Brummbaer

Brummbaer (born 18/8/1945) is a German freelancer best known for his work as an art director, designer, graphical artist, 3D animator and modeler for Sony Pictures Imageworks. In the 1970's he appeared as an actor in various German TV movies, and also produced and directed. In 1986 he began a career of computer graphics, and has since created several short computer-generated animations and done visual effects for movies.

Life

His fine art and underground magazine Germania brought him fame in Europe during the Sixties, and he orchestrated light shows for such musicians as Frank Zappa and Tangerine Dream. He found his most expressive medium when he discovered the computer.

He was one of the primary computer animators responsible for the mind-bending graphics in the Tristar motion picture Johnny Mnemonic (1995). He also created a breathtaking opener for Siggraph’s 1995 Electronic Theater, and has long been a pioneer in the world of digital animation, where he has achieved legendary status with his unmistakable hallucinogenic style.

In the autumn of 2003 he was diagnosed with squamous head and neck cancer. During several months of chemo- and radiation-therapy he wrote his biography titled “On the street -- DXM in 1964 – or My Best Friend Jesus”. He has taken many drugs throughout his life including DXM, LSD and Hashish during the 1960s and 1970s and Cocaine Heroine, Quaaludes, Ecstasy, Ketamine, Marihuana

CD: "Sleepytime in Lalaland"

Career

• 1967, first exhibition for his paintings at the Art's Lab in London.
• 1967- 68 Psychedelic Posters (Momentarily in the show “Summer of Love” Tate-Gallery, Liverpool – Kunsthalle Schirn Frankfurt)
• 1968 Lightshows “Exploding Galaxy” for Tangerine Dream, Amon Duul, The Fugs, Frank Zappa, etc...Lightshow film: “Astronomy Domine” with Knollfick, music Pink Floyd,
• 1969, translated and edited Robert Crumb’s first book in Germany.
• 1970 Due to the immense success of the Crumb-book he succeded to create Germany’s largest comic book Company at the time.
• 1971 Publication of “Germania”, Germany’s legendary underground magazine.
• 1972 -73 “Maschine Nr.9”, a Radio play with Wolf Wondratschek and Georg Deuter. [1]

Filmography

Actor

• ”Der Allerletzte” (1979) (TV) (as Brummbär)
• “Die Sweethearts”, (1977) (TV)

Director

• CyberWorld (2000)
• The Last Trip to Harrisburg (1984) (aka "Die letzte Fahrt nach Harrisburg")

Production Designer

• Klaus Lemke: Idole 1975 (TV),
• Die Sweethearts, (1977) (TV),
• Moto-Cross (1977) (TV),
• “Der Allerletzte”, (1979) (TV),
• “Arabische Nächte” (1979) (“Arabian Nights”)
• Dark Seed (1992) (VG)

“Warum der Himmel kein Flugzeug ist” (Prod. + Dir. Wolf Wondratschek) (Praedikat besonders wertvoll) As Illustrator: GERMAN EDITION MAGAZINES Playboy, Penthouse, Transatlantic As Painter: Exhibition at Gallery Klinzer, Munich, “Magic Realism” As Animator: German Television "XX, Clip-Cafe": Production design, openers, bumpers and stage design for Youth-oriented shows.

Computer Graphics

In 1986 the International Synergy Institute in Los Angeles invited him to be artist in residence to work on their Fairlight CVI computer. Another reason to live in LA was his close friendship with Dr. Timothy Leary, Dr. John Lilly, and his wife Tony. Since the introduction of the personal computer he promoted and exercised digital design, creating art for games and special effects for movies. Artist-in-residence at the INTERNATIONAL SYNERGY INSTITUTE, West Hollywood, Fairlight CVI Video art: "New Worlds”, “Orient Ma Mind An Touch Ma Hal”, “Pretty Please" ¾" video. In 1988 he worked for Futique, Inc, "Cyberpunk Interscreen/The Mind Movie" in collaboration with Timothy Leary.

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1989 TARCHER PUBLISHING / MONDO 2000 / HIGHER OCTAVE MUSIC Computer generated covers for books, records and magazines

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1991 - 93 DARKSEED Art Director for game software in collaboration with H.R. Giger Creator of Alien) CRITTERS IV Computer Graphics for Sci-Fi Movie DIGITAL BE-IN San Francisco Exhibition of electronic paintings ZERO-ONE GALLERY Los Angles Exhibition of electronic paintings, hosted by Timothy Leary Timothy Leary's "Chaos and Cyberculture" Illustrations by Brummbaer

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Sony Pictures Imageworks

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1994 "Johnny Mnemonic" (Opener/Cyberspace) [http://www.groundzerofx.com/maxinfilm/1995.html

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1995 L.A. Siggraph "Electronic Theatre" (Opener) "The Craft" (butterflies)

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1996 "Odyssey into the Mind’s Eye" (Opener for "Mind’s Eye”) "Computer Animation Classics" (Opener for "Mind’s Eye Classics”) "Dark Skies" (TV Series pilot) "Jonny Quest" (cartoon)

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1997 L.A. Siggraph "Electronic Theatre" (Opener) SDDS Logo (Cinematic Opener) "En Vogue" MTV video

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1998 2 1/2 minutes IMAX/3D [2]

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1999 "Bill Gates Basement" (animated short)

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2000 - 01 "Thru the Moebius Strip" with Jean Girard Moebius - 3-Minute trailer [3]

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2001 - 02 Researching "Non-Photo-Real Renderers" "Toto's Dream" -- Animation short

2003 "The Story of Computer Graphics" (Dir. Frank Foster, Opener/Closer) HDTV

Games

Brummbaer is also credited for Critters 4 (1991), The Craft (1996) and Cyberworld (2000). He recently collaborated with Jean Girard Moebius on his movie Thru the Moebius strip (2005).

Besides Dark Seed he worked on games such as Sim City (1989) Wolfpack (1990), Robo Sport (1991), Comanche (1992), Q*bert (1992), Shrek 2 (2004),True Crime New York City(2005)

Awards

• "Bill Gates Basement" - Siggraph Animation Theatre (1999)
• International Monitor Award - Openers/Closers (1998)
• Imagina - Monte' Carlo - Content graphics (1997)

External links

• Brummbaer Digital Style Design website
• [4]
• Interview with Brummbaer
• Brummbaer at the Internet Movie Database