View source for Frank Van der Veer


{{Infobox person
|image =
|imagesize =
| name        =  Frank Van der Veer
| birth_name  = 
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1921|6|2}}
| birth_place  = [[New York City, New York]]
| death_date   =  {{Death date and age|1982|1|7|1921|6|2}} 
| death_place  = [[Los Angeles County, California]]
| occupation  = Visual effects artist
| yearsactive = 1950–1982
| spouse = Velma "Val" Van der Veer (March 9, 1930 – Oct. 20, 2009)
| children = 3<ref>[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=velma-van-der-veer&pid=135060956 Velma Van der Veer obituary] ([[Legacy.com]])</ref>
}}
'''Frank Willard Van der Veer''' (June 2, 1921 – January 7, 1982) was an American [[Optical effects|optical]] and [[Visual effects|visual]] [[special effect]]s artist who won (and shared) a [[Special Achievement Academy Award]] at the [[49th Academy Awards]] for Best Visual Effects for the film ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]''<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1977 49th Academy Awards Ceremony page (Oscars.org)]</ref> (1976). His career spanned over three decades from the 1950s until his death in the early 1980s, having participated in the Hollywood special effects industry with such other films as  ''[[The Towering Inferno]]''<ref>[http://www.thetoweringinferno.info/abbott.html "''Special Effects: Wire, Tape and Rubber Band Style''", by L. B. Abbott]</ref> (1974), ''[[Killer Bees (1974 film)|Killer Bees]]'' (1974), ''[[Logan's Run (film)|Logan's Run]]'' (1976), ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977), ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'' (1979), ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]'' (1980), ''[[Clash of the Titans (1981 film)|Clash of the Titans]]'' (1981) and ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' (1982).

Frank Van der Veer was the son of the American [[cinematographer]] [[Willard Van der Veer]] (1894–1963).

==Biography==
Frank Van der Veer was a veteran of [[World War II]], where he served as a combat photographer in Europe, the Philippines, and Japan. After the war he began his career in the 1950s working for the [[Warner Brothers]] and [[20th Century Fox]] special effects departments. Then, a few years later, on August 13, 1963,<ref>[http://www.californiacorporates.com/corp/1293825.html ''California Corporates'': Van Der Veer Photo Effects' profile]</ref> he founded '''Van Der Veer Photo Effects'''  with partner Bill Dorney, after having apprenticed with [[L. B. Abbott|Bill Abbott]] from 1950 to 1957 in the 20th Century Fox studios.<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=UoZkJxrkMmgC Plastic Reality: Special Effects, Art and Technology in 1970s U.S. Filmmaking]'', Julie A. Turnock, ProQuest, 2008, p. 111</ref> In 1977, he won a [[Special Achievement Academy Award]] for ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'' (1976). This award was shared with [[Carlo Rambaldi]] and [[Glen Robinson (visual effects)|Glen Robinson]].<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1977 49th Academy Awards Ceremony page (Oscars.org)]</ref> Frank's father, [[Willard Van der Veer]], had also won an Oscar, 47 years before. That was on November 5, 1930, at the [[3rd Academy Awards]], for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] for the film ''[[With Byrd at the South Pole]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/willard-van-der-veer-p312637|title = Willard van der Veer &#124; Movies and Filmography}}</ref> with [[Joseph T. Rucker]].<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931 3rd Academy Awards Ceremony page (Oscars.org)]</ref>

In the time he ran his company, Van der Veer worked both for the television and film industries. For the television medium, he contributed in the effects of the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|original ''Star Trek'' series]] (1966) and, in 1978, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on ''[[The Return of Captain Nemo]]''.

Van Der Veer Photo Effects worked on lightsabres for the movie ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977)''.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3043351/five-star-wars-myths-it-being-template-blockbuster-movies|title=Five Star Wars myths you'll be arguing over this Christmas|date=2019-12-25|website=South China Morning Post|language=en|access-date=2019-12-25}}</ref>

Frank Van der Veer died on January 7, 1982. He was buried at the [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]], [[Glendale, California|Glendale]], [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles County]], [[California]]. His company, Van Der Veer Photo Effects, survived him for 15 years more until it was dissolved on October 4, 1997.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150518082702/http://www.wysk.com/index/california/westlake-village/7budq7c/van-der-veer-photo-effects/profile ''Wysk B2B Data Hub'': Van Der Veer Photo Effects' profile] (archived link)</ref>

==Selected filmography==
===Credited as Frank Van der Veer===
* ''[[Killer Bees (1974 film)|Killer Bees]]'' (1974, TV movie, special optical effects)
* ''[[Logan's Run (film)|Logan's Run]]'' (1976, additional visuals)
* ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'' (1976, supervisor of photographic effects)
* ''[[Orca (1977 film)|Orca]]'' (1977, photographic effects supervisor)
* ''[[The Manitou]]'' (1978, photographic optical effects supervisor)
* ''[[Hurricane (1979 film)|Hurricane]]'' (1979, supervisor of photographic effects)
* ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'' (1979, blue screen consultant)
* ''[[Flash Gordon (film)|Flash Gordon]]'' (1980, supervisor: special photographic effects)
* ''[[Clash of the Titans (1981 film)|Clash of the Titans]]'' (1981, special opticals)
* ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' (1982, special visual effects)

===Credited as Van der Veer Photo Effects===
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' (in end credits)
* ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977, additional optical effects – miniature and optical effects unit)
* ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980, additional optical effects)

==Van Der Veer Photo Effects selected filmography (after Van Der Veer died)==
* ''[[Tron]]'' (1982, additional animation compositing camera)
* ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983, additional optical effects)
* ''[[Twilight Zone: The Movie]]'' (1983, additional optical effects, segment 4, uncredited)
* ''[[The Man Who Wasn't There (1983 film)|The Man Who Wasn't There]]'' (1983, opticals)
* ''[[The Bounty (1984 film)|The Bounty]]'' (1984, opticals, credited as "Frank Van der Veer Labs")
* ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]'' (1984, titles and opticals)
* ''[[The Last Starfighter]]'' (1984, optical effects)
* ''[[Red Sonja (1985 film)|Red Sonja]]'' (1985, titles and opticals)
* ''[[Raw Deal (1986 film)|Raw Deal]]'' (1986, titles and opticals)
* ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' (1986, titles and opticals)
* ''[[Superman IV: The Quest for Peace]]'' (1987, opticals)
* ''[[Russkies]]'' (1987, titles and opticals)
* ''[[After Midnight (1989 film)|After Midnight]]'' (1989, additional optical effects)
* ''[[Catchfire]]'' (1990, titles and opticals)
* ''[[Tales from the Darkside: The Movie]]'' (1990, optical effects)
* ''[[The Dark Backward]]'' (1991, montage opticals)
* ''[[Love Crimes (1992 film)|Love Crimes]]'' (1992, titles and opticals, credited as "Van der Veer Visual Effects")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0886440|name=Frank Van der Veer}}
* [https://www.imdb.com/company/co0041344/ Van Der Veer Photo Effects] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]

{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}
{{Special Achievement Academy Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van der Veer, Frank}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:American special effects people]]
[[Category:Visual effects supervisors]]
[[Category:Special Achievement Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Artists from New York City]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Frank Van der Veer|access_date=2026-03-03}}