The always awesome Clayton Sandell, writing over at ILM.com journeyed to San Francisco for the 2026 ILM ‘Model Shop & Friends’ Reunion and brushed shoulders with a room full of legends whose shoulders have been stood on (with love and admiration) ever since, creatives whose inventiveness and skills laid the foundations for all modern visual effects work.
Throughout the evening, friends, former coworkers, and guests shared incredible stories and memories. They also celebrated the 90th birthday of Giovanni Donovan, a former ILM modelmaker with dozens of credits including Backdraft (1991), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
“We get so much feedback from people saying, ‘Thank you for doing this.’ They just love that we’re doing it, and they love to come together,” says Hall, who brought his own modelmaking skills to many films over the years, including Galaxy Quest (1999), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), and all three Star Wars prequels.