John Knoll

Born: 1962-10-06

John Knoll (born October 6, 1962) is an American visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer (CCO) at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). One of the original creators of Adobe Photoshop (along with his brother, Thomas Knoll), he has also worked as visual effects supervisor on the Star Wars prequels and the 1997 special editions of the original trilogy. He also served as ILM's visual effects supervisor for Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, as well as the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Along with Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall, Knoll and the trio's work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest earned them the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Knoll has been praised by directors James Cameron, Gore Verbinski, Guillermo del Toro, and Brad Bird. Del Toro, who worked with Knoll for the first time on Pacific Rim, stated "He basically has the heart of a kid and the mind of a scientist, and that's a great combination." Knoll is also the inventor of Knoll Light Factory, a lens flare generating software inspired by his work at Industrial Light and Magic.


Don't See
Placeholder

as Passenger on Train in Tunnel (uncredited)
Released: 1996-05-22

When Ethan Hunt, the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry...

Movie page
See!
as Lt. Rya Kirsch - Bravo 4 / Flag Bearer (uncredited)
Released: 1999-05-19

Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the...

Movie page
Don't See
as Fire Ship Pilot (uncredited)
Released: 2005-05-17

The evil Darth Sidious enacts his final plan for unlimited power -- and the heroic Jedi Anakin...

Movie page
Don't See

The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

as Himself
Released: 2017-04-04

The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

Movie page

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible

as Self
Released: 2010-11-12

Leslie Iwerks' documentary takes audiences behind the scenes at ILM with in depth interviews...

Movie page

From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in 'Episode II'

as Self
Released: 2002-11-12

For Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), there were to be many more visual...

Movie page

The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim

as Self
Released: 2013-10-15

Set the large tasks of putting life into the 2D artistic renderings Gillaume created. See how...

Movie page

Star Wars: Within a Minute - The Making of Episode III

as Self
Released: 2005-11-01

This documentary offers a glimpse into all the people, departments, and work that went into...

Movie page

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic

as Self
Released: 1999-06-15

The incredible evolution of George Lucas' special effects dream factory, including an inside...

Movie page

A Final Cut for Orson: 40 Years in the Making

as Self - Visual Effects Supervisor
Released: 2018-09-01

A glimpse behind the scenes into the complicated process of recovering and completing Orson...

Movie page

An Epic At Sea: The Making of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

as Self
Released: 2003-12-02

Behind the scenes documentary of the making of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black...

Movie page

No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects

as uncredited
Released: 2003-06-03

A look at the digital effects in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Movie page

Star Wars : La Révolution Visuelle

as uncredited
Released: 2020-05-04

Movie page

Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

as Self - ILM Visual Effects Supervisor
First aired: 2020-05-04

Executive producer Jon Favreau invites the cast and crew of The Mandalorian to share an...

TV Show page

Disney Gallery / Star Wars: The Mandalorian

as Self
First aired: 2020-05-04

Executive producer Jon Favreau invites the cast and crew of The Mandalorian to share an...

TV Show page