About the Filmmakers
Peter Hyams
Director/cinematographer PETER HYAMS is well known for his visually innovative films, which include "Outland," "Capricorn One," and "2010," on which he served not only as director and cinematographer, but also as the film's writer and producer. His other film credits include "Running Scared," "The Presidio," "Hanover Street," "Time Cop," and the current Van Damme action-thriller "Sudden Death."
Born in New York City, Hyams is the grandson of famed theatrical impresario Sol Hurok. His father, Barry Hyams, was a successful Broadway press agent for over 30 years.
Hyams majored in music and art at Hunter College and Syracuse University and became an artist and noted jazz drummer. He performed with such noted musicians as Bill Evans and Maynard Ferguson.
Upon graduation from college, Hyams joined CBS-TV and was promoted to anchorman shortly before his 21st birthday which led to working in Vietnam where he filmed a documentary on the conflict.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1970, Hyams sold his screenplay, "T.R. Baskin," and produced the movie. He moved over to television and wrote "Goodnight My Love," which he also directed, and then directed "The Rolling Man."
He scripted the film "Our Time," then made his feature directing debut on "Busting."
Gale Anne Hurd
Producer GALE ANNE HURD is one of a handful of women who have blazed a trail for other women in the industry with her work on such influential and innovative hits as "Aliens," "The Terminator," "The Abyss," "Alien Nation" and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." She has consistently produced films that are both box-office and critical successes.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Hurd began her career at Roger Corman's New World Pictures. Starting as executive assistant to Corman, who is famous for fostering the careers of some of America's finest filmmakers, Hurd subsequently served as director of advertising and publicity for the company. From there, she moved into production where she quickly achieved co-producer status alongside Corman himself, on "Smokey Bites the Dust."
In 1982, Hurd formed her own company, Pacific Western Productions, which made its debut with " The Terminator."
Additional credits include Richard Benjamin's "Downtown," "Cast a Deadly Spell" and "Witch Hunt" for HBO, "Raising Cain," which was chosen as the Opening Night Film at the Venice Film Festival and "No Escape."
Expanding her production horizons, Hurd formed No Frills Film, a production and development company specializing in low and moderately budgeted features. Under that banner she has produced "Bad Dreams," the award-winning "The Waterdance," and the cult classic "Tremors."
Hurd recently produced the family drama "Safe Passage" starring Susan Sarandon and her latest film for HBO is the ratings hit "Sugartime" starring John Turturro and Mary-Louise Parker.
Sam Mercer
Producer SAM MERCER made his motion picture producing debut recently with the box-office hit "Congo." He made the move after a distinguished career as a studio production executive. Mercer served as vice president of motion picture production for Hollywood Pictures from 1989-1994 after joining Walt Disney Pictures in 1986 as a production executive, supervising such films as "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Three Fugitives," "Cheetah" and "Dead Poet's Society."
Mercer began his career as an associate producer and unit production manager at KCET-TV in Los Angeles, receiving an Emmy for a live presentation of the San Francisco Opera's production of "La Giocanda." He then became a location manager on such films as "The Witches of Eastwick," "Peggy Sue Got Married," "Stripes," "Swing Shift" and "The Escape Artist."
Born in Weston, Massachusetts, he graduated from The Groton School and Occidental College.
Amy Holden Jones
Screenwriter AMY HOLDEN JONES wrote "Indecent Proposal" and the remake of "The Getaway." She made her feature directorial debut with "Slumber Party Massacre," wrote and directed "Love Letters" and co-wrote and directed "Maid to Order."
John Raffo
Screenwriter JOHN RAFFO's credits include "First Contact," "Pincushion," "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," "Big and Mean," "Daybreaker" and "Warrior."
Screenwriters RICK JAFFA and AMANDA SILVER wrote "Eye for an Eye" together. Amanda Silver was the sole writer on The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," which was executive produced by Rick Jaffa. She also had sole credit for "Murder Obliquely" the A.C.E. award winning episode of "Fallen Angels."
Stan Winston
Four-time Academy Award® winner STAN WINSTON is responsible for the creation of Kothoga, a terrifying creature drawn from South American mythology. Winston received Academy Awards® for visual effects for creating the look of the dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" and the Queen Alien in "Aliens." For "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," he won two Oscars® for both visual effects and make-up, creating the Terminator's endoskeleton and prosthetic make-up.
Stan Winston has received eight Oscar® nominations in all; six Emmy nominations, winning two; and five British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards nominations of which he has won three.
Winston was also Oscar®-nominated for "Edward Scissorhands," "Predator," "Batman Returns" and "Heartbeeps." He received Emmys for "Gargoyles" and aging Cicely Tyson 91 years in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Winston recently designed the Gorillas for "Congo" and supervised the make-up design for "Interview With The Vampire." He is also the director of "Pumpkinhead" and "The Adventures of a Gnome Named Gnorm."
In addition to his work on "The Relic," Winston currently is creating characters for the upcoming remake of the classic film and book "The Island of Dr. Moreau" and is developing characters for a new "Planet of the Apes" feature film.
Philip Harrison
Production designer PHILIP HARRISON previously collaborated with director Hyams on several productions including "Outland," "Hanover Street," "Stayed Tuned," "Timecop," and "Sudden Death." Harrison's career spans more than 30 years and some of his credits also include "Malice," "Point of No Return," "Stakeout," "Valentino," "Lisztomania," "Mississippi Burning," "White Knights," "Never Say Never Again," as well as Paramount's current release, "Nick of Time."
Dan Lester
Costume designer DAN LESTER received an Emmy nomination for his work as a co-designer with Winnie Brown on the mini-series "Dallas-The Early Years." He previously worked with Peter Hyams on "Time Cop," and "Sudden Death." Recent feature credits as an Associate Designer include "Sommersby," "Little Monsters," "The Getaway," "Judgement Night" and "Used People."
Steven Kemper
Editor STEVEN KEMPER also collaborated with Hyams on his most recent movies "Sudden Death," and "Timecop." He shared editing credits on "Fair Game," and "In The Line of Fire." Other credits include "Showdown in Little Tokyo," "New Jack City" and "The Gods Must Be Crazy." He was assistant editor on Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom."
John Debney
Composer JOHN DEBNEY's most recent credits include "Cutthroat Island" and Peter Hyams' "Sudden Death" and "Getting Away With Murder." He scored several projects for Steven Spielberg and Amblin Productions which began with an ambitious two-hour Civil War drama "Class of '61," and led to Spielberg's "Seaquest DSV" and then to his first major feature, Amblin's "Little Giants". His score for "Hocus Pocus" led to a unique three-picture deal at Disney which included "White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf".
Gregory L. McMurry
Supervising the extensive visual effects is GREGORY L. McMURRY, vice-president of VIFX. McMurry and director Peter Hyams, whose association goes back 12 years to "2010," recently collaborated on "Sudden Death." McMurry's recent supervisory credits also include "Batman Forever, " "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey."
