Daniel Simon
{{Short description|German concept designer and automotive futurist}}
{{for|the German Paralympic swimmer|Daniel Simon (swimmer)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Daniel Simon
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|1975}}
| birth_place = Stralsund, Germany
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = concept designer and automotive futurist
| known_for = Cosmic Motors
| notable_works = TRON: Legacy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Tron: Uprising, Oblivion
| awards =
| website = http://danielsimon.com/
}}
Daniel Simon (born 1975) is a German concept designer and automotive futurist. He is best known for his vehicle designs in movies like Tron: Legacy and Oblivion,{{cite web| title=Tron designer: We tried to write a new chapter of beauty |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/tron-designer-we-tried-to-write-a-new-chapter-of-beauty/| last=Boucher |first=Geoff |publisher=Los Angeles Times Hero Complex |date=October 29, 2010}}{{cite web|title='Oblivion' and Tom Cruise: A closer look at the Bubble Ship design |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/oblivion-tom-cruise-bubble-ship-spacecraft-design-form-follows-function/#/0 | last=Keegan |first=Rebecca| publisher=Los Angeles Times Hero Complex |date=April 10, 2013}} and his book Cosmic Motors.{{cite news |title=Cars 2.0 Future Transport: Super Cool Sci-Fi Cars From Another Galaxy |publisher=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/multimedia/2008/09/gallery_cosmic_motors |last=Squatriglia |first=Chuck |access-date=September 6, 2008 |date=September 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907000545/http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/multimedia/2008/09/gallery_cosmic_motors |archive-date=September 7, 2008 }}
Early life
Simon grew up in Stralsund, Germany. From an early age he was interested in drawing cars from imagination, and at the age of 16 he decided to become a car designer. In 2001, Simon obtained his degree in automotive design at the University of Applied Science, Pforzheim.{{cite web| title=Interview with concept designer Daniel Simon |url=http://www.core77.com/blog/transportation/au_2011_interview_with_concept_designer_daniel_simon_part_1_-_from_bugatti_to_hollywood_21271.asp| last=Noe |first=Rain |publisher=core77.com |date=December 7, 2011}}
Automotive career
Simon began his design career in 1999 at Volkswagen (Wolfsburg) under the leadership of Hartmut Warkuss and designed cars for Seat and Lamborghini under the supervision of Walter de Silva. In 2001 he was contracted by the Volkswagen Group's advanced studio (Design Center Europe, Sitges), where he participated in the reincarnation of the Bugatti brand. He left the Volkswagen Group as a senior designer{{cite web | title=The Internet Movie Data Base | publisher=IMDb.com | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3229579/resume | access-date=February 17, 2009}} after completing a concept car in 2005.
Between 2005 and 2007, Simon continued consulting for Bugatti and developed futuristic virtual vehicles for his book Cosmic Motors, published in 2007 by Design Studio Press. Upon its release, Cosmic Motors topped the automotive best-seller list of online retailer Amazon.com.{{cite web| title=Book review: Cosmic Motors| publisher=CarDesignNews.com| url=http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/display/store4/item130729/| last=Sato| first=Takeshi| date=August 19, 2008| access-date=October 13, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205175632/http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/display/store4/item130729/| archive-date=February 5, 2012| url-status=dead}}
It has received positive reviews from design icons such as Chris Bangle, Freeman Thomas, Syd Mead and Ryan Church.{{cite web|title=Cosmic Motors - Seductive, fast and out of this world. |publisher=CG Channel |url=http://www.cgchannel.com/news/viewfeature.jsp?newsid=6798 |access-date=January 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104224722/http://www.cgchannel.com/news/viewfeature.jsp?newsid=6798 |archive-date=2008-01-04 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web | title=Cosmic Motors | publisher=CarDesignNews | url=http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item130729/ | access-date=August 19, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215070457/http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/new_cars/display/store4/item130729/ | archive-date=February 15, 2012 | url-status=dead }}
In 2011, Simon was appointed to "create a dynamic new corporate image" for the Hispania Formula One team's second season in Formula 1.{{cite news |url=http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26919:f1--hollywood-designer-appointed-to-create-new-hispania-formula-1-team-image&catid=1:f1&Itemid=157 |title=F1 : Hollywood designer appointed to create new Hispania Formula 1 team image |publisher=F1SA |date=23 January 2011 |access-date=July 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710215010/http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26919:f1--hollywood-designer-appointed-to-create-new-hispania-formula-1-team-image&catid=1:f1&Itemid=157 |archive-date=10 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} He designed the livery of the team's F111 car.
The newly established Lotus Motorcycles group hired Simon in 2013 as the designer for the first Lotus Motorcycle C-01.{{cite web|title=Lotus is launching a motorcycle.|url=http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/Lotus-is-launching-a-motorcycle-2013-06-24|publisher=Top Gear|date=June 25, 2013|access-date=October 14, 2013|archive-date=July 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715031358/http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/Lotus-is-launching-a-motorcycle-2013-06-24|url-status=dead}}
Film design career
Simon was hired in 2008 as vehicle concept designer on Tron: Legacy, the sequel to the 1982 film Tron by the Disney Studios,{{cite web | title=Tron 2 Vehicle Designer Daniel Simon Is an Intergalactric Hardware Visionary| publisher=Gizmodo | url=https://gizmodo.com/5157692/tron-2-vehicle-designer-daniel-simon-is-an-intergalactic-hardware-visionary| last=Rothman| first=Wilson| date=February 20, 2009| access-date=February 20, 2009}}{{cite web | title=Concept Art: Tron2 - Ride the Lightcycle| publisher=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3229579/news#ni0685060 | access-date=February 19, 2009}} and relocated from Germany to Los Angeles, California. He was involved in the creation of the Light Cycles, the Light Runner, the Light Jets, and several background vehicles.
In 2009, he became lead vehicle designer for Marvel Studios' 2011 Captain America: The First Avenger, under the production design of Rick Heinrichs and creative guidance of director Joe Johnston, creating unique land, sea and air vehicles for the movie.{{cite web| title = Next Movie: I Was A Vehicle Designer on Captain America| last=Zalben |first=Alex| publisher = MTV Geek| url = http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/07/19/next-movie-i-was-a-vehicle-designer-on-captain-america/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721101117/http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/07/19/next-movie-i-was-a-vehicle-designer-on-captain-america/| url-status = dead| archive-date = July 21, 2011| date= July 19, 2011| access-date = October 14, 2013}}
After collaborating with director Ridley Scott on early vehicle concepts for Prometheus in 2010, Simon served for over one year as the designer of the Bubbleship for the 2013 Universal sci-fi film Oblivion.{{cite web| title=Daniel Simon discusses his work on Prometheus. |url=http://www.3dartistonline.com/news/2012/05/daniel-simon-discusses-his-work-on-prometheus/| publisher=www.3dartistonline.com|last=Clee| first=Lynette| date=May 10, 2012| access-date=October 14, 2013}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" |
| align="center"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Award ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Organization ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Work ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Category ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Result |
| 2010
|ADG Excellence in Production Design Award |Fantasy Film |Nominated{{cite web | title=2010 Crew List of Nominees & Winners| publisher=Art Directors Guild | url=http://www.adg.org/?store=art&setTheme=OFF&art=2010_award | access-date=October 13, 2013}} |
| 2011
|ADG Excellence in Production Design Award |Captain America: The First Avenger |Fantasy Film | Nominated{{cite web | title=2011 Crew List of Nominees & Winners| publisher=Art Directors Guild | url=http://www.adg.org/?store=art&setTheme=OFF&art=2011_award | access-date=October 13, 2013}} |
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite journal|journal=GQ|issue=May 2009, Britain|pages=89|author=Paul Henderson|title=Why the traffic of tomorrow will be built by Cosmic Motors}}
- {{cite journal|journal=BBC Top Gear|issue=September 2008, U.K|pages=72–74|author=Matt Master|title=Dream Machine - Welcome to the bizarre and beautiful world of car designer Daniel Simon}}
- {{cite journal|journal=GQ|issue=May 2008, Germany|pages=80–82|author=Michael Brunnbauer|title=Per Mausklick durch die Galaxis. Ein Interview mit Daniel Simon}}
External links
- http://www.danielsimon.com/ — Official website
- {{IMDb name|id=3229579|name=Daniel Simon}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Daniel}}
Category:German automobile designers