Academy Award winner Edward Jones has distinguished himself in the global entertainment and media services industry over the past four decades. Having contributed to over 200 films, many consider him one of the pioneers in digital media, specializing in visual effects and animation. 

Jones began his career with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and spent 13 years there in creative and management roles, breaking ground with accomplishments such as crafting the integration of the animation and live-action for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, for which he won an Academy Award®. Under Jones’ direction, the films Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Hook, and Jurassic Park launched the beginnings of digital technology as we know it today.

At ILM, Jones contributed to over 90 films, including blockbusters Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Ghostbusters I &II, Ghost, Back to the Future I, II, III, and the Indiana Jones trilogy.

In 1992, Jones founded and was the CEO/President at Cinesite, an Eastman Kodak subsidiary. He was responsible for launching Cinesite’s studios in Hollywood and London, and in 1996, he was the Visual Effects and Animation Supervisor for Michael Jordan’s Space Jam.

In 2001, Warner Bros. chose Jones to build and run ESC Entertainment, the groundbreaking visual effects studio responsible for Matrix Reloaded, Revolutions, Catwoman, and Constantine. As CEO of ESC, he led a team that developed a creative pipeline culminating in six patent applications filed by AOL/Time Warner.

Warner Bros. then asked Jones to join its Australia-based team in 2005 as Executive Producer on the animated feature Happy Feet. The film received an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and a Golden Globe.

Edward became Reel FX Studios CEO in 2008. He developed the company’s original animation projects, including the films Freebirds and Book of Life. In 2010, Jones joined James Cameron and Adam Adamson to produce Cirque du Soliel’s 3D stereoscopic film Worlds Away.

Edward has received the industry’s highest accolades, including an Academy Award® as Executive Producer on Happy Feet (2006), an Academy Award® and BAFTA award for Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988), a BAFTA award for The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and an Annie Technical Achievement award for Space Jam (1996).