Biography
Brett Leonard (born May 14, 1959) is an American director and producer of films and music videos, specializing in science fiction and horror. His films, including The Lawnmower Man (1992) and Virtuosity (1995), are notable for pioneering computer animation and visual effects.
Leonard distinguished himself through his early work with the IMAX 3D format, directing T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous in IMAX 3D. This film became the first 3D movie to top the box office and gross over $100 million worldwide solely on IMAX screens.
He gained attention by bringing his Swarm Cam-Fusion Station to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where, alongside guest Billy Idol, he executed one of the earliest live webcasts from the House of Blues in Los Angeles.
Creative Artists Agency and Intel Corporation commissioned him to direct an advanced interactive show for the CAA/Intel Media Lab, aimed at introducing Hollywood to the future of entertainment. This project involved digitizing actor Danny DeVito and using live performance animation to create "Mr. Head," an interactive animated character who guided participants through the experience.
In the music video realm, Leonard directed Peter Gabriel's "Kiss That Frog," the first all-CGI music video and motion simulator ride film to tour globally. This project became a popular themed entertainment attraction and earned him a 1994 MTV Music Video Award.
In 2009, Leonard directed the documentary Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed, which chronicles the story of Vertus Hardiman and nine other children from Lyles Station, Indiana. In 1927, these children were exposed to severe radiation during a medical experiment at the local county hospital, falsely presented as a treatment for ringworm. Vertus, the youngest at five years old, later shared his story with writer/producer Wilbert Smith after two decades of friendship. The documentary exposes the serious physical damage caused by the experiment, including Vertus’s irradiated and malformed skull.
In 2012, Leonard developed PopFictionLife, a new musical cinema concept tailored for the rise of small high-definition screens on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. PopFictionLife "FragFilms" are full-length feature films with multiple free "Frags" (fragments) designed to be viewed, shared, and embedded across social media, blogs, and websites. His latest project in this format is The Other Country—Starring Burlap to Cashmere, featuring Samantha Lockwood and America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Fox.
In 2017, Leonard advocated for using the term "virtual experience" instead of "virtual reality.
