Oscar Night is always an exciting one as people gather around the television with pizza, snacks, and bets on who will take home the coveted golden statue. This year, the Oscars were especially exciting — Bucknell’s very own graduate, Bill Westenhofer, received the Academy Award, along with his partners, for “Best Visual Effects” in the film Life of Pi.
After graduating from Bucknell in 1990 with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering, Bill went on to get his Masters at George Washington University. He is now living the life we all dream of – he resides in Southern California, is happily married with two children, and is working in the industry he loves; he works as VFX supervisor for Rhythm and Hues Studios. As a student at Bucknell, however, Bill had the same dilemmas we all have, ranging from uncertainty about what to get for dinner to uncertainty about what to do with life post-graduation. I was lucky enough to get in touch with Bill and ask him some questions that will give us a better understanding of the man behind the golden award.
What was the last book you read?
“Heart of the Sea” by Nathaniel Philbrick
What are your favorite breakfast foods?
Eggs & Belgian waffles
Batman, Superman, or Spiderman and why?
Batman — he doesn’t get to “cheat” by using superhuman powers – it’s all up to his genius, invention, and physical training.
What was your favorite drink when you were at Bucknell?
Beer and the occasional Kamikaze
What was your favorite spot on campus?
It’s a tie between the Lambda Chi house and the golf course.
What is your dream vacation?
The moon, or at least orbiting the earth.
If I were to open your refrigerator right now, what would I find?
A lot of health juices – my wife has me on a cleanse right now. Oh, and extra bottles of champagne from recent celebrations ;)
If you could be any fiction character who would you be?
Neville Longbottom. I always root for the underdog.
What was your initial reaction when they called you and your partner’s names as the winner of Best Visual Effects?
“Oh crap, now I have to get up on stage and speak” followed immediately by “don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip…”
What is one piece of advice you would give to a senior about to go off into the world?
Always remember that your degree is just a start. While you most certainly learned a lot of specific skills in your area of study, what you really gained was the “skill of learning”. You never know where your life and career will take you and more often than not, it will be doing something you never imagined. I certainly never dreamed I’d be holding an Oscar (or two!) while I was studying for my physics final in the Bertrand Library. With luck, you can carry forth that ability to learn new things and take advantage of new opportunities as they present themselves. Enjoy the ride!
Here is a link to the acceptance speech: http://oscar.go.com/blogs/real-time/19