Full Sail University

2019 Holiday Blockbusters: Dozens of Full Sail Grads Credited

Grads from the Film, Computer Animation, Creative Writing, and Recording Arts degree programs created the immersive worlds in 2019's holiday blockbusters.

2019 Holiday Blockbusters: Dozens of Full Sail Grads Credited - Hero image

Tech-heavy tales on the big and small screens ushered in the end of the 2010s. Streaming hits like The Irishman and The Mandalorian wowed audiences with groundbreaking special effects, Jumanji: The Next Level and Frozen II were welcome sequels, and the curtain fell on the Skywalker storyline with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Dozens of Full Sail grads from a number of degree programs worked in a wide range of roles to help bring these cinematic stories to life.

Streaming Hits

Netflix's The Irishman told a mob story that spanned four decades with the same cast — and some of Full Sail's grads helped turn back the clock. The film hopped over the uncanny valley with new de-aging visual effects designed by Lucasfilms' Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). The light and texture capture software de-aged Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci without requiring the bulky "golf ball masks" typically used for motion capture. Computer Animation grad Jose Gloria was part of the team at ILM that worked on facial capture for the film. Of course, Martin Scorsese's films are iconic for their intricate and period-specific set design, and Film grad Miccah Underwood was part of the team that influenced The Irishman's moody vibe as the Art Department Coordinator for Set Decoration.

Disney+ hit a home run with their addictive space adventure The Mandalorian. Full Sail grads worked hard on set and in the studio to make this galaxy a reality. Recording Arts grads recorded and mixed the musical score, and Malcolm Thomas-Gustave (2005 Computer Animation graduate) worked as a Creature Supervisor (yes, those are the people in charge of Baby Yoda). Other Film graduates worked as set lighting techs, production secretaries, and dailies operators.

Sequels & Sagas

Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Sven returned to the silver screen in Frozen II. A number of Computer Animation grads helped create the film's stormy seas and the characters' delicate movements. Busy streets with lots of background characters became realistic with help from Jack Geckler (2000 Computer Animation graduate), one of the film's Crowds Artists. Look Development Artist Chelsea Lavertu (2010 Computer Animation graduate) was part of the Frozen II team that helped design the movie's overall look and feel. Other Computer Animation grads worked as Tech Animators and helped build your favorite familiar characters from the ground up.

Box-office hit Jumanji: The Next Level brought audiences back into the jungle for another round of their favorite game. More than 10 graduates represented Full Sail on this flick. Grads recorded the movie's thundering score, worked as lighting console programmers, behind-the-scenes cinematographers, and production assistants. Beverly Nuako (2011 Creative Writing graduate and Entertainment Business graduate) worked as producer Matt Tolmach's Assistant.

A chapter of the Star Wars saga closed with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Multiple grads worked on this highly anticipated film and brought a galaxy far, far away to the silver screen. Computer Animation graduates fleshed out the Star Wars universe in notable positions like senior animator, senior texture painter, and senior creature developer. Jeff King (2012 Recording Arts graduate) helped blend the movie's music, dialogue, and sound effects together as an Assistant Re-Recording Mixer.