Born in Glendale, CA. Fascinated by film trickery from childhood, he began experimenting with a cheap 8mm camera at age 10 and read voraciously on the subject. In 1968, his freshman year as a business major in college, he produced and directed EQUINOX, a feature-length science fiction film, with $8,000 he borrowed from friends. Producer Jack E. Harris bought the rights to the 16mm film, had it partly reshot with additional scenes by director-writer Jack Woods, and released it in 1970 with Muren's special effects footage intact. For the remainder of his college days Muren supported himself by working on TV commercials. After graduating, he tried unsuccessfully to raise money for film production. The turning point in his career came when he joined George Lucas's then-fledgling special-effects shop, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), as a stop-motion and miniature photography specialist, fields in which he has few rivals. He has since supervised the production of effects for several megabuck films notable for their flamboyant technique. As senior effects supervisor at ILM, he presided over the development of computer animation as a major special effects technique in such films as JURASSIC PARK (1993), CASPER (1995) and STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999). Other notable (non-nominated) film credits include STAR WARS (1977 - miniature and optical effects unit), DRAGONSLAYER (1981), CAPTAIN EO (1986), EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987 - add'l optical effects), GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989), TWISTER (1986), STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) and THE HULK (2003).  Special Achievement Award 1980: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - Visual Effects (w. Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund & Bruce Nicholson)  Nominated for Visual Effects 1981: DRAGONSLAYER (w. Ken Ralston, Phil Tippett & Brian Johnson)  Technical Achievement Award (Citation) 1981: For the development of a Motion Picture Figure Mover for animation photography. (w. Stuart Ziff, both of Industrial Light and Magic, Inc.)  Visual Effects 1982: E.T. -- THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (w. Carlo Rambaldi & Kenneth F. Smith)  Special Achievement Award 1983: RETURN OF THE JEDI - Visual Effects (w. Richard Edlund, Ken Ralston & Phil Tippett)  Visual Effects 1984: INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (w. Michael McAlister, Lorne Peterson & George Gibbs)  Nominated for Visual Effects 1985: YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (w. Kit West, John Ellis & David Allen)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1987: INNERSPACE (w. William George, Harley Jessup & Kenneth F. Smith)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 1988: WILLOW (w. Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett & Chris Evans)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1989: THE ABYSS (w. John Bruno, Hoyt H. Yeatman, Jr. & Dennis Skotak)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1991: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (w. Stan Winston, Gene Warren, Jr., & Robert Skotak)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1993: JURASSIC PARK (w. Stan Winston, Phil Tippett & Michael Lantieri)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 1997: THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (w. Stan Winston, Randal M. Dutra & Michael Lantieri)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 1999: STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (w. John Knoll, Scott Squires & Rob Coleman)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 2001: A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (w. Scott Farrar, Stan Winston & Michael Lantieri)  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 2005: WAR OF THE WORLDS (w. Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra & Daniel Sudick) 13 nominations, 6 Awards, 2 Special Achievement Awards, 1 Scientific/Technical Award