Younger brother of visual effects and miniature effects artists Dennis Skotak. Visual effects supervisor who entered American film as a miniature designer and constructor for BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS (1989). Other notable (non-nominated) credits include ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981), THE AFTERMATH (1982, also production designer), CREATURE (1985), THE ABYSS (1989), SYNGENOR (1990), BATMAN RETURNS and CAPTAIN RON (1992), HEART AND SOULS (1993), CLIFFORD and NO ESCAPE (both 1994), TANK GIRL, THE ARRIVAL and T2 3-D: BATTLE ACROSS TIME (1996), TITANIC (1997), HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1999), THE TUXEDO (2002), X2 (2003), THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004), FAILURE TO LAUNCH and TRAPPED ASHES (both 2006), CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2007), and STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER (scheduled for 2008 release . Skotak is also a noted film historian; he is the author of Island Earth (1989, Samuel French) and Ib Melchior: Man of Imagination (2000, Midnight Marquee Press), and he has contributed dozens of articles to film magazines and compilations, including This Island Earth (Universal Film Scripts Classic Science Fiction, Volume 1) edited by Philip J. Reily (1990, Magicimage Filmbooks).  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1986: ALIENS (w. Stan Winston, John Richardson & Suzanne Benson)  Best Achievement in Visual Effects 1991: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (w. Dennis Muren, Stan Winston & Gene Warren, Jr.) 2 nominations, 2 Awards