Jim Rygiel

James Reginald Rygiel is an American visual effects director. He supervised the visual effects of Legendary Pictures' Godzilla.

Biography
Starting his career in 1980, Rygiel joined Pacific Electric Pictures, one of the earliest companies to employ computer animation for the advertising and film markets. From 1987 to 1989, Rygiel supervised numerous projects while at visual effects companies Pacific Data Images (PDI) and Metrolight.

In 1989 Rygiel was asked to form and head a computer animation department at Boss Film Studios. While at Boss, Rygiel supervised many feature films, both as Digital Effects Supervisor and Visual Effects Supervisor. After Boss Films closure Rygiel went on to supervise several more movies.

In 2002, Rygiel received the American Film Institute's first AFI Digital Effects Artist of the Year award, the Academy Award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for Best Visual Effects, for his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rygiel is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and The British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He has continued to supervise major blockbuster films to this day.