Veteran ILM Modelmaker and Visual Effects Producer Jeff Olson Passes Away at 77

Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) has shared the news of the passing of Jeff Olson, a modelmaker, model supervisor, and visual effects producer who worked on numerous films. He was 77.

ILM posted the news on X, saying they were "heartbroken to lose our dear friend and former colleague Jeff Olson... His career spanned momentous change in the art form and industry, and no matter the techniques employed on a given show, Jeff was always committed to the team, leading his crews with humor and kindness."

Olson worked at ILM from 1985 to 2009, contributing to classic projects like Willow and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, to A Series of Unfortunate Events and Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace. He even appeared briefly in that film as a spectator inside Jabba's private box at the pod racing event. Olson also helped create the visual effects for Star Trek: First Contact in 1996 and again in 2009's Star Trek from J.J. Abrams. Other credits as a visual effects producer include Herbie: Fully Loaded, Rush Hour 3, and culminating in his last project as a VFX producer with Priest in 2011. Olson also worked as a stage producer on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and as a model maker on various projects like Back to the Future Part III. He left ILM in 2009, joining Polygon Entertainment as a VFX producer. He was also featured in From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic.

Olson graduated from UC Berkeley, and graduated in 1970. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Limburg, two children, and grandchildren.