(written from a Production point of view)
William "Bill" Taylor (5 July 1944 – 22 August 2021; age 77) was a special and visual effects artist specialized in matte paintings. In 1983 he formed with Syd Dutton the effects company Illusion Arts, Inc., located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, which provided matte paintings to several Star Trek projects. The company was closed in 2009. As part of Illusion Arts, Inc., Taylor worked on several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise, and five Star Trek films.
During his time on Star Trek Taylor earned two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects:
- 1991 Emmy Award nomination for the episode "The Best of Both Worlds", shared with Gary Hutzel, Robert Legato, David Takemura, Michael Okuda, Don Greenberg, Erik Nash, Steve Price, Robert Stromberg, Syd Dutton, and Don Lee
- 1991 Emmy Award nomination for the episode "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", shared with Robert Legato, Gary Hutzel, David Takemura, Patrick Clancey, Steve Price, Michael Okuda, Erik Nash, Syd Dutton, and Don Lee
In 1985, Taylor won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for the television mini-series A.D., shared with Syd Dutton and Albert Whitlock. In 1976 he received the Golden Scroll for Best Special Effects from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for his work on the science fiction thriller Dark Star, shared with Douglas Knapp. In 1992 he received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Special Effects for his work on the horror film Frankenstein Unbound, shared with Syd Dutton. Prior to this, Taylor won a Technical Achievement Award at the 1982 Academy Awards for the concept and specifications for a Two Format, Rotating Head, Aerial Image Optical Printer. Since 2006, Taylor is a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Visual Effects Branch). [1]
Prior to the founding of Illusion Arts, Inc., Taylor worked as matte photographer on projects such as the drama The Hindenburg (1975), Airport '77 (1977), the comedy The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), The Blues Brothers (1980), Masada (1981), History of the World, Part I (1981), Cat People (1982), and The Thing (1982).
Together with Dutton and the staff of Illusion Arts, Inc., he worked as special visual effects supervisor, artist, and matte painter, photographer and camera operator on projects such as the drama The River (1984), Maxie (1985), Psycho III (1986), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Spaceballs (1987), The Running Man (1987), The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990), Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991), The Addams Family (1991), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), The Shadow (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Dragonheart (1996), The Mask of Zorro (1998), Psycho (1998), Muppets from Space (1999, with Wyatt Weed), U-571 (2000), The Gift (2000), From Hell (2001), The Fast and the Furious (2001), The Time Machine (2002), The Bourne Identity (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), The Village (2004), Serenity (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Miami Vice (2006), the final cut edition of the 1982 science fiction thriller Blade Runner (2007), and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).
Following the abandonment of his company, Taylor worked as visual effects supervisor on the action film Black Jacques (2011) and the crime drama The Wettest County in the World (2012, with Mark Stetson).
Star Trek work[]
(This list is currently incomplete.)
- Star Trek films
- Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – Yosemite National Park landscapes
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country – Camp Khitomer landscape
- Star Trek Generations
- Star Trek: First Contact – Picard/ Borg cube pull back reveal
- Star Trek Nemesis – Romulus surface and buildings
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- "Code of Honor" – Ligon II surface (Season 1)
- "Angel One" – Angel I surface
- "Home Soil" – Velara III surface
- "Unnatural Selection" – Darwin Genetic Research Station (Season 2)
- "Q Who" – Borg cube interior
- "The Ensigns of Command" – Tau Cygna V landscape (Season 3)
- "Sins of The Father" – Qo'noS surface
- "The Best of Both Worlds" – Matte Cameraperson
- "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" – Jouret IV surface (Season 4)
- "Family" – La Barre landscape
- "Devil's Due" – Ventax II surface
- "Redemption II" – Qo'noS surface (Season 5)
- "Unification I" – Romulus landscape
- "Unification II" – Romulus landscape
- "A Matter Of Time"
- "The Masterpiece Society" – Moab IV surface
- "Conundrum"
- "The First Duty" – Starfleet Academy
- "Starship Mine" – Arkaria Base (Season 6)
- "Descent" – Ohniaka III Research Station
- "Liaisons" – Moon landscape (Season 7)
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- "Emissary" – Bajor landscapes (Season 1)
- "Family Business" (Season 3)
- "Homefront" – Starfleet Headquarters (Season 4)
- "The Quickening"
- "Ferengi Love Songs" – Ferenginar landscape (Season 5)
- "Prodigal Daughter" – Sappora VII surface (Season 7)
- "The Changing Face of Evil" – destroyed San Francisco landscape/ Bajor landscape
- "What You Leave Behind" – Cardassia Prime surface/ Fire Caves exterior
- Star Trek: Voyager
- "Caretaker" – Ocampa underground city (Season 1)
- "Ex Post Facto" – Banea surface
- "Non Sequitur" – Starfleet Headquarters (Season 2)
- "Lifesigns" – Mars outpost landscape
- Star Trek: Enterprise
- "Broken Bow" – Qo'noS surface (Season 1)