The Quebec cinema community is devastated by the death of entrepreneur Daniel Langlois, a pioneer of the new seventh art technologies who revolutionized the world of visual effects forever.
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“The cinematic legacy of Daniel Langlois is immense,” reacted producer Roger Frappier (“The Decline of the American Empire”) on Sunday, still dismayed by the announcement of the death of the Quebec entrepreneur, who died on Friday along with his wife Found dead in charred hospital car in Dominica.
Daniel Langlois, with his company Softimage, founded in 1986, developed the first software that enabled the creation of 3D computer animations.
This then-revolutionary software was used to design the visual effects of the 1993 film Jurassic Park.
“The starting point for everything we do today in special effects was Daniel Langlois,” recalls Roger Frappier.
“He was the first to develop software at Softimage that made it possible to create special effects using a computer. Obviously this technology improved much later, but the starting point of all this was him with his software.
After Jurassic Park, Softimage software was used for the visual effects of several other major Hollywood productions such as Titanic, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. Daniel Langlois sold his company to Microsoft in 1994 for $200 million. This sale also allowed certain artists, including Yvon Deschamps and Michel Rivard, to receive $800,000 after initially investing $10,000.
Above all
Several personalities from the visual effects industry also paid tribute to Daniel Langlois on social networks on Sunday.
“I am one of those who has the privilege of continuing to make new dreams come true in the same building where Daniel Langlois founded Softimage, which later became part of Microsoft and then Avid. “We owe a lot to Daniel’s original vision,” wrote Shailendra Mathur, vice president of architecture and technology at Avid Technology, on Linkedln.
For his part, Loudon Owen says he was approached by Mr. Langlois in the late 1980s to invest in Softimage. Over the years, a working relationship and also a friendship developed between them.
“He lived more or less five years, ten years before anyone else,” Mr. Owen argued in an interview with Le Journal. It’s an incredible shock. He was a friend. He’s someone I have so much respect for.”
“I work professionally with entrepreneurs, […] and he had more integrity than anyone else. He was someone very special,” he adds.
A patron
After the sale of Softimage, Daniel Langlois continued to be involved in the world of cinema and new technologies by taking on the role of patron.
In addition to establishing a foundation in his name to support artistic and scientific projects, in 1999 he founded Ex-Centris, a state-of-the-art cinema complex that unfortunately closed its doors in 2016.
The Quebec entrepreneur has also been a key ally of the Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC), Canada’s oldest film festival.
“Daniel was a great supporter of Quebec cinema,” recalls Roger Frappier. He has made contacts with many filmmakers in the industry. Everything he did in his career was unique, forward-thinking and visionary. This loss is a great catastrophe. It is unimaginable that someone like him would end up in such conditions.”
Daniel Langlois was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1999 and a Knight of the Order of Canada in 2000. He also received a Scientific and Technical Oscar in 1997 for his contribution to the world of cinema.
Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, also did not fail to highlight his legacy.
“His company Softimage created 3D images for films like @StarWars and touched generations. The legacy he leaves us reflects his innovative spirit. “My thoughts are with his loved ones,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.
Daniel Langlois, visionary of digital technologies and cinema, has died. His company Softimage created 3D images for films such as @War of starsMark generations.
The legacy he leaves us reflects his innovative spirit. My thoughts are with his loved ones.🕊️
— Pascale St-Onge (@PascaleStOnge_) December 3, 2023