Born in Atlanta, raised on Air Force bases. After graduation from the San Francisco Art Institute, Gary apprenticed at John Korty’s Mill Valley studio as an animator of childrens’ films, creating and directing animation and live action segments for SESAME STREET and THE ELECTRIC COMPANY and collaborating on miniature effects for FAREWELL TO MANZANAR. Around this time, Gary was contracted by Jerry Garcia to create the main title and 8 minute animated opening of THE GRATEFUL DEAD MOVIE, a sequence acclaimed in reviews by every major newspaper in the US ( DVD release 2004 ). This was the beginning of many collaborations with Garcia over the years... Poster and graphic design, several music videos, including TOUCH OF GREY and a surreal title sequence for the CBS revival of THE TWILIGHT ZONE television series for which Garcia had composed the score. In 1977, Gary formed Colossal Pictures, an animation and live action production company in partnership with Drew Takahashi. The company soon outgrew its basement studio, and over the span of 20 years grew to comprise a hundred and eighty employees, an animation studio and live action /visual effects stages. Colossal became nationally recognized as a prime supplier of animated and live action TV commercials, broadcast IDs for MTV, CARTOON NETWORK and THE DISNEY CHANNEL, visual effects and title sequences for TV and features as well as content development and production for MTV, including LIQUID TELEVISION and the animated AEON FLUX series. In the early days of Colossal, Gary storyboarded racing and riding sequences for THE BLACK STALLION, created its visual effects title sequence and award winning poster. Produced by Francis Coppola, this was first of many projects for American Zoetrope: title sequences for ONE FROM THE HEART, THE COTTON CLUB, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, GARDENS OF STONE, TUCKER : THE MAN AND HIS DREAM and title sequence design and VFX for BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, JACK, and SUPERNOVA ( Coppola’s uncredited re-edit ). After THE BLACK STALLION, Ballard recommended Gary to Phillip Kaufman to storyboard THE RIGHT STUFF for presentation to Alan Ladd Jr., after which USFX was formed to produce over 450 shots for the movie. The critically praised work was followed by VFX supervision for TOP GUN, THE RUNNING MAN and FLIGHT 93, among many others. While at Colossal Pictures, Gary directed tons of commercials, including CHEVROLET, HONDA, SCHWEPPES, SEGA, NINTENDO, COCA COLA, MASTERCARD, LEVIS, GENERAL FOODS, INTEL, WALT DISNEY PICTURES and PARAMOUNT PICTURES. Directed shorts with STEVEN WRIGHT for MTV, comedy pilots for BRANDON TARTIKOFF and ALAN KING PRODUCTIONS. Directed music videos for ROBERT PALMER, LOU REED with SAM MOORE (of Sam & Dave), THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND and THE LITHUANIAN FOLK CHOIR. Gary left Colossal Pictures in 1996, accepting an invitation to base at American Zoetrope, occasionally contributing to projects there while working independently.