Inquire about the Artist: Rob Legato, Special Effects Mastermind
Rob Legato, a renowned visual effects supervisor and virtual cinematographer, began his career in the entertainment industry with work in television before transitioning into visual effects for film. Over more than 30 years, he developed a reputation as a pioneering figure in the VFX field.
Legato's early fascination with film started at the tender age of 4, when he watched Pinocchio. This sparked a lifelong passion that led him to study cinematography at Brooks Institute of Photography. His journey took a significant turn when he was introduced to visual effects (VFX) through a commercial project, which eventually led him to join Robert Abel and Associates.
In the late 1980s, the technical challenges of creating science fiction on TV were immense, with budgets and time constraints vastly different from those of feature films. Despite these obstacles, Legato's innovative spirit shone through, as he worked on numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation before 3D animation or motion tracking became common tools.
Legato's move from television to feature films marked a shift where he applied his expertise to major blockbuster productions. Notably, he created the virtual cinematography pipeline for James Cameron’s "Avatar," a groundbreaking achievement that helped the film become the highest-grossing movie worldwide at the time.
His work extends to award-winning films such as "Titanic," "Hugo," "The Jungle Book," "Apollo 13," and "The Aviator." The collaboration between Legato and Jon Favreau on The Lion King was built upon their successful collaboration on The Jungle Book. The use of virtual reality headsets powered by real-time game engines on The Lion King helped make creative choices such as camera angles and visual locations.
Legato believes that the democratization of tools is expanding the talent pool and allowing more access to editing, compositing, and now full CG. He advocates for young people interested in a career in effects to practice, practice, practice, and to hone and perfect their craft to allow their voice to emerge.
Rob Legato's most memorable career advice came from Ron Howard on Apollo 13, who asked him to consider how Martin Scorsese would shoot a scene, encouraging him to explore unique and individual takes on storytelling challenges. This advice resonated with Legato, who finds that having more information, rather than less, is beneficial for creating artistic choices.
His favorite shot is a simple one that imitated a solution used by George Méliès in Hugo, using a technique he invented in 1902. This demonstrates Legato's commitment to innovation and his respect for the history of filmmaking.
In conclusion, Rob Legato's career path, from television to visual effects, has been marked by technical innovation, particularly in virtual cinematography. His work on landmark films has established him as a leading figure in the VFX field in the film industry.
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