Jeff Olson obit

Jeff Olson Dies: VFX Producer On ‘Star Wars: Phantom Menace,’ ‘Roger Rabbit,’ ‘Star Trek’ Pics & More Was 77

 He was not on the list.

Jeff Olson, a veteran visual effects producer and modelmaker who spent a quarter-century at Industrial Light and Magic and worked on projects including Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace, Star Trek films and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, died June 21. He was 77.

ILM confirmed his passing in an Instagram post, writing in part: “His career spanned momentous change in the art form and industry, and no matter the techniques employed on a given show, Jeff was always committed to the team, leading his crews with humor and kindness.”

Olson joined Industrial Light + Magic in 1985 and worked as a modelmaker on such films as Willow, Howard the Duck, Ghostbusters II, Back to the Future III, Die Hard 2 and Robert Zemeckis’ pioneering live-action/animation hybrid Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He was a model supervisor on Ron Howard’s 1991 firefighter drama Backdraft and in similar roles on Star Trek: Generations (1994) and Congo (1995).

His first credit as VFX producer came on the 1996 sequel Star Trek: First Contact, and he would have that title on more than a dozen ILM films including George Lucas’ 1999 blockbuster Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (he also had an unbilled cameo as a pod race spectator in the pic), Lawrence Kasdan’s Dreamcatcher (2003), Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Brad Silberling’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Wolfgang Petersen’s Poseidon (2006), Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour 3 and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009).

Olson also worked as a VFX producer on M. Night Shayamalan’s Signs (2002) and was a stage producer on Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), among other projects..

After leaving ILM in 2009, Olson joined Polygon Entertainment as a VFX producer, working on films including Tidal Wave (2009) and Priest (2011) and on commercials. His final big-screen credit was as visual effects manager on Michael Bay’s juggernaut Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). That film joined Phantom Menace in the exclusive clubs of films that grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Olson is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and their two children.

 

Visual Effects

Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

6.2

stereo visual effects manager: Legend3D

2011

 

Paul Bettany in Priest (2011)

Priest

5.7

visual effects producer

2011

 

Ha Ji-Won, Park Joong-hoon, Sul Kyung-gu, and Uhm Junghwa in Tidal Wave (2009)

Tidal Wave

5.5

visual effects producer

2009

 

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek

7.9

visual effects producer: ILM

2009

 

Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)

The Happening

5.0

visual effects producer: ILM

2008

 

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3 (2007)

Rush Hour 3

6.3

visual effects producer: ILM

2007

 

Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

7.2

stage producer: ILM

2007

 

Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Robert Carlyle, Rachel Weisz, Sienna Guillory, and Ed Speleers in Eragon (2006)

Eragon

5.1

visual effects producer: ILM

2006

 

Poseidon (2006)

Poseidon

5.7

visual effects producer: ILM

2006

 

Lindsay Lohan and Herbie in Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)

Herbie: Fully Loaded

5.0

visual effects producer: ILM

2005

 

Ice Cube, Aleisha Allen, and Philip Bolden in Are We There Yet? (2005)

Are We There Yet?

4.8

visual effects producer: ILM

2005

 

Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Emily Browning, Shelby Hoffman, and Kara Hoffman in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

A Series of Unfortunate Events

6.8

visual effects producer: ILM

2004

 

Eros (2004)

Eros

5.9

visual effects producer: Industrial Light & Magic (segment "The Dangerous Thread of Things")

2004

 

Russell Crowe in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

7.5

visual effects producer: ILM

2003

 

Susan Charest in Dreamcatcher (2003)

Dreamcatcher

5.6

visual effects producer: ILM

2003

 

Signs (2002)

Signs

6.8

visual effects producer

2002

 

Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, and Mekhi Phifer in Impostor (2001)

Impostor

6.2

visual effects producer: ILM

2001

 

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic (1999)

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

7.2

TV Movie

visual effects producer

1999

 

George Lucas, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels, Liam Neeson, John Williams, Jake Lloyd, Kenny Baker, Ahmed Best, Keira Knightley, Ray Park, and Peter Serafinowicz in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

6.5

visual effects producer: ILM

1999

 

Alice Krige, Brent Spiner, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Star Trek: First Contact

7.6

visual effects producer

1996

 

Congo (1995)

Congo

5.3

model department manger: ILM

1995

 

William Shatner and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Star Trek: Generations

6.6

model department supervisor: ILM

1994

 

Backdraft (1991)

Backdraft

6.7

model supervisor: ILM

1991

 

Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2 (1990)

Die Hard 2

7.2

supervising model maker: ILM

1990

 

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Mary Steenburgen in Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Back to the Future Part III

7.5

model maker

1990

 

Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman, and Holly Hunter in Always (1989)

Always

6.4

visual effects key sets (as Jeffrey Olson)

1989

 

Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters II (1989)

Ghostbusters II

6.6

chief model maker: ILM

1989

 

Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Dyan Cannon, Randy Quaid, Jonathan Silverman, Jessica Lundy, Jackie Mason, Dina Merrill, Robert Stack, and Marsha Warfield in Caddyshack II (1988)

Caddyshack II

3.8

model maker: ILM

1988

 

Frank Sinatra, Christopher Lloyd, Kathleen Turner, Joanna Cassidy, Bob Hoskins, Jim Cummings, and Charles Fleischer in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

7.7

model maker

1988

 

Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Billy Barty, Warwick Davis, Kevin Pollak, Kate Greenfield, Ruth Greenfield, Jean Marsh, Rick Overton, and Pat Roach in Willow (1988)

Willow

7.2

chief model maker: ILM

1988

 

Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn in *batteries not included (1987)

*batteries not included

6.6

model maker

1987

 

Howard the Duck (1986)

Howard the Duck

4.8

model maker: ILM visual effects unit (as Jeffrey Olsen)

1986

 

Henry Thomas and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

7.9

sequence producer: ILM (2002 special edition)

1982

 

Actor

George Lucas, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels, Liam Neeson, John Williams, Jake Lloyd, Kenny Baker, Ahmed Best, Keira Knightley, Ray Park, and Peter Serafinowicz in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

6.5

Pod Race Spectator in Jabba's Private Box (uncredited)

1999

 

Producer

Activated

Short

executive producer

2005

 

Thanks

Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894)

Dickson Experimental Sound Film

6.7

Short

special thanks: restored version

1894

 

Self

The Beginning: Making 'Episode I' (2001)

The Beginning: Making 'Episode I'

7.7

Video

Self

2001

 

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic (1999)

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

7.2

TV Movie

Self

1999

 

Archive Footage

George Lucas in Light & Magic (2022)

Light & Magic

8.7

TV Mini Series

Self - Visual Effects Producer (archive footage)

2025

1 episode