Rhythm and Hues

Since 1987, John Hughes has led Rhythm & Hues Studios, widely recognized as one of the world’s leading producers of computer-generated animation and visual effects for entertainment and advertising. As the company’s president and founder, John is committed to providing a collaborative and supportive work environment for the hundreds of digital artists and staff who work in the studio’s facilities in Los Angeles, India and Malaysia.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota, where he received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well as a Bachelors in Economics - John was working at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, when he was invited by a friend to venture westward to Los Angeles to join the pioneering motion graphics firm Robert Abel and Associates. There, he designed and developed motion control camera systems, paving the way for some of the first use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in feature films and commercials.

Anticipating the wide acceptance of digitally created media, John and a small group of former Abel employees founded Rhythm & Hues Studios in 1987 in Los Angeles. They developed proprietary software that quickly established a high standard for both photo-real and stylized character animation and visual effects. Today, the studio is in its 24th year of continuous operation, with two Academy Awards for Achievement in Visual Effects (for “Babe,” 1995 and “The Golden Compass,” 2007). R& H has also received four Scientific and Technical Academy Awards.

In addition to his role at Rhythm & Hues, John is committed to improving education for California students. He currently serves as Chairman of the Education Committee for the Digital Coast Roundtable, and Chair of the Digital Coast Foundation. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for the Entertainment Economy Institute, a ten-year old initiative to respond to the current and future workforce needs of all segments of the entertainment industry, and the Workforce Investment Board, collaboration between government and private industry, which oversees all federal and state training funding for the City of Los Angeles. Previously, John was a member of the California Superintendent of School’s Task Force for the Visual and Performing Arts, and a Board Member of the California Alliance for Arts Education.

Under John’s guidance, Rhythm & Hues encourages future generations of artists, through apprenticeships to promising students and tours of the studio’s facilities, open to visitors from around the world.