[1] Expanding into film production in the 1970s, Nelson helped George Lucas in launching Industrial Light & Magic and took part in the making of the first Star Wars.
Among his survivors are his wife of 36 years, Barbara; his two daughters, Kimberley and Leslie; and his younger brother, The Black Hole director Gary Nelson.
Nelson was also supervising sound editor on many of the iconic films of the "New Hollywood" or "American New Wave" movement in the late '60s and early '70s.
This led to Nelson being hired as supervising sound editor of the landmark counterculture film Easy Rider, on which Rafelson and Schneider served as producers.
The latter film earned Nelson a Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors; he won another for Richard Rush's Freebie and the Bean.
From 1975 through 1977, Nelson oversaw the administration and management of ILM, helping to build the company from scratch in a warehouse near Van Nuys Airport.
In 1984, Nelson assisted Richard Edlund in founding Boss Film Studios, launched through the acquisition of Douglas Trumbull's Entertainment Effects Group (EEG).
While at EEG/Boss, Nelson consulted on such films as Ghostbusters, 2010, Fright Night, Big Trouble in Little China and The Monster Squad.