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{{Sidebar crew|
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[[File:Richard Taylor and Jim Dow discussing the Long range shuttle studio model.jpg|thumb|[[Richard Taylor]] and Jim Dow (r) discussing the [[Long range shuttle]] studio model]]
 
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| Name = Jim Dow
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'''James "Jim" Richard Dow''' was a visual effects artist who was Creative Head and Chief Modeler employed at [[Magicam]], during the production of ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'' and {{film|1}}. In that capacity he oversaw the team of modelers who built the various [[studio model]]s for those productions. He has authored an article on the period of the latter production that was published in the February 1980 issue of ''[[American Cinematographer]]''. He has remained in the employment of Magicam for the remainder of that company's existence.
  
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| image = D7-class Phase II studio model detailed by Jim Dow at Magicam.jpg
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| Birth name = James Richard Dow
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| Gender = Male
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| Date of birth = {{d|8|March|1943}}
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| Place of birth = Los Angeles County, California, USA
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| Date of death =
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| Place of death =
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| Awards for Trek =
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| Roles = [[:Category:Special and Visual effects staff|Model Maker]], [[:Category:Star Trek reference authors|''Star Trek'' author]]
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| image2 = Jim Dow supervising the breakaway D7 class studio models.jpg
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| imagecap2 = ...presiding over the {{Class|D7}} [[Studio model#Breakaway model|breakaway models]]...
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| image3 = Richard Taylor and Jim Dow discussing the Long range shuttle studio model.jpg
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| imagecap3 = ...and discussing the [[Long range shuttle]] studio model with [[Richard Taylor]] (l)
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}}
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'''James "Jim" Richard Dow''' {{born|8|March|1943}} was a [[:Category: Visual effects companies|visual effects]] artist who was creative head and chief modeler employed at [[Magicam|Magicam, Inc.]], during the production of ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'' and {{film|1}}. In that capacity he oversaw the team of modelers who built the various [[studio model]]s for those productions. He has authored an article on the period of the latter production that was published in the October 1979 issue of the ''[[American Cinematographer]]'' magazine. In it, Dow recalled how he was brought in to work for Magicam,
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<blockquote>"In September 1977, wrapping two years of work supervising construction and handling of the various miniatures for ''{{w|Close Encounters of the Third Kind}}'', I was asked by Joe Matza of Magicam to set up a permanent facility which would grow into a well-rounded effects service available to both the film and video industries. I had been given an invitation to participate in the miniature work for Steven Spielberg's ''1941'', but decided to set up my "own" shop for Magicam. Staffing from scratch, we pursued and landed the job of constructing the miniatures for the long-awaited ''Star Trek'' television remake and, with a small staff, began construction." (p. 152)</blockquote>
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He has remained in the employment of Magicam for the remainder of that company's existence.
   
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In 1979, hard on the heels of his involvement with the movie, Dow had talked at length and in considerable detail about his and his company's work for the production to ''[[Cinefantastique]]'' reporter [[Preston Neal Jones]], but the latter's copy was for various editorial reasons only published 35 years later in the title listed below. Decades later, Dow followed up on this interview with a 2013 one, conducted by the original [[refit]]-[[Constitution class model (refit)|''Enterprise'' model]] painter [[Paul Olsen]] for the second edition of his autobiography, ''[[Star Trek: Creating the Enterprise]]''
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Prior to his involvement with ''The Motion Picture'' he has worked as model maker on the features ''{{w|Silent Running}}'' (1972) and ''{{w|Close Encounters of the Third Kind}}'' (1977, with [[Douglas Trumbull]] and [[Gregory Jein]]). Dow won an Emmy Award for his work on [[Carl Sagan]]'s television documentary series ''Cosmos'' (1980), one of the two projects Magicam was involved in, after ''The Motion Picture''. After the closure of Magicam, Dow has predominantly worked for theme parks and exhibitions. In 2012, after a long absence from the motion picture business, Dow has worked on the horror movie ''Styria'' as production designer.
  
   
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Jim Dow is brother to [[Industrial Light & Magic]]'s cameraman [[Don Dow]], who has also worked on several features of the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
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Jim Dow is brother to [[Industrial Light & Magic]]'s cameraman [[Don Dow]], who has also worked on several features of the ''Star Trek'' franchise. (''[[Cinefex]]'', issue 18, 1984, p. 62)
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==Career outside ''Star Trek''==
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Prior to his involvement with ''The Motion Picture'' he has worked on the features ''{{w|Silent Running}}'' (1972, as model maker) and ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' (1977, as model shop coordinator with [[Gregory Jein]]). For the latter production he organized and ran the model shop of [[Douglas Trumbull]]'s [[Future General Corporation]], the company responsible for the visual effects of the movie. Dow won an Emmy Award for his work on [[Carl Sagan]]'s television documentary series ''Cosmos'' (1980), one of the only two other projects Magicam was involved in, after ''The Motion Picture''. Pursuant the closure of Magicam, Dow has predominantly worked for theme parks and exhibitions. In 2012, after a long absence from the motion picture business, Dow has worked on the horror movie ''Styria'' as production designer.
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==Bibliography==
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*"The Magicam Miniatures Constructed For Star Trek The Motion Picture", ''[[American Cinematographer]]'', February 1980, pp. 152-155, 178-179, 186 - Author
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==''Star Trek'' interviews==
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*"The Model Makers at Magicam", David Houston, ''[[Starlog (magazine)|Starlog]]'', issue 27, October 1979, pp. 26-30
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*''[[Return to Tomorrow - The Filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', December 2014
   
 
==External links==
  
==External links==
 
*[http://www.dowdesign.com/bio.html DowDesign] - homepage
  
*[http://www.dowdesign.com/bio.html DowDesign] - homepage
 
*{{IMDb-link|page=nm0235610}}
  
*{{IMDb-link|page=nm0235610}}
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[[Category:Special and Visual effects staff|Dow, Jim]]
  
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dow, Jim}}
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[[Category:Special and Visual effects staff]]
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[[Category:Star Trek reference authors]]

Revision as of 11:59, 25 February 2015

Template:Realworld

James "Jim" Richard Dow (born 8 March 1943; age 81) was a visual effects artist who was creative head and chief modeler employed at Magicam, Inc., during the production of Star Trek: Phase II and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In that capacity he oversaw the team of modelers who built the various studio models for those productions. He has authored an article on the period of the latter production that was published in the October 1979 issue of the American Cinematographer magazine. In it, Dow recalled how he was brought in to work for Magicam,

"In September 1977, wrapping two years of work supervising construction and handling of the various miniatures for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, I was asked by Joe Matza of Magicam to set up a permanent facility which would grow into a well-rounded effects service available to both the film and video industries. I had been given an invitation to participate in the miniature work for Steven Spielberg's 1941, but decided to set up my "own" shop for Magicam. Staffing from scratch, we pursued and landed the job of constructing the miniatures for the long-awaited Star Trek television remake and, with a small staff, began construction." (p. 152)

He has remained in the employment of Magicam for the remainder of that company's existence.

In 1979, hard on the heels of his involvement with the movie, Dow had talked at length and in considerable detail about his and his company's work for the production to Cinefantastique reporter Preston Neal Jones, but the latter's copy was for various editorial reasons only published 35 years later in the title listed below. Decades later, Dow followed up on this interview with a 2013 one, conducted by the original refit-Enterprise model painter Paul Olsen for the second edition of his autobiography, Star Trek: Creating the Enterprise

Jim Dow is brother to Industrial Light & Magic's cameraman Don Dow, who has also worked on several features of the Star Trek franchise. (Cinefex, issue 18, 1984, p. 62)

Career outside Star Trek

Prior to his involvement with The Motion Picture he has worked on the features Silent Running (1972, as model maker) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977, as model shop coordinator with Gregory Jein). For the latter production he organized and ran the model shop of Douglas Trumbull's Future General Corporation, the company responsible for the visual effects of the movie. Dow won an Emmy Award for his work on Carl Sagan's television documentary series Cosmos (1980), one of the only two other projects Magicam was involved in, after The Motion Picture. Pursuant the closure of Magicam, Dow has predominantly worked for theme parks and exhibitions. In 2012, after a long absence from the motion picture business, Dow has worked on the horror movie Styria as production designer.

Bibliography

  • "The Magicam Miniatures Constructed For Star Trek The Motion Picture", American Cinematographer, February 1980, pp. 152-155, 178-179, 186 - Author

Star Trek interviews

External links

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