John Nelson

John Nelson, born July 21, 1953, is an American visual effects supervisor who has won two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects for his work on *Gladiator* (2000) and *Blade Runner 2049* (2017). He has also received Academy Award nominations for *I, Robot* (2004) and *Iron Man* (2008). In 2018, he won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Special Visual Effects for his work on *Blade Runner 2049*.

After graduating with high distinction from the University of Michigan in 1976, Nelson worked as a cameraman, technical director, and director at Robert Abel and Associates, a pioneering computer animation and commercial production company. During his time there, he won two Clio awards and received six additional Clio nominations. Early in his career, while at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Nelson modelled, animated, lit, and composited several shots for *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991), including the iconic scene in which the chrome terminator's head is shot open and reseals. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Visual Effects Society, the International Cinematographers Guild, and the Directors Guild of America.