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Not every aspiring special-effects artist gets an internship at Stan Winston Studio in Los Angeles. In fact, in summer 2007, only two did. One came from Germany, and the other was Anthony Kosar, Illustration major from the American Academy of Art.

For over thirty years, Stan Winston Studio has been creating some of the most memorable creatures in movies. Their credits include such blockbusters as Jurassic Park, Alien, The Terminator, and Edward Scissorhands. They maintain the highest artistic standards and select teams of professional artists to work collaboratively on each production.

Some might think it was destiny that got Anthony Kosar on the team at Stan Winston Studio. Kosar grew up in an artistic family with a love of the stage. "I was on stage as far back as I can remember," Kosar says. From third through sixth grades he performed in the Chicago productions of The Nutcracker.

In junior high, Kosar started to make the transition to visual art. Fascinated by films made by Stan Winston Studio and motivated by his own enthusiasm for Halloween, Kosar created his first zombie mask when he was in eighth grade. The trial-and-error process took him three-and-a-half months.

That kind of dedication and persistence is still evident in Kosar's work today. Kosar was recently recognized by the Annual Collegiate Artists Competition with an honorable mention, and he won the Illustration award and the Peter Berry Award at the annual juried student show at the Academy in 2007.

Kosar's internship with Stan Winston Studio was also a direct result of the high quality of his work. The opportunity came through contacts made by Kosar's sister, who is currently pursuing her own career in film making. On a trip to California with Kosar's mother, she took Kosar's portfolio along and after showing his work to a sound designer, found herself with an appointment to show his work to Stan Winston Studio. When Kosar received the call about the offer of an internship, he was completely speechless.

Kosar says the two-and-a-half months spent interning at the studio was his most valuable learning experience yet. In addition to the artistic experience gained, he had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the industry "greats," including Jordu Schell and Joe Gomez. He gained invaluable advice and insights into the special effects industry through these new contacts.

Some of the projects Kosar worked on during his internship are coming soon to a theater (or television) near you. He worked with a team on the new Indiana Jones film (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) to be released in May 2008. The team had to create five duplicates of the same skeleton for a single character in the film. He was also part of a team that created over 850 action figures and life-sized guns for two of the popular Halo III "Believe" commercials.

Kosar also had the unique opportunity to work on a film set. He acknowledged that it is rare for someone working in special effects to get to be present during shooting, but he learned a lot from the experience.

Kosar's advice to other aspiring artists is simple: "Never sleep. Keep working. Be your own best critic, and always keep growing." Kosar says being an artist is as hard as being a doctor or lawyer. "My friends in law school and med school have time to go to parties. I don't. The artist's job isn't 9-5."

Kosar plans to move to Los Angeles following his graduation from the Academy this spring. Some may think of it as fate, but to Anthony Kosar his future is determined by hard work and dedication,

Look out Hollywood!