In the 1970s Grafton also began consulting in the motion picture industry, where the highly specialized lenses he designed for optical effects printers enabled the seamless blending of multiple images from different sources. Working with such special effects companies as Industrial Light & Magic and Boss Film Studios, he contributed to the production of numerous feature films including STAR WARS (1977), THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) and BLADE RUNNER (1982).
Scientific and Engineering Award (Plaque) 1980: For the optical design and engineering of a telecentric anamorphic lens for motion picture optical effects printers.
Scientific and Engineering Award (Plaque) 1986: For the design and development of a Zoom Aerial (ZAP) 65mm Optical Printer. (w. Richard Edlund, Gene Whiteman, Jerry Jeffress, Mark West & Bob Wilcox)
Gordon E. Sawyer Award (Statuette) 2007: A pioneering designer of lenses for optical effects printers, which at the time of their development were adopted by nearly every visual effects facility in the motion picture industry.
2 Scientific/Technical Awards, 1 Honorary Award