John Hughes
John Hughes, Co-Founder and President, is also the co-founder and President/Executive Producer of Tau Films. One of Hollywood’s leading icons in Visual Effects and Computer Graphics, John was a co-founder of Rhythm and Hues (R&H). He led the studio for 26 years, earning 3 Oscars for Best Visual Effects (Babe, The Golden Compass, and Life of Pi), as well as 4 technical Oscars for achievements in science and engineering.
A hands-on artist for much of his career, John graduated from the University of Minnesota with bachelor’s degrees in economics and electrical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical engineering. After graduating from university, John worked at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, one of the most popular modern and contemporary art museums in the U.S. In 1976, he moved to Robert Abel and Associates, where he spent ten years as Head of Digital Production, as Technical Director, and as Head of Electronics. He designed motion control camera control systems and produced some of the first commercial uses of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) in motion pictures that ushered in new possibilities in the art of film and commercials as we know today.
John is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and serves on their Science and Technology Committee as well as the Digital Imaging Technology Subcommittee. He formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Arts Education and chaired the education committee for the Digital Coast Roundtable. He served on the Workforce Investment Board of Directors for the City of Los Angeles.