Nancy Bernstein obit

Nancy Bernstein, Visual Effects Veteran, Dies at 55

The Digital Domain and DreamWorks Animation exec worked on 'X-Men' and 'Fellowship of the Ring' and produced 'Rise of the Guardians.'

 She was not on the list.

Nancy Bernstein, a visual effects producer on X-Men and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring who headed production at DreamWorks Animation and produced the company’s Rise of the Guardians, has died. She was 55.

Bernstein, who also spent several years leading effects production at Digital Domain, died Friday, DreamWorks Animation confirmed. In December 2011, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastasized colorectal cancer.

“One of our most beloved and respected producers and executives, Nancy spent 10 years at DWA, where she excelled as head of production, feature film producer and, most recently, overseeing all new business productions for DWA’s global initiatives,” the company said in a statement.

“Nancy’s unwavering professional tenacity translated to her efforts in searching for a cure for colorectal cancer through her organization, Call to Cure. Our deepest sympathies go out to Nancy’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”

In addition to Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000) and Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Bernstein was in charge of the effects on such VFX-laden fare as Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) and Roland Emmerich’s The Day After Tomorrow (2004).

She regularly collaborated with Ron Howard, working with the director on Edtv (1999), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), the Oscar-winning best picture A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Missing (2003) and Cinderella Man (2005).

Bernstein oversaw physical production at DreamWorks Animation’s Glendale, California, campus starting in December 2005. She helped the company translate the Shrek films to 3D, then segued to producing the 2012 animated family adventure film Rise of the Guardians.

She had spent 10 years at New York-based R/GA Digital Studios and earned her first visual effects credit on Woody Allen’s segment of the 1989 anthology film New York Stories.

Bernstein later worked on such films as In the Line of Fire (1993), Lake Placid (1999), the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky (2001), Daredevil (2003) and Peter Pan (2003).

At Digital Domain, she led effects production on the Academy Award visual effects-winning What Dreams May Come (1998) and the Oscar-nominated I, Robot (2004).

Survivors include her wife Cheryl and daughter Ruby.

 

Visual Effects

Charlize Theron in Æon Flux (2005)

Æon Flux

5.4

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2005

 

Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, and Josh Lucas in Stealth (2005)

Stealth

5.1

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2005

 

Jennifer Connelly in Dark Water (2005)

Dark Water

5.6

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2005

 

Cinderella Man (2005)

Cinderella Man

8.0

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2005

 

Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, and Tyrese Gibson in Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

Flight of the Phoenix

6.1

executive producer: Digital Domain

2004

 

Will Smith in I, Robot (2004)

I, Robot

7.1

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2004

 

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

The Day After Tomorrow

6.5

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2004

 

Jason Isaacs, Don Battee, Brian Carbee, Septimus Caton, Alan Cinis, Frank Gallacher, Phil Meacham, Darren Andrew Mitchell, Ludivine Sagnier, Bruce Spence, Jeremy Sumpter, Jacob Tomuri, Frank Whitten, Dan Wyllie, Harry Eden, Mick Roughan, George MacKay, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Harry Newell, Freddie Popplewell, Rupert Simonian, Theodore Chester, Lachlan Gooch, Patrick Gooch, and Venant Wong in Peter Pan (2003)

Peter Pan

6.8

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2003

 

Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, and Jenna Boyd in The Missing (2003)

The Missing

6.5

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2003

 

Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, and Haley Joel Osment in Secondhand Lions (2003)

Secondhand Lions

7.5

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2003

 

Ben Affleck, Michael Clarke Duncan, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell in Daredevil (2003)

Daredevil

5.3

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2003

 

Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, and Tom Hardy in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek: Nemesis

6.4

visual effects executive producer

2002

 

xXx (2002)

xXx

5.9

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2002

 

Guy Pearce and Samantha Mumba in The Time Machine (2002)

The Time Machine

6.0

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2002

 

Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers (2002)

We Were Soldiers

7.2

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2002

 

Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind

8.2

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2001

 

Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

8.9

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2001

 

Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky (2001)

Vanilla Sky

6.9

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2001

 

Stormrider

5.5

visual effects executive producer

2001

 

Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

6.4

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2000

 

Promo One Sheet

Red Planet

5.7

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2000

 

Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, and Hugh Jackman in X-Men (2000)

X-Men

7.3

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2000

 

George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

7.7

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain

2000

 

Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones in Rules of Engagement (2000)

Rules of Engagement

6.4

visual effects producer: Digital Domain

2000

 

Supernova (2000)

Supernova

4.9

executive in charge of visual effects production: Digital Domain

2000

 

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club

8.8

visual effects executive producer

1999

 

Bridget Fonda in Lake Placid (1999)

Lake Placid

5.8

visual effects production executive: Digital Domain

1999

 

Matthew McConaughey in Edtv (1999)

Edtv

6.1

executive in charge: Digital Domain

1999

 

Robin Williams in What Dreams May Come (1998)

What Dreams May Come

7.0

executive in charge of visual effects production: Digital Domain

1998

 

Liv Tyler, Bruce Willis, and Ben Affleck in Armageddon (1998)

Armageddon

6.7

visual effects executive producer: Digital Domain (uncredited)

1998

 

Richard Gere and Mark Knapton in Red Corner (1997)

Red Corner

6.3

executive in charge of visual effects production: Digital Domain

1997

 

Clint Eastwood in In the Line of Fire (1993)

In the Line of Fire

7.2

visual effects producer: R / Greenberg Associates West

1993

 

Anthony Quinn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Dance, Tom Noonan, Austin O'Brien, and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras in Last Action Hero (1993)

Last Action Hero

6.5

visual effects producer: R / Greenberg Associates West, Inc., New York

1993

 

Predator 2 (1990)

Predator 2

6.3

visual effects producer: R / Greenberg Associates Inc.

1990

 

Fred Savage and Howie Mandel in Little Monsters (1989)

Little Monsters

6.1

project producer: R / Greenberg

1989

 

New York Stories (1989)

New York Stories

6.4

special visual effects (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")

1989

 

Additional Crew

Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Conrad Vernon, and Miles Bakshi in Shrek the Halls (2007)

Shrek the Halls

6.4

TV Short

head of global production: DreamWorks Animation Studio (uncredited)

2007

 

Jerry Seinfeld in Bee Movie (2007)

Bee Movie

6.1

head of global production: DreamWorks Animation

2007

 

Antonio Banderas, Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Conrad Vernon in Shrek the Third (2007)

Shrek the Third

6.1

head of production: DreamWorks Animation Studio

2007

 

Actress

Erin Gray, Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins, and Franklyn Seales in Silver Spoons (1982)

Silver Spoons

6.2

TV Series

Woman #1

1983

1 episode

 

Producer

Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, and Chris Pine in Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Rise of the Guardians

7.2

produced by (p.g.a.)

2012

 

Thanks

Kate Hudson, Jack Black, and Bryan Cranston in Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Kung Fu Panda 3

7.1

in memory of

2016

 

Self

ROTG: Creating an Epic

Video

Self

2013

 

Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition (2006)

Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition

6.6

TV Series

Self

2012–2013

2 episodes

 

Harnessing Speed: The Making of 'Stealth'

5.1

Video

Self

2005

 

The Art of Illusion (1990)

The Art of Illusion

6.5

Video

Self

1990