Born in Long Beach, CA. Visual and special photographic effects supervisor who entered American film in 1972. Notable credits include SILENT RUNNING (1972), STAR WARS (1977), "Battlestar Galactica" (1978, TV series and made-for-tv movie, also producer), AVALANCHE EXPRESS and STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (both 1979), CADDYSHACK (1980), FIREFOX (1982), LIFEFORCE (1985), INVADERS FROM MARS (1986, also 2nd unit director), MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN (1988), SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (1990), BATMAN FOREVER (1995), BATMAN & ROBIN (1997), STUART LITTLE (1999, also 2nd unit director), SPIDER-MAN (2002), SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004), THE DREAMLESS (2007), and HANCOCK (scheduled for 2008). Dykstra also directed Relevant Entertainment's 2007 animation feature TORTOISE AND HIPPO.  Visual Effects 1977: STAR WARS (w. John Stears, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune & Robert Blalack)  Scientific or Technical Awards (Class II) 1977: For development of the Dykstraflex camera and to Alvah J. Miller & Jerry Jeffress for the engineering of the Electronic Motion Control System used in concert for multiple exposure visual effects motion picture photography.  Nominated for Visual Effects 1979: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (w. Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich, Robert Swarthe, Dave Stewart & Grant McCune)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 1999: STUART LITTLE (w. Jerome Chen, Henry F. Anderson, III and Eric Allard)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 2002: SPIDER-MAN (w. Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara and John Frazier)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 2004: SPIDER-MAN 2 (w. Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara and John Frazier) 5 nominations, 2 Awards, 1 Scientific/Technical Award