Foundation Imaging was a CGI visual effects studio, computer animation studio, and post-production editing facility that pioneered digital imaging for television programming using Newtek's LightWave 3D on Commodore Amiga based Video Toaster workstations. Founded by Paul Beigle-Bryant and Ron Thornton, they are best known for their work on the science fiction series Babylon 5. Their Emmy Award winning work on the pilot episode of Babylon 5 popularised the usage of Lightwave 3D on US TV shows for CGI visual effects, leading to it becoming an industry standard. After they were replaced by Netter Digital on the series after its third season, the company was primarily contracted to work with Paramount's Star Trek television properties (winning two more Emmys for their work on Voyager), as well as providing CG visuals for the Warner Brothers direct-to-video animated movies based on Batman:The Animated Series.
The company was dissolved after work on season one of Star Trek: Enterprise had been completed and the company assets were sold off in a public auction on December 17, 2002 by Brian Testo Associates, LLC. Key animators from the company, Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz and John Teska remain major figures in the visual effects field for their work on shows such as the rebooted Battlestar Galactica and Lost.
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