Educated at Stanford University [bachelor's degree 1981, master's degree 1983 (mechanical engineering and design)]. By 1986, Conti, who grew up on the special effects of STAR WARS and ET, was working for George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic, creating mechanical whales for STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME. He formed Edge Innovations in 1990, a Mountain View, CA, company that designs and builds mechanical animals for Hollywood movies: "SeaQuest DSV" (1993, TV - dolphin), MAVERICK (1994 - rattlesnake), FLIPPER (1996 - dolphin), ANACONDA (1997 - snake), FREE WILLY 1, 2 & 3 (1993, 1995 & 1997 - whale), ZEUS AND ROXANNE (1997 - dolphin), DEEP BLUE SEA (1999 - sharks), THE PERFECT STORM (fish) and CAST AWAY (both 2000), AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002, shark effects), THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004),and FAILURE TO LAUNCH (2006 - dolphin).  Nominated for Achievement in Visual Effects 2000: THE PERFECT STORM (w. Stefen Fangmeier, Habib Zargarpour & John Frazier) 1 nomination