Con Pederson, one of four special effects supervisors on Stanley Kubrick’s landmark film 2001: A Space Odyssey, died on December 2 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund residence in Woodland Hills after complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 91.
Pederson was a central figure in the creation of the 1968 science fiction classic, working alongside Douglas Trumbull, Wally Veevers and Tom Howard. Their collective efforts earned Kubrick the Academy Award for best visual effects in 1969.
On set, Pederson ran what was known as the war room, where visual effects shots were designed, scheduled, tracked and assessed. Each shot combined as many as eight to ten elements on the original camera negative, a laborious process that often took months to complete.
Reflecting on that work, Trumbull later said the post-production of 2001 was «epic in its complexity», adding that Pederson was «the smartest guy in the room» and that the film «absolutely would not have happened without Con».
From analogue effects to digital pioneers
After 2001, Pederson helped shape the future of visual effects by co-founding the influential computer animation company Robert Abel and Associates. There, he worked as both an animator and programmer alongside Bob Abel, blending artistic instincts with technical innovation.
Following the company’s closure, Pederson continued his career as a creative lead at Metrolight Studios with Tim McGovern, remaining a respected presence in the industry as visual effects entered the digital age.
John Nelson, who met Pederson during his time at Robert Abel and Associates, described him as «a constant source of wisdom and knowledge». Nelson said Pederson was «a Renaissance man who was both an artist and a technician», capable of animating by hand or writing computer code to generate imagery.
Early life and wide-ranging interests
Before entering filmmaking, Pederson studied art and anthropology at UCLA and was hired by Disney after producing student films. He was later drafted into the U.S. Army, where he worked on rocket projects with Wernher von Braun.
He went on to join Graphic Films, where he wrote and directed the 1964 short To the Moon and Beyond for the world’s fair. Kubrick saw the film and subsequently recruited Pederson for 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Outside his professional work, Pederson created crossword puzzles published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. He was also an avid fan of science fiction and enjoyed hiking, sailing and collecting and building objects using bricks gathered from across the United States.
Pederson is survived by his wife Carole, his son Eric, stepchildren Tracey and Morgan and grandchildren Alex and Vivi.
