Producer of two Academy Award nominated short films, two-time Cable-Ace Award nominee and an Independent Film Spirit Award nominee, Bob Degus started from the ground up and has, at one point or another, done almost every job in filmmaking; including producer, writer, director, cinematographer, editor, studio-executive, post-production supervisor, and... most importantly, caterer.

Growing up in Rochester, NY, his parents, grandparents, even great-grandparents all worked for Eastman Kodak.  Some even knew George Eastman.  So, it was expected he’d go into film making.  He did – just his film making was done 3000 miles west of “Rochester” in Hollywood.   

He has produced films starring Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Gary Sinise, Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood, to name a few.  His films have screened at numerous film festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, Austin, and Boston.

He probably has produced or worked with more first time directors than just about any other producer in Hollywood, most notably producing Gary Ross’ feature debut film, the triple ACADEMY AWARD nominated PLEASANTVILLE which he produced alongside Steven Soderbergh and Jon Kilik. 

Moreover, Bob directly oversaw and helped to develop the protocols and procedures necessary to complete PLEASANTVILLE’s more than 1700 digital visual effects shots, building the 5th largest digital effects facility in the world right in the PLEASANTVILLE editorial offices, and then carried that process thru to the creation of the world’s first Digital Intermediate, a process now standard in motion pictures today. He then spent three months in Los Angeles overseeing the photo-chemically-complex release printing of the film for the entire US market, and was subsequently sent to Europe for eight weeks for the International releases.   He continued to work with Gary Ross for the next five years.

Bob also worked as a Production Executive at New Line Cinema, where he oversaw AUSTIN POWERS, TRIAL & ERROR with Jeff Daniels, B.A.P.S., with Halle Berry, amongst others; and numerous independent projects including the film adaptation of the Broadway play LOVE, VALOR, COMPASSION.

He was the Production Executive on F. Gary Gray’s highly successful feature-directorial debut film, FRIDAY and also worked with Gray again on SET IT OFF (which was New Line’s highest grossing film the year it was produced) and he later was a producer on F. Gary Gray’s, A MAN APART.

Early in his career, Bob served as head of production at Chanticleer Films where he oversaw, produced or was directly involved with more than 40 short-features, directed by first-time directors, made under the auspices of the award winning “The Discovery Program”, which received more than five ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS during the period he oversaw the program, and literally hundreds of other awards from film festivals throughout the world.

He also produced and conceptualized FUNK BLAST, the première centerpiece attraction at Paul Allen’s “Experience Music Project” Museum, in Seattle, where he brought together James Brown, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Chaka Kahn, and Herbie Hancock, producing a multi-screen, state-of-the-art 70mm ride-film, which not only dramatically advanced editing techniques in ride movies, but was groundbreaking for it’s use and development of cutting-edge motion-capture and face-replacement technologies that are just now being more commonly seen in high-end mainstream movies. 

Bob is well versed in Independent Cinema, producing the 35mm low-budget independent feature GRADUATION alongside Jane Sindell, Jason Blum, and Fred Fuchs. Prior to that, he directed and produced the award-winning independent feature, 9/TENTHS, starring Gabrielle Anwar, Henry Ian Cusick and Dave Baez.  He also directed and edited a 35mm short film, ANOTHER ROUND that was invited to screen at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, received an award at the Houston Film Festival, and was subsequently purchased by Showtime for airing on their network. 

Bob has been a guest speaker or moderator at; the Sundance Film Festival, Showbiz Expo, HD House–Park City, as well as writing articles for Videography Magazine, Park City Digital Report and Millimeter Magazine’s Exposure.

In addition to all this, Bob is a Fine Art Photographer.  His current work can be seen at www.bobdegus.com.

He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and regularly serves on the Foreign Language Film Award Nominating Committee.   He is also an active member of the Executive Board of his branch.