist supervisor)
- City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994) (matte artist
supervisor: Matte World)
- Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) (matte artist supervisor)
- Hocus Pocus (1993) (special visual effects supervisor)
- Far Off Place, A (1993) (special visual effects supervisor)
- Ghost in the Machine (1993) (visual effects supervisor of matte
painting)
- Malice (1993) (matte artist supervisor)
- Demolition Man (1993) (matte artist)
- A Far Off Place (1993) (special visual effects supervisor)
- Sommersby (1993) (matte artist supervisor) (uncredited)
- Dracula (1992) (matte artist supervisor: Matte World)
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (matte painting supervisor)
- Batman Returns (1992) (visual effects supervisor: Matte World)
- Far and Away (1992) (matte artist supervisor)
- Captain Ron (1992) (special visual effects)
- Leaving Normal (1992) (matte artist supervisor)
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) (matte artist
supervisor: Matte World)
- All I Want for Christmas (1991) (matte artist supervisor)
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) (matte artist supervisor)
- Flight of the Intruder (1991) (matte artist supervisor)
- Avalon (1990) (matte artist supervisor)
- Darkman (1990) (matte artist supervisor)
- Arachnophobia (1990) (matte artist supervisor)
- RoboCop 2 (1990) (matte artist supervisor) (uncredited)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (matte artist supervisor)
- By Dawn’s Early Light (1990) (TV) (special visual effects
supervisor)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) (matte artist supervisor)
- Prancer (1989) (matte artist supervisor: Matte World)
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (matte artist supervisor)
(uncredited)
- Willow (1988) (matte artist)
- Harry and the Hendersons (1987) (matte artist) (uncredited)
- Empire of the Sun (1987) (additional optical effects)
- Labyrinth (1986) (matte artist supervisor: ILM) (uncredited)
- The golden boy (1986)(matte art)
- Enemy Mine (1985) (matte artist supervisor)
- Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) (matte artist supervisor)
- The Goonies (1985) (matte artist supervisor) (uncredited)
- Explorers (1985) (matte painting supervisor)
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) (matte painting
supervisor)
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) (matte painting
supervisor)
- The NeverEnding Story(1984) (matte painting supervisor)
- Starman (1984) (matte painting supervisor)
- Return of the Jedi (1983) (matte painting supervisor)
- The Dark Crystal (1982) (matte paintings)
- Poltergeist (1982) (matte painting supervisor: ILM)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) (visual effects matte painting
supervisor)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) (matte artist)
- Dragonslayer (1981) (matte artist)
- Empire Strikes Back, The (1980) (matte artist)