John Halas

Animator. Born as Janos Halasz in Budapest, 16 April 1912. Married Joy Batchelor in late 1930s. 1928–31 apprentice to George Pal; early 1930s spent 18 months in Paris, returned to Budapest and taught at Atelier, graphic design school; 1934—opened first animation studio, Halas, Macskasi and Kassowitz; 1936 moved to England; 1970 elected president of International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA); 1975 president of International Animated Film Association (ASIFA); also chairman of the Federation of Film Societies; and contributing editor and film/TV correspondent to Novum (Munich); 1982—produced the world's first fully digitized film, Dilemma. Died: 21 January 1995.

John Halas's interest in advanced forms of animation technology took him into computer animation in the early period of its development in the 1960s. The computer, once mastered as an ally, can cut costs as well as increase limitlessly the artistic propensities of the filmmaker. Halas's first production using the computer was a series of films on mathematics made in 1967; he originated his own computer language: HALAB. His later interests have included the investigation of hologram and laser techniques.

http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Gi-Ha/Halas-John-and-Joy-Batchelor.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Halas