Dean Lyon, a Pioneer in computer graphics and visual effect for the television and feature film industry, shared his knowledge and experiences to Alfred State Digital Media and Animation students during a recent visit to campus.
Visual effect Pioneer Dean Lyon speaks with DMA students - video
Lyon’s career has included roles as Creative Director, VFX Supervisor, Animation Supervisor, and Producer, working in diverse areas as feature films, television, commercials, interactive TV, computer games, virtual reality, and stereoscopic 3D.
He has contributed to hundreds of international television commercials and over 50 feature films including ‘Armageddon’, ‘Independence Day’, ‘Air Force One’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
Lyon shared his journey in the business that started when he moved to Hollywood before the industry had computers. “I was right at the forefront of integrating computer technology and computer graphics into motion picture making. I'm still on the cutting edge because I am involved in AI. At Alfred State, we just started teaching the DaVinci Resolve program. It’s quite a versatile tool, and I consider it the main application that students should learn.”
In addition to sharing his journey in the field, Lyon jumped into a variety of classrooms to introduce them to the product. “I was primarily in these classes today getting the Resolve installation up and running and then also showing some basic tools to start color grading.”
Lyon started in the industry as a Product Manager for ColorGraphics Systems Inc. in 1986. He headed to New Zealand and led the startup Oktober which became a world-class award-winning creative and talent-centric visual effects and animation company that gained global recognition servicing ad agencies, film production companies, and studios. He has founded studios (Studio of the Future, Splinter Studios), served as a consultant, and is currently teaching at Syracuse University.
Dean has been an active member of both SMPTE and SIGGRAPH since 1984. He was elected to the Visual Effects Society in recognition of his VFX Supervisor roles on “Without a Paddle,” “Spooked”, “Bogeyman” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Lyon continued, “One reason for giving back is that we need to continue to grow the industry with new talent. I also get to learn from young people as I teach them.”