Edwin Catmull facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edwin Catmull
Catmull in 2015
Born	Edwin Earl Catmull (1945-03-31) March 31, 1945 (age 80) Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Utah (B.S. Physics and Computer Science; Ph.D. Computer Science)
Known for	Texture mapping Catmull–Rom spline Catmull–Clark subdivision surface
Spouse(s)	Susan Anderson
Children	3
Awards	Academy Award (1993, 1996, 2001, 2008) IEEE John von Neumann Medal (2006) Computer History Museum Fellow (2013) ACM Turing Award (2019)
Scientific career
Fields	Computer science
Institutions	New York Institute of Technology Pixar Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios
Thesis	A Subdivision Algorithm for Computer Display of Curved Surfaces (1974)
Doctoral advisor	Robert E. Stephenson

Edwin Earl Catmull (born March 31, 1945) is an American computer scientist and animator. He helped start Pixar and was the President of Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is famous for his work in 3D computer graphics. He even won the ACM Turing Award in 2019, which is like the "Nobel Prize of computing."

Early Life and Big Dreams

Edwin Catmull was born on March 31, 1945, in Parkersburg, West Virginia. His family later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. As a young man, he served as a missionary in New York City.

When he was young, Edwin loved Disney movies like Peter Pan and Pinocchio. He dreamed of becoming an animator. But back then, there were no animation schools. Since he also liked math and physics, he decided to study science instead. He even made his own animations using flip-books.

In 1969, Catmull earned degrees in physics and computer science from the University of Utah. He met Ivan Sutherland, who created an early computer drawing program called Sketchpad. This inspired Catmull to focus on digital imaging.

Creating Computer Graphics

Edwin Catmull's main goal became making movies using advanced computer graphics. This was a brand new idea at the time. While at the university, he made important discoveries in computer graphics. He helped create texture mapping, which puts images onto 3D objects. He also developed algorithms (step-by-step instructions for computers) to make computer images look smoother. He also worked on subdivision surfaces, which help create complex shapes.

In 1972, Catmull made a short animated film of his own hand. It was called A Computer Animated Hand. He made it with Fred Parke at the University of Utah. This short film was later used in the 1976 movie Futureworld. This made Futureworld one of the first movies to use 3D computer graphics. A Computer Animated Hand was even chosen to be saved in the National Film Registry because it was so important.

Career Journey

Starting Out

In 1974, Edwin Catmull earned his doctorate in computer science. He then joined a company called Applicon. Later that year, he was asked to lead a new Computer Graphics Lab at the New York Institute of Technology. In 1977, he invented "Tween" software. This program helped 2D animators by automatically creating the in-between frames of motion.

Catmull and his partner, Alvy Ray Smith, wanted to make a full movie using computers. But they needed help telling stories. They eventually got the attention of filmmaker George Lucas.

Working with George Lucas

In 1979, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, asked Catmull to join his company, Lucasfilm. Lucas wanted Catmull to lead a team that would bring computer graphics, video editing, and digital sound into movies. Catmull became a Vice President at Industrial Light & Magic, which was Lucasfilm's computer graphics division.

Building Pixar and Disney Animation

In 1986, Steve Jobs bought Lucasfilm's digital division. This new company became Pixar. Edwin Catmull became a key leader there. Pixar later joined Disney in 2006.

In 2007, Catmull and John Lasseter were put in charge of Disneytoon Studios. They oversaw three different animation studios for Disney: Pixar, Disney Animation, and Disneytoon. Catmull and Lasseter worked hard, traveling between the studios to guide their teams.

Catmull announced his retirement from Pixar and Disney Animation in October 2018. He stayed on as an adviser until July 2019.

New Adventures

In March 2022, a company called Thatgamecompany announced that Catmull would join them. He would be an adviser on creative culture and growth.

Personal Life

As of 2006, Edwin Catmull lives in Marin County, California. He lives there with his wife, Susan Anderson, and their three children.

Catmull has a unique condition called aphantasia. This means he cannot form mental images in his head.

Awards and Honors

Edwin Catmull has received many awards for his amazing work.

• In 1993, he won his first Academy Scientific and Technical Award. This award is given by the Academy that also gives out the Oscars. He won it for developing the PhotoRealistic RenderMan software. This software helps create images for movies from 3D computer models.
• In 1996, he won another Academy Scientific and Technical Award for his work in "Digital Image Compositing." This is about combining different images together.
• In 2001, he received an Oscar for his big improvements in movie rendering, especially with Pixar's RenderMan.
• In 2006, he was given the IEEE John von Neumann Medal. This was for his pioneering work in computer graphics, including modeling, animation, and rendering.
• In 2009, he received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award. This award honors someone in the movie industry whose technology contributions have greatly helped the industry.
• In 2013, the Computer History Museum named him a Museum Fellow. This was for his groundbreaking work in computer graphics, animation, and filmmaking.
• In 2019, Catmull shared the Turing Award with Pat Hanrahan. They won for their pioneering work on computer-generated imagery, which changed how movies are made.

His book Creativity, Inc. was also recognized as an important business book.

Filmography

Films