en , ▁the ▁film ▁util ized ▁numerous ▁effects ▁sh ots , ▁this ▁time ▁achieved ▁with ▁stop ▁motion . ▁Van lint ▁was ▁initially ▁approached ▁by ▁Scott ▁to ▁shoot ▁his ▁follow - up ▁film ▁Bla de ▁Run ner , ▁but ▁he ▁turned ▁the ▁offer ▁down ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Jordan ▁C ron en w eth . ▁Director ▁James ▁Camer on ▁asked ▁Van lint ▁to ▁film ▁Ali en ' s ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁sequ el , ▁but ▁Van lint ▁instead ▁recommended ▁his ▁prote ge ▁Ad rian ▁B iddle , ▁whom ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁focus ▁pull er ▁and ▁camera ▁operator ▁on ▁the ▁original . ▁Until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Van lint ▁worked ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁commer ci als ▁in ▁his ▁native ▁Canada , ▁though ▁he ▁briefly ▁returned ▁to ▁feature ▁films ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁handling ▁special ▁effects ▁phot ography ▁for ▁the ▁X - Men ▁and ▁serving ▁as ▁D P ▁and ▁director ▁on ▁the ▁horror ▁thr iller ▁The ▁Sp reading ▁Gr ound , ▁st arring ▁Dennis ▁Ho pper . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁entered ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 2 nd ▁Moscow ▁International ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁ ▁Van lint ▁died ▁in ▁Toronto ▁following ▁a ▁short ▁ill ness ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁He ▁was ▁ 7 7 ▁years ▁old . ▁Through out ▁his ▁career , ▁he ▁worked ▁on ▁advert is ements ▁for ▁such ▁companies ▁as ▁British ▁Air ways , ▁Che v ro let , ▁C oca - Col a , ▁General