Bio / Credits
Bio
Robert Short's four decades of outstanding technical, creative and artistic achievement in the field visual effects and make-up effects have brought to life many of the screens most indelible character icons. Academy Award winner, Robert Short has fostered a unique blend of styles and techniques in the design and creation of his characters. From the outrageous "Beetlejuice" afterlife inhabitants to the enchanting mermaid from "Splash" to the man eating sharks of "Lethal Weapon 4", to the inspirational heart light of “E.T.” and development of the terrorizing design of "The Predator".
Short won his best make-up Oscar for the high-spirited innovative creature effects in"Beetlejuice" which redefined the boundaries of horror and humor. He was also nominated for two BAFTA Awards in best achievement in make-up and best achievement in special effects for "Beetlejuice".
His latest projects include VFX producing/co-supervising for "Legion" on FX, compositing for Warner's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and visual effect supervision for the feature, Creature design and animation for The X-Files (2016) “To Have and To Hold”, based on Mary Johnston’s epic novel of the first settlement in America. Visual effects supervision for the Lionsgate feature film “Punisher; War Zone”, On set VFX supervision in Shanghai and Los Angeles for the Fox network pilot “Exit Strategy” directed by Antione Fuqua, on set VFX supervision in Mumbai India for NBC’s comedy “Outsourced” and digital characters for CBS’ “Hawaii 5-0”. He also supervised the on set VFX for NBC’s Emmy nominated series “SURFACE” and directed and VFX supervised “Shine On Me”, the music video named “Best music video of 2008” by New Yorker magazine.
On the horror front Short provided digital VFX for the feature “Parasomnia” and supervised VFX and make-up effects for the indie feature “Knucklebones”, while on the fantasy front he supervised Herbie the Love Bug’s on set performance in Disney’s “Herbie Fully Loaded” and helped I.L.M. reinvent E.T.’s heart light for the enhanced 20th anniversary release of E.T. the Extraterrestrial. His storyboard and visual effects consultant contributions include the Fox Network series “Vanished”, “Justice” and the Raw Feed/Warner Bros. feature film “Sublime”.
Some of Short's previous credits include Cocoon, Kindergarten Cop, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, Cocoon the Return, Little Monsters, Masters of the Universe and The Flash TV series.
In 1983 he created Robert Short Productions Inc. after independently supervising creature effects for a host films and TV projects including Alligator, Piranha, Close Encounters of the Third Kind Special Edition and The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Through Robert Short Productions design, fabrication and supervision services Short has realized the visions of filmmakers like Ron Howard, James Cameron, Tim Burton, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, Joel Silver, Tom Shadyak, John Mctiernen, John Davis, Richard Donner and Zach Snyder.
Short has also pioneered interactive location based entertainment with the creation of the Halloween seasonal live event shows such as Montreal's "Chateau Greystoke" and PHA's "Terrordome" and served as a creative director for Timberwolf's production of Montreal's "Hollywood Halloween".
As a WGA writer Short created the story for the Disney Channel Movie of the Week “The Scream Team” starring Eric Idle, Cathy Ngimy and Kat Dennings. His screenwriting credits include "Scared to Death", which won a Saturn Award for best low budget film, "Rage of Honor", the ninja action film starring Sho Kosugi, "Return of the Swamp Thing" and episodes of ABC's The Renegades and CBS's Gavilan which starred Robert Urich and Patrick Macnee. As a DGA director Short helmed multiple episodes of the syndicated live action series "Super Force" and the American sequences of TWE's "Programmed to Kill", which he also wrote.
Short’s unique background also brought him to the attention of the Universal Studio’s Florida theme park where he and his work were featured daily at the “The Gory Gruesome & Grotesque Horror Make-up Show”. Short is a frequent guest lecturer on film making and visual f/x at University and College film schools around the country and a return lecturer to the Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan, the BKSTS in England and several international film festivals. He lives in Malibu, California with his wife and business partner Barbara Slifka.
As Hollywood acknowledges the growing importance of affordable high quality visual and special make-up effects, Short’s versatility in digital and traditional effects, combined with his background as a writer and director, gives him a unique expertise in delivering the quality and vision demanded by today’s filmmakers.
Credits / Awards
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISION
FEATURES
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD ENTHUSE FILMS
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE LIONSGATE
PARASOMNIA RISING STORM PRODS.
KNUCKLEBONES WHG PRODS.
WHEELMEN TIMBERWOLF PRODS.
TELEVISION
LEGION (2018) FX
EXIT STRATEGY FOX
OUTSOURCED CBS
SURFACE NBC
WEBISODES
EXECUTION STYLE ANTHONY ZUIKER /
BLACKBOXTV
COMMERCIALS / MUSIC VIDEO
HONDA PRELUDE THE END PRODS.
SHINE ON ME OWENS PRODS.
LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING OWENS PRODS.
VISUAL EFFECTS COMPOSITING / ANIMATION / CONSULTING / STORY BOARDING
FEATURES
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. WARNER BROS.
SUBLIME WARNER BROS.
TELEVISION
EVIL (2022) Paramount+
THE X-FILES (2016)
THOSE WHO KILL
HAWAII 5-0 CBS
NIP/TUCK FX NETWORK
VANISHED FOX
JUSTICE FOX
SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS / PUPPETEERING
FEATURES
KNUCKLEBONES WHG PRODS
HERBIE FULLY LOADED DISNEY PICTURES
LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION WARNER BROS.
E.T. 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITIION UNIVERSAL
LETHAL WEAPON 4 WARNER BROS.
ACE VENTURA PET DETECTIVE WARNER BROS.
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES PARAMOUNT
KINDERGARTEN COP UNIVERSAL
CLIFFORD ORION
JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO WARNER BROS.
LITTLE MONSTERS MGM/UA
ENID IS SLEEPING VESTRON
COCOON:THE RETURN 20th CENTURY FOX
BEETLEJUICE WARNER BROS.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE CANNON FILMS INC.
ROBO-WARRIORS VIACOM/REPUBLIC
MUNCHIES NEW HORIZONS
NIGHTFLYERS VISTA FILMS ORG.
PREDATOR 20th CENTURY FOX
COCOON 20th CENTURY FOX
PROGRAMMED TO KILL TWE ENT.
KILLBOTS NEW HORIZONS
RAGE OF HONOR TWE ENT.
QUATERMAIN AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD CANNON FILMS INC.
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION WARNER BROS.
SPLASH DISNEY/TOUCHSTONE
CREATURE TWE ENT.
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL UNIVERSAL
SWORDKILL EMPIRE INT.
FIREFOX WARNER BROS.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND WARNER BROS.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 20th CENTURY FOX
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE PARAMOUNT
1941 COLUMBIA
GALAXY OF TERROR NEW WORLD PICTURES
ALLIGATOR GROUP ONE PRODS.
PIRANHA NEW WORLD PICTURES
COMA MGM
ORCA PARAMOUNT
THE SLAYER 21st CENTURY FILMS
HALLOWEEN
TELEVISION
SURFACE NBC
THE PARTY MACHINE TERMITE ART
UP UP AND AWAY DISNEY CHANNEL
SABRINA DOWN UNDER ABC
STAR TREK:VOYAGER PARAMOUNT/UPN
INTRUDERS CBS
THE FLASH WARNER BROS./CBS
TWIN PEAKS LYNCH/FROST/ABC
ON THE AIR LYNCH/FROST/ABC
SUPER FORCE PREMIERE LTD./VIACOM
THE LITTLE MERMAID’S ISLAND/pilot DISNEY CHANNEL
MACGYVER PARAMOUNT
MARS BASE ONE/pilot CBS
PEE WEE’S PLAYHOUSE CBS
THE JIM HENSON HOUR NBC
CAPTAIN POWER AND THE LANDMARK ENT.
SOLDIERS OF THE FUTURE
STEVEN SPIELBERG’S AMAZING STORIES AMBLIN’ ENT./NBC
RETURN OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. VIACOM/CBS
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE NBC
MORK AND MINDY PARAMOUNT
WONDER WOMAN WARNER BROS.
NUTS AND BOLTS/Pilot DAVID GERBER PRODS.
REVENGE OF THE SAVAGE BEES ALAN LANDSBURG PRODS
SAVAGE SWARM ALAN LANDSBURG PRODS
GAMES
BLUE STINGER SEGA
TATTOO ASSASSINS DATA EAST PINBALL
SPECIAL PROJECTS/COMMERCIALS
CVS PHARMACY BELIEVE/MEDIA
PLANET HOLLYWOOD THEME RESTURANTS KEITH BARISH PRODS.
THE McDONALD’S MERMAID(SUPERBOWL 84) McDONALD’S.
1984 OLYMPICS ALIEN DAVID WOLPER PRODS.
YODA HAND PUPPET (STAR WARS TOY) KENNER TOYS.
THE COCA-COLA DOLPHINS GIBSON LEFEBVRE GARTNER
ESTRANGED ROCK VIDEO GUNS AND ROSES
DIRECTOR CREDITS
FEATURES
PROGRAMMED TO KILL/USA Scenes TRANS WORLD ENT.
MUNCHIES/Second Unit NEW HORIZONS.
RAGE OF HONOR/Presentation reel TRANS WORLD ENT.
TELEVISION
SUPER FORCE PREMIERE LTD./VIACOM
(Multiple episodes)
LOCATION BASED ENTERTAINMENT
TERRORDOME/HAUNTED ATTRACTION BALDWIN/COHEN ENT.
CHATEAU GREYSTOKE/HAUNTED ATTRACTION MONSTER WORLD ENT
HOLLYWOOD HALLOWEEN/
HAUNTED ATTRACTION TIMBERWOLF EVENTS
WRITER CREDITS
FEATURES
STICKIES FAST CARRIER PICTS.
A-I (Artificial Intelligence) BATFILMS/LIGHTYEAR
PROGRAMMED TO KILL TRANS WORLD ENT.
RAGE OF HONOR TRANS WORLD ENT.
SCARED TO DEATH LONESTAR PRODS.
TELEVISION
THE SCREAM TEAM (MOW) DISNEY CHANNEL
GAVILAN NBC
THE RENEGADES NBC
GAMES
BESIEGED (CD-Rom) GROLIER INTERACTIVE
AWARDS
ACADEMY AWARD
BEETLEJUICE-BEST MAKE-UP
BRITISH ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION (BAFTA)
BEETLEJUICE-BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
BRITISH ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION (BAFTA)
BEETLEJUICE-BEST MAKE-UP
SATURN AWARD
BEETLEJUICE-BEST MAKE-UP
SATURN AWARD NOMINATION
SPLASH-BEST MAKEUP
GUILDS AND ORGANIZATIONS
DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA
WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA
SCREEN ACTORS GUILD OF AMERICA
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES ARTS & SCIENCES
