Randy Roberts created some of Abel's best-known CG pieces, including the studio's first raster graphics short, High Fidelity. © Robert Abel and Associates.

The Rise of CGI
Manufactured in Utah by the renowned team of Evans & Sutherland, the E&S computer could generate vector graphics. It was used largely for flight simulators at that time, but Abel saw its potential for “previsualizing” complex visual effects shots -- creating a kind of moving blueprint that could be manipulated interactively. The virtual camera moves created on the E&S could then be used to drive motion control cameras with remarkable precision. It was an idea whose impact resonates to this day.

Before long, the E&S became useful for more than previs -- programming gurus like Bill Kovacs began filming images off the E&S' monitor and creating "CG" effects. Kovacs would lead the RA&A software team in creating a menu of CG techniques before leaving to found the successful software company Wavefront Technologies.
The vector graphics created at the studio during these days brought Abel a measure of recognition in feature film circles via images for the movie Tron. RA&A alumnus Richard Taylor was the movie's supervisor, and he provided the opportunity for Abel and other fledgling studios to create the movie industry's first CG feature film effects.

Sadly, the box office failure of Tron cooled opportunities to create more CG effects for quite some time -- both for RA&A and other fledgling CG studios. But Abel, invigorated by the creative potential of computer-generated commercials, became an ardent champion of this new medium. Through numerous speeches and SIGGRAPH presentations, Bob put a face on the emerging field of CGI.

Abel thought big. RA&A rode the rising tide of CG effects in the ‘80s and Abel added live action and rock video divisions. His vision included a costly, unsuccessful effort to market the studio's CG software.

A New Generation
To accomplish his goals, Abel nurtured a new generation of artists to create the studio's string of award-winning CG spots. Kenny Mirman, who had worked on Tron, directed a series of innovative commercials for clients like TRW and Benson & Hedges. Mirman has likened Abel to Jedi master Obi-wan Kenobi, for the way he mentored the talent at RA&A. Bob believed "one of the things that makes us special is that we pool people's talents," and RA&A paired art and technical directors together in highly productive ways.

Just as Mirman collaborated with technical whiz Frank Vitz (who went on to create Universal Studio's Spider-Man ride-film), director Randy Roberts created breakthrough work with Tim McGovern (who became a charter member of Sony Imageworks after his RA&A days.) Roberts, now a director at Rhythm & Hues, created some of Abel's best-known CG pieces, including the studio's first raster graphics short, High Fidelity, and the prize-winning Sexy Robot commercial, which presaged modern MoCap animation.

Abel, an admitted workaholic, pushed his younger associates to the limit, as he had done since the beginning of RA&A. "If you don't live up to the tradition, you're off the squad. It motivates people to out-do what they've done before. I think that 'fear factor' -- that someone might be gaining on us -- is probably the greatest motivator. None of us thinks that the brilliant thing we've just done is something that we can retire on."

The End Of An Era
Abel was right about increasing competition, which came not only from his studio's cross-town rival, Digital Prods., but also from companies like Pixar, R/Greenberg Associates and PDI. RA&A rode the rising tide of CG effects throughout much of the 1980s, and the studio ballooned in size as Bob added live action and rock video divisions. Abel's sweeping vision even included a costly, unsuccessful effort to market the studio's CG software.