Rocco Passionino (CS '89) had an unforgettable evening on September 13, 2003 when he won an Emmy Award for the Best Visual Effects in a Television Series for Firefly, a one-season science fiction show on the FOX network. The award was for the show's pilot episode, "Serenity."

   "It was a stunning and amazing night, one I hope I won't ever forget," Rocco said.

   Rocco has been using computers to produce realistic special effects in the entertainment industry since 1994. (He first worked on the film Apollo 13) He organized the ship-sinking sequence as part of the Academy Award winning visual effects team on the movie Titanic, developed the foot-crushing-the-street scene in the movie Godzilla, and brought to life the mini-hunter killer machines in the Terminator 2 3-D movie. His credits include many other films and television shows as well.

   Presently, as Digital Effects Supervisor for Zoic Studios, Rocco oversees the entire production pipeline for both the 2D and 3D divisions of the company. He also serves as Associate Visual Effects Supervisor for the WB/20th Century Fox Episodic TV Show Angel.

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