Whittier College graduates have been leaving their mark on the Star Wars galaxy, from the very beginning, to its newest chapters, and the immersive world beyond.
Crafting the Original Legends
After graduating from Whittier with a psychology degree, Harrison Ellenshaw (Class of 1967) followed in his father’s footsteps and found work in Hollywood. His expertise with miniatures and matte painting—creating movie’s otherworldly backgrounds—led him to work on the original Star Wars (later renamed Episode IV: A New Hope).
“His work on ‘Star Wars’ was so well received that he was asked to return to work on [its sequel] ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’” according to Disney Fine Art.
After contributing to the most famous sci-fi movies ever made, Ellenshaw went on to become the first visual effects supervisor credited in a major motion picture, thanks to his work on the groundbreaking Tron. He also made history supervising the first all-digital restoration of a feature-length film: Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Ellenshaw now paints fine art, and his work has been exhibited in galleries in New York, London, and San Francisco.
Filming New Stories
At Whittier College, film classes fueled Kevin Sun’s (Class of 2012) passion for his would-be career.
“[Theatre professor Jennifer] Holmes helped me tackle a story’s perspective by completely ripping a movie apart and dissecting why each frame was used before it was cut to the next shot,” he said. “She inspired me to look at my movies through a very micro lens.”
After graduating, Sun worked freelance until he eventually found himself assisting behind the camera on the sets of major movies and series—including several episodes of The Book of Boba Fett.
Sun’s other credits include work on Ant-Man and the Wasp, HBO’s Euphoria and Westworld, and prestigious movies like Ford v Ferrari and Marriage Story.
Creating the Magic
Every inch of Disneyland’s immersive experience is carefully considered and crafted. As Imagineering Art Director, Michael Dobrzycki (Class of 1998) has been adding his creativity and imagination to the park for nearly two decades.
While working as a senior graphic designer, Dobrzycki put his mark on the visual identity on limited-time events like Star Wars: Season of the Force. The special event included a new addition to Star Tours and a reimagining of Space Mountain, and more. He also worked on several iconic Disneyland attractions—Autopia and Dumbo, just to name two.
“I think that if I had to describe my career course in a word, a good one would be organic,” said Dobrzycki, who joined the Disney Company as a regular cast member at Disneyland park while still studying art and history at Whittier. “I have always been willing to take on new duties and responsibilities as they present themselves, allowing (not forcing) my role to grow within the company. Often, these new roles required very different skill sets and might have different, sometimes competing definitions for success. I think that working in this way helps me to be a better and more understanding team player.”
According to him, it was the strong connections he formed with professors at the College that allowed him to develop his academic and artistic strengths. Moreover, he believes it was at Whittier where he gained the confidence to make a career in the visual arts.
