| Existing comment:
PETER ELLENSHAW and HARRISON ELLENSHAW have been called the first family of movie special effects. Peter is a pioneer in special effects, having started in his native England as an apprentice to master movie illusionist, matte artist Percy "Pop" Day. After painting magnificent mattes for Walt Disney's first all-live action film, Treasure Island (1950), and the other Disney live-action films filmed in England, Peter moved to California to work in Disney special effects full time. He contributed his movie magic to many Disney films, including Mary Poppins (1964), for which Peter won an Academy Award® for Special Visual Effects. His son, Harrison Ellenshaw, is a special effects artist in his own right. Harrison started as a Disney matte artist and went on to such films as Star Wars (1977) and Disney's Tron (1982). Harrison was part of the team that was awarded a Special Achievement Academy Award® for Visual Effects for The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Peter Ellenshaw was named a Disney Legend in 1993. |