Charles Darby
Digital Matte Painting Supervisor/ VFX Design and Consulting

After studying painting under Charles Cecil in Florence, and then at Goldsmiths College, London, Charles headed west to LA, where he worked at Digital Domain and Cinesite LA, before founding the renowned visual effects art studio Digital Firepower.
Over the last ten years in Hollywood, Charles has created virtual environments through the medium of digital matte paintings, designing shots for over forty A-list feature films including Academy and BAFTA award-winning work on films such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Fifth Element, Titanic, The Matrix, and Minority Report.

Returning to London, Charles’ most recent work includes Girl with a Pearl Earring, Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban and I Robot.

Whether to realize classic two dimensional matte paintings, or to construct complex three dimensional paintings that allow greater movement, Charles is a passionate advocate for the versatility of matte painting as a resource for filmmakers across all disciplines, from feature films to commercials.

VFX Career History:

2004
Rushes Postproduction Ltd.

2002 - present
Founder of The Charles Darby Partnership, London

1998-2002
Co-founder & visual effects supervisor of digital firepower inc Hollywood.

1997-1998
Digital matte supervisor for Cinesite, Hollywood.

1997
Digital matte supervisor for Digital Domain, Venice.

1995-1997
Digital matte painter for Cinesite, Hollywood.

Education and Training:

Studied painting under Charles Cecil in Florence, Italy and at Goldsmiths College, London.

Memberships:

Visual Effects Society