Educator
Barron's contribution to film education at AMPAS, USC and more

Lectures and Academia

 

​

As a public-programs lecturer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), Barron presents public screenings showcasing the art and technique of visual effects in classic studio films, often partnering with friend and fellow effects artist, sound designer Ben Burtt. The duo have been continuing guest hosts on the TCM Network and Barron has been an ongoing contributor to the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood since 2014. For their presentations, Barron and Burtt rely on extensive research and digital recreations to discover and uncover the hidden history of a century of film production. When preparing for a screening of Gunga Din, they visited the Lone Pine, California Alabama Hills location where the film was shot in 1938, and found pieces of the set buried there. Using camera drones, they then recreated the film's locations as CGI environments.

 

Barron has been an adjunct associate professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts since 2015. His "World of Visual Effects" course focuses on the history of visual effects in film and how visual effects have influenced narratives in filmmaking from its inception to today.