Robert Zemeckis

Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1951) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future movie series, as well as the Oscar-winning live-action/cartoon epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), though in the 1990s he diversified into more dramatic fare, including 1994's Forrest Gump, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director.

His films are characterised by an interest in state-of-the-art special effects, including the early use of match moving in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and the pioneering performance capture techniques seen in The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007) and A Christmas Carol (2009). Though Zemeckis has often been pigeonholed as a director interested only in effects.

Match Moving

In cinematography, match moving is a visual-effects technique that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the photographed objects in the shot. The term is used loosely to refer to several different ways of extracting motion information from a motion picture, particularly camera movement. Match moving is related torotoscoping and photogrammetry. It is sometimes referred to as motion tracking.

Match moving is sometimes confused with motion capture, which is a hardware technology for recording the motion of objects, often human actors, in a controlled environment using special cameras and sensors. It is also distinct from motion control photography which uses a robotic arm to execute multiple identical camera moves. Match moving, by contrast, is typically a software-based technology, applied after the fact to normal footage recorded in uncontrolled environments with an ordinary camera.

Match moving is primarily used to track the movement of a camera through a shot so that an identical virtual camera move can be reproduced in a 3D animation program. When new animated elements are composited back into the original live-action shot, they will appear in perfectly-matched perspective and therefore appear seamless.

As it is mostly software-based, match moving has become increasingly affordable as the cost of computer power has declined; it is now an established visual-effects tool and is even used in live television broadcasts as part of providing effects such as the virtual yellow-down-line in American football.

Popular Movies in 1985

1. Back to the Future
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Claudia Wells

2. Color Purple
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Willard E. Pugh

3. Out of Africa
Director: Sydney Pollack
Stars: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer

4. Fletch

Director: Michael Ritchie

Stars: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Richard Libertini, Tim Matheson

5. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger, Judd Omen.

6. Silverado
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Stars: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Linda Hunt

7. Brazil
Director: Terry Gilliam
Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm

8. Cocoon
Director: Ron Howard
Stars: Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Maureen Stapleton, Gwen Verdon, Steve Guttenberg, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford

9. St. Elmo's Fire
Director: Joel Schumacher
Stars: Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson

10. The Breakfast Club
Director: John Hughes
Stars: Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

Popular Music in 1985

...Top Singles through out the year...

January

1. "Like A Virgin," Madonna

2. "All I Need," Jack Wagner

3. "You're The Inspiration," Chicago

4. "The Wild Boys," Duran Duran

5. "Run To You," Bryan Adams

6. "I Want To Know What Love Is," Foreigner

7. "We Belong," Pat Benatar

8. "Easy Lover," Philip Bailey & Phil Collins

9. "Sea Of Love," Honeydrippers

10. "Born In The U.S.A.," Bruce Springsteen

February

1. "Careless Whisper," Wham!

2. "I Want To Know What Love Is," Foreigner

3. "Easy Lover," Philip Bailey & Phil Collins

4. "Loverboy," Billy Ocean

5. "Method Of Modern Love," Hall & Oates

6. "Neutron Dance," Pointer Sisters

7. "The Boys Of Summer," Don Henley

8. "The Heat Is On," Glenn Frey

9. "You're The Inspiration," Chicago

10. "Can't Fight This Feeling," REO Speedwagon

March

1. "Can't Fight This Feeling," REO Speedwagon

2. "The Heat Is On," Glenn Frey

3. "Material Girl," Madonna

4. "Too Late For Goodbyes," Julian Lennon

5. "Careless Whisper," Wham!

6. "California Girls," David Lee Roth

7. "One More Night," Phil Collins

8. "Lovergirl," Teena Marie

9. "Private Dancer," Tina Turner

10. "Neutron Dance," Pointer Sisters

April

1. "We Are The World," USA For Africa

2. "Crazy For You," Madonna

3. "One More Night," Phil Collins

4. "Nightshift," Commodores

5. "Rhythm Of The Night," DeBarge

6. "I'm On Fire," Bruce Springsteen

7. "Obsession," Animotion

8. "Material Girl," Madonna

9. "Don't You (Forget About Me)," Simple Minds

10. "One Night In Bangkok," Murray Head

May

1. "Don't You (Forget About Me)," Simple Minds

2. "Crazy For You," Madonna

3. "One Night In Bangkok," Murray Head

4. "Everything She Wants," Wham!

5. "We Are The World," USA For Africa

6. "Smooth Operator," Sade

7. "Some Like It Hot," Power Station

8. "Rhythm Of The Night," DeBarge

9. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," Tears For Fears

10. "Axel F," Harold Faltermeyer

June

1. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," Tears For Fears

2. "Heaven," Bryan Adams

3. "Things Can Only Get Better," Howard Jones

4. "Sussudio," Phil Collins

5. "In My House," Mary Jane Girls

6. "Suddenly," Billy Ocean

7. "Everything She Wants," Wham!

8. "Axel F," Harold Faltermeyer

9. "Angel," Madonna

10. "Walking On Sunshine," Katrina & The Waves

July

1. "A View To A Kill," Duran Duran

2. "Raspberry Beret," Prince & The Revolution

3. "Everytime You Go Away," Paul Young

4. "Sussudio," Phil Collins

5. "You Give Good Love," Whitney Houston

6. "The Search Is Over," Survivor

7. "Glory Days," Bruce Springsteen

8. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," Sting

9. "Would I Lie To You?," Eurhythmics

10. "Voices Carry," Til Tuesday

August

1. "Shout," Tears For Fears

2. "The Power Of Love," Huey Lewis & The News

3. "Never Surrender," Corey Hart

4. "Freeway Of Love," Aretha Franklin

5. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," Sting

6. "Everytime You Go Away," Paul Young

7. "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)," John Parr

8. "Summer of '69," Bryan Adams

9. "We Don't Need Another Hero," Tina Turner

10. "Who's Holding Donna Now," DeBarge

September

1. "Money For Nothing," Dire Straits

2. "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)," John Parr

3. "Cherish," Kool & The Gang

4. "We Don't Need Another Hero," Tina Turner

5. "Don't Lose My Number," Phil Collins

6. "Freedom," Wham!

7. "The Power Of Love," Huey Lewis & The News

8. "Pop Life," Prince & The Revolution

9. "Oh Sheila," Ready For The World

10. "Dress You Up," Madonna

October

1. "Take On Me," A-Ha

2. "Saving All My Love For You," Whitney Houston

3. "Oh Sheila," Ready For The World

4. "Part Time Lover," Stevie Wonder

5. "Money For Nothing," Dire Straits

6. "Lonely Ol' Night," John Cougar Mellencamp

7. "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer

8. "Fortress Around Your Heart," Sting

9. "Cherish," Kool & The Gang

10. "I'm Goin' Down," Bruce Springsteen

November

1. "We Built This City," Starship

2. "You Belong To The City," Glenn Frey

3. "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer

4. "Separate Lives," Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

5. "Head Over Heels," Tears For Fears

6. "Part Time Lover," Stevie Wonder

7. "Broken Wings," Mr. MIster

8. "Never," Heart

9. "Lay Your Hands On Me," Thompson Twins

10. "Be Near Me," ABC

December

1. "Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie

2. "Broken Wings," Mr. Mister

3. "Separate Lives," Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin

4. "Party All The Time," Eddie Murphy

5. "Alive & Kicking," Simple Minds

6. "Election Day," Arcadia

7. "I Miss You," Klymaxx

8. "Sleeping Bag," ZZ Top

9. "Small Town," John Cougar Mellencamp

10. "That's What Friends Are For," Dionne Warwick & Friends

1985-Environmental

• The Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species, is first found in Houston, Texas.
• The Famine in Ethiopia continues; USA for Africa ("We Are the World") and Live Aid raise funds for famine relief.

Ongoing - The Cold War

1985 Other ... Undated

• The Australian state of Victoria celebrates its 150th anniversary.
• The capital gains tax is introduced to Australia.
• Harold Kroto, Robert Curl and Richard Smalley discover C₆₀, soon followed by their discovery of fullerenes.
• The GNU Manifesto is first written by Richard Stallman.
• Western Sahara is admitted to the Organization of African Unity; Morocco, which claims Western Sahara, leaves in protest.
• Solarquest, the space age real estate game, is first published by Golden.
• Norma Phillips Thornworth is elected president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
• ATI Technologies is founded.
• NeXT is founded by Steve Jobs after he resigns from Apple Computer.
• The Tommy Hilfiger brand is established.
• The computer game Tetris is released.
• DNA is first used in a criminal case^[2]
• Greenland leaves the European Union.
• Multiple cases of espionage in the United States prompt the media to label this "The Year of the Spy".
• Africa has a population growth – 3.2% per year.

1985-December

• December 1
  • Ibero-American States Organization for Education, Science and Culture (Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura) (OEI) created.
  • The Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable are released for sale to the public.
• December 8 – South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) established.
• December 12 – Arrow Air Flight 1285, a Douglas DC-8, crashes after takeoff in Gander, Newfoundland, killing 256, 248 of whom were U.S. servicemen returning to Fort Campbell, Kentucky from overseeing a peacekeeping force in Sinai.
• December 16 – In New York City, Mafia bosses Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are shot dead in front of Spark's Steak House, making hit organizer John Gotti the leader of the powerful Gambino organized crime family.
• December 24 – Right wing extremist David Lewis Rice murders civil rights attorney Charles Goldmark as well as Goldmark's wife and 2 children in Seattle. Rice suspected the family of being Jewish and Communist and claimed his dedication to the Christian Identity movement drove him to the crime.
• December 27
  • Rome and Vienna airport attacks: Abu Nidal terrorists open fire in the airports of Rome and Vienna, leaving 18 dead and 120 injured.
  • American naturalist Dian Fossey is found murdered in Rwanda.
• December 31 – The last issue of The Columbus Citizen-Journal is circulated.