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Alec Gillis stops by to have a heartfelt conversation about his fatherhood journey. He and I have an honest conversation about the influence his dad had on him to make his own choice on how to be a dad. He shares the life lessons he learned from his four daughters. After that we blend family and his career by talking about working with his daughter, Camille. We go into his fantastic career in the film industry and how his craft has evolved over the years. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.
About Alec Gillis
Alec Gillis grew up in Orange County, California within sight of the Disneyland fireworks show. As a kid he roamed the mean streets of Main Street Disneyland, sometimes summering on Tom Sawyer’s Island. It was here he gained a lifelong appreciation of animatronics, but it was in the local movie theaters that he fell in love with genre films.
At age 20 Gillis began working for Roger Corman on a film called Battle Beyond The Stars. This was along with James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd. It wasn’t long before Alec dropped out of UCLA Film School in favor of the education Corman offered. Gillis was recommended by James Cameron to Stan Winston, where Gillis worked on effects for classic films such as Aliens and Predator. In 1988 he co-founded Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (ADI) with Tom Woodruff, Jr. Tremors was the company’s first feature, and the film’s giant subterranean worms gained notoriety for Gillis.
As of 2022, Gillis is now a solo Creature FX Designer, founding his new company, Studio Gillis. His mission is to continue the tradition of creating high quality practical characters and to promote the art of Practical FX. To that end, his production company, Pro Machina, produces modest budget genre films as well as creating miniature effects for films such as Alien: Romulus. Make sure you follow Alec on Instagram at @alec_gillis. Plus go to studiogillis.com to learn more about Alec and his work.
About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast
The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. You get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Bob Odenkirk, Hank Azaria, Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more.