I hate that I’m writing again so soon about one of my heroes passing away. Stan Winston was the best boss I ever had. I had the pleasure of working for him from 1995 to 1999 as an animatronics designer. The picture above is one of my favorites: Al Sousa, Stan and me in front of the full-scale stegosaurus Al and I designed and built for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Before working “at Stan’s” as we used to say I, like many others, jumped around from shop to shop for years. You would work on a movie, and when it was over, you were usually looking for your next gig. But once you landed at Stan’s, you were set. His was the first (and only, while I was there) shop that treated you like a long-term employee with health and retirement benefits, Christmas parties, vacation pay, etc. Vacation pay! It was unheard of at other shops, but Stan knew he’d get more out of us if he treated us well.

It was the heyday while I was there. Over 100 employees and more work than we could handle. Stan opened up his private gym at the studio so we could use it during lunch or after work. His generosity was matched with a commanding presence and ridiculously high standards. You could feel the room tense up with respect when he walked in. He was tough and fair but could be playful when appropriate. Like a good father.

What I know about being a boss myself - I learned from Stan. When I started Real Pie in 2000 and started hiring/managing people, I remember constantly going back to “what would Stan do in this situation?” His guidance has gotten me through eight years of being a boss. And for all these reasons, I remember Stan very fondly.