Behind the Set
William Davis watched TV on a sick day at age 5. When he saw the 1933 “King Kong,” he knew what he wanted to do in life. The classic monster movie pioneered the use of special effects, such as stop-motion animation, rear projection and matte painting. It inspired Davis, BFA ’85, Design and Technical Theatre, to produce his own Super 8 movies with dinosaur models and clay. In the 1960s and 1970s, Super 8 was a preferred film format that evoked a gritty, home movie-look. Today Davis is an artistic presence in film and TV with Emmy nominations and credits that include “Stranger Things,” “October Sky,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill.” He’s currently working on a new “Swamp Thing” TV show that will premiere on the DC Universe streaming service in 2019.