John Kilkenny(I)
- Visual Effects
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
John Kilkenny is a President at Twentieth Century Fox, heading the
studio's visual effects department. His division budgets, produces and
oversees all the visual effects on feature films made by the studio's
production units, TCF, Fox 2000 Pictures and Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Mr. Kilkenny oversaw the Academy Award winning effects on Avatar,
written and directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker James Cameron
(Titanic); X-Men: First Class, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and many
other Fox event movies including the Night at The Museum and Alvin and
the Chipmunks films. Prior to joining Fox's senior executive ranks, Mr.
Kilkenny was an associate producer/visual effects producer on the
box-office hit i, Robot which earned an Academy Award nomination for
best achievement in visual effects. Before that, he was the visual
effects producer on the films Dr. Dolittle 2, Daredevil, Gone in 60
Seconds and Star Trek Insurrection. Mr. Kilkenny began his career in
motion picture visual effects at the renowned effects house Digital
Domain, where he became head producer in the company's commercial
division. He has also worked as a freelance commercials producer for
clients Budweiser, Toyota, Chevrolet as well as worked as a
sportscaster at the NBC affiliate in El, Paso Texas. Mr. Kilkenny
graduated from the University of Arizona where he studied Radio and
Television. The University has recognized Mr. Kilkenny for his
achievements in film by awarding him an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
in 2009.