Harold "Howie" S. Weed (born December 23, 1962) is an American visual and special effects artist known for his work on Hollywood films and franchises. His most notable works have been Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Weed started his career in films in the 1980s with an uncredited model making job for the film Gremlins.
Star Wars Weed has gained a cult following for his involvement with the Star Wars Universe. Weed works with George Lucas' company Industrial Light and Magic and has appeared in Episode IV as multiple characters and worked on multiple Star Wars films behind the scenes with his special effects work.
In the 1997 Special Edition re-release of Star Wars: A New Hope, Weed played Ketwol, a character created with a costume and mechanical stilts.
Also in the re-release, Weed appeared as the Wampa, replacing actor Des Webb, and then as character Melas.
Weed worked on Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace as a digital model development and construction artist and then Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith as a digital modeler.
Weed has been interviewed for the Star Wars: Insider magazine and Jedi News.
In literature Weed appears in: 17th International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Cinefex issues 69-72 Dracula in Visual Media: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010 by John Edgar Browning The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to Zombies by R.G. Young Star Wars: The Making of Episode I, The Phantom Menace by Laurent Bouzereau and Jody Duncan
Filmography
Year Film Credit 2014 Transformers: Age of Extinction Digital Artist 2013 Pacific Rim Digital artist G.I. Joe: Retaliation Senior digital artist 2012 Battleship Digital artist 2011 Cowboys & Aliens Digital artist Super 8 Digital artistI Am Number Four Digital artist 2009 Star Trek Digital models and simultaneous 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Digital modeler and simulator 2007 Transformers Character modeler Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Technical director: Light 2006 Eragon Digital modeler Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Digital modeler Poseidon Computer graphics modeler 2005 War of the Worlds Modeler and texture artist Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Digital Modeler xXx: State of the Union Digital artist The Island Digital models 2003 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Digital modeler Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Digital modeler Dreamcatcher Digital modeler 2002 Minority Report Digital modeler The Time Machine Lead digital modeler 2001 A.I. Artificial Intelligence Digital model development 1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Digital model development & construction artist 1997 Men in Black Model maker: saucer crash miniature & blue screen unit The Lost World: Jurassic Park Digital effects artist 1996 Dragonheart Sculptor 1995 Congo Chief model maker: miniatures unit 1994 Star Trek Generations Model maker The Flintstones Model maker 1993 Fire in the Sky Creature technician 1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Model maker Naked Lunch Anamatonics technician 1990 Bird on a Wire CWI special makeup effects Look Who's Talking Too Animatronics Arachnophobia Animatronic engineer (creature effects) RoboCop 2 Chris Walas Inc crew member 1989 Ghostbusters II Character performer 1988 The Blob Designer 1987 The Witches of Eastwick Creature construction 1986 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture Sculptor House Creature effects The Fly Fly creature effects 1985 Enemy Mine Special creature effects technician 1984 Gremlins Creature crew 1980/1997 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition Chief creature maker
Incomplete lists of Weed's visual effects works appear on the websites Hollywood.com and the New York Times.
References