Writer, director, and producer Hal Barwood was born and raised in Hanover, New Hampshire, where his father ran a local movie theater. Barwood graduated with honors from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then attended the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, where he crossed paths with both George Lucas and future frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins.
During his time at USC, Barwood co-wrote screenplays with Robbins for several notable films, including Steven Spielberg's debut feature "The Sugarland Express," the sports comedy "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings," the science fiction classic "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and the biographical epic "MacArthur." Barwood also had a small role in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
In addition to his work on feature films, Barwood co-wrote and produced two films directed by Robbins: the coming-of-age comedy "Corvette Summer" and the fantasy cult favorite "Dragonslayer." Barwood's sole directorial effort for a theatrical feature was the medical horror film "Warning Sign."
From 1990 to 2003, Barwood worked as a director, producer, and scriptwriter for LucasArts, a video game company. His work on the 1992 game "Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis" is perhaps his most notable contribution to the gaming world. He was named one of the top 25 game designers in America by "PC Gamer" magazine in August 1999.
Barwood's video game design credits include "Star Wars: Yoda Stories," "RTX Red Rock," "Zengemsi," and "Mata Hari." Today, he resides in Portland, Oregon, and works as a freelance independent contractor for his company Finite Arts.
