Hiroshi Katagiri(I)

Hiroshi Katagiri was born in Japan. Enamored by the artistry of film at a young age, he moved to the US at age 18 to pursue a career in special makeup effects. He became a primary artist at Stan Winston Studios, where he was a go-to effects guy for 3 films directed by Steven Spielberg - Jurassic Park, A.I., and War of the Worlds. Over time, he mastered the art of sculpture at the highest level, which led to him being a sought-after character (creature) designer - not only by Spielberg, but Rob Marshal, Guillermo Del Toro, Sam Raimi, and others. Though still young, Hiroshi has already amassed 39 film credits in special effects, 11 in makeup effects, still others as a puppeteer and lab tech, and has worked on such titles as Wolverine, Pirates of the Caribbean, Alien v Predator Requiem, Cabin in the Woods, and The Hunger Games. His TV credits include being part of an Emmy winning team for The X-Files. He is a true fan of the horror genre, has written and directed several acclaimed horror shorts, and now pursues his ultimate dream - to produce and direct a full length feature film that will scare the pants off its audience.

Hiroshi is dedicated to his craft, loves to work, and also loves to teach. His sculpture seminars are widely attended by budding effects artists in both the US and Japan. He is a longtime student of Aikido - a Japanese martial art that teaches one to "unify their life energy".