Bob Lambert died suddenly last week Friday Sept. 7 at his home in Glendale, Calif., his family said to the Associated Press. Lambert is a former Disney executive and played a crucial role in developing computer animated features and in the transition from film to digital cinema exhibition.
Bob Lambert was 55 years old and a cause of death was not released. Lambert spent 25 years at Disney and left in 2010 as part of a corporate restructuring strategy to bolster the company's shareholder value and operate more efficiently.
While working for Disney Feature Animation, Lambert created a new method for replacing cel animation with CGI production. He selected Steve Jobs' Pixar to design the software and oversaw the collaborative process between the companies. The digital production system that he created earned Disney an Academy Award for Scientific & Technical Achievement.
"I am deeply saddened by the passing of Bob Lambert," said MPAA chairman-CEO Chris Dodd in a statement. "A pioneer for both the creative and tech communities, Bob led us into the transition from celluloid film to digital and forever improved the quality of our films and our movie-watching experience. Few in our tech community were more respected or well-liked than Bob. He will be sorely missed by all of his many friends at the MPAA and its member companies."
Lambert also was chairman emeritus of USC's Entertainment Technology Center, a multi-company consortium founded in 1993 with the help of George Lucas. The ETC evaluates what consumers really want, then passes that information along to the makers of technology products.
The family has asked that in lieu of memorials or flowers, contributions in Lambert's name be made to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
