Photo: Star Wars / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
John Knoll is the kind of figure I find endlessly compelling: the invisible engineer of cinematic wonder. As chief creative officer at Industrial Light and Magic, with an Academy Award and BAFTA for visual effects, he sits at the very top of his craft. What makes him remarkable is the fusion of engineer, programmer and artist in one mind, the same blend that helped birth the prototype of Photoshop. He never stands in front of the camera, yet audiences worldwide have gasped at images he conjured. I have always believed the people behind the curtain are the real magicians, and Knoll proves it.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- John Knoll
- Name (Japanese)
- ジョン・ノール
- Reading
- じょん・のーる
- Born
- October 6, 1962 (age 63)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Tiger
- Origin
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- visual effects supervisor / engineer / computer scientist / writer / programmer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Huron High School
- University
- University of Southern California
Awards & achievements
- Saturn Awards
- 2003 Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
- 2005 Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects
- 2006 Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects
- 2007 BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects
- 2007 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was John Knoll born?
Born October 6, 1962 (age 63).
Where is John Knoll from?
John Knoll is from Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
What does John Knoll do?
John Knoll works as visual effects supervisor, engineer, computer scientist, writer, programmer.
Engineer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.