Matt Sweeney, Oscar-Winning ‘Apollo 13’ VFX Artist, Dies at 75

Matt Sweeney, veteran visual effects artist who received three technical Oscars for his landmark work, has died at the age of 75 after a battle with lung cancer, according to Alliance of Special Effects & Pyrotechnic Operators (ASEPO).

“A special effects guru, industry legend, ASEPO founding member and past president, recipient of three technical achievement awards, and Oscar nominee,” read a statement on ASEPO’s Facebook page. “Matt is well recognized for his generous spirit and deep love of his craft. He etched his marks on this crazy business in so many ways that will persist long after all of us are gone.”

In 1984, Sweeney developed a capsule gun designed to simulate bullet hits in movie gunfight scenes and received his first Technical Academy Award three years later for the invention. His second Tech Oscar came in 1998 for a Liquid Synthetic Air system that created safely breathable fog, and his third came in 2002 for a mic rig system designed for car chase scenes and which was first used in “The Fast and the Furious.”

In addition to tech honors, Sweeney received a competitive Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination for his work on Ron Howard’s 1995 film “Apollo 13.” Other credits include “The Goonies,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” and “Natural Born Killers.”

Sweeney is survived by his wife and VFX partner Lucinda Foy.

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