He was an award-winning filmmaker and visual effects visionary. He was on the forefront of the digital revolution, using computers for visual effects as early as the 1970's. In 1971, he and his partner Con Pederson established Robert Abel and Associates, which would become one of the premiere commercial studios of its day. It was well known for its innovative computer generated imagery, as in the daring commercial "Sexy Robot" and the trailblazing feature film "Tron". He directed such movies as "Let the Good Times Roll", "Elvis on Tour" (also wrote and produced), "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" (also produced) and "Sophia: A Self-Portrait" (also wrote and produced). He died of complications following a heart attack.