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- Jan 12, 2023
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- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I've worked in the film industry as an artist since 1996. My first film gig was matte painting on The Fifth Element and a film called Red Corner at Digital Domain in LA. I was a matte artist on the first season of Farscape the TV series here in Sydney and then jumped over to NZ for the first two Lord of the Rings films, Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers at Weta.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term matte painting, they are images painted on glass and placed between the scene and the camera. The technique goes all the way back to the beginning of cinema actually.
Here is a classic example from Spartacus. The blacked out area is where the live action will be exposed into, in a 'double exposure' as it were.
From The Fifth Element onwards, matte painting became 100% digital. That doesn't mean the computer paints for you, it just means you never run out of paint!
This is the matte painting...
...for this shot.
Future NY City and Leeloo takes a dive!
Arriving at Rivendell, Fellowship of the Ring
Helms Deep, Two Towers
In between film work I would work on TV commercials, these paid the bills for the most part. I also co-founded a small production company for a few years and realised that I preferred working freelance. I toyed with the idea of working as a photojournalist but again I preferred film and painting.
Around 2012 I shifted out of post production into pre-production and now create concept art or production art as it used to be called. I produce artwork that helps the director, producers, production designers etc visualise scenes, sets and/or locations. This artwork is used by the art dept to help inform the making of props, building of sets and it also helps the VFX guys in post. Whereas matte paintings are seen on screen in the final shots, concept art is more of a working document, more a blueprint of how a shot or scene might look. Some directors use it very loosely but some like Ridley Scott are very exacting with it.
Crashed Juggernaut, Alien Covenant
Prior to becoming a matte artist I was a photographer and prior to that I was a Radio Tradesman at the Ammunition Factory in Footscray, Melbourne for just over six years which included my 4 year apprenticeship.
When I find time, I work on my scifi oil painting project and also outdoor landscape painting > This is where the Grenadier comes into play <
Sky Burial #2, 66" x 26"
And a couple of landscape paintings
I've been teaching art/illustration at a small illustration school here in Sydney for 10 years as well.
Heres my website: ankaris.com which has a few more images, mostly my scifi and landscape work. There is a link to a more of my film there as well.
Here is my film credit list at IMDB.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term matte painting, they are images painted on glass and placed between the scene and the camera. The technique goes all the way back to the beginning of cinema actually.
Here is a classic example from Spartacus. The blacked out area is where the live action will be exposed into, in a 'double exposure' as it were.
From The Fifth Element onwards, matte painting became 100% digital. That doesn't mean the computer paints for you, it just means you never run out of paint!
This is the matte painting...
...for this shot.
Future NY City and Leeloo takes a dive!
Arriving at Rivendell, Fellowship of the Ring
Helms Deep, Two Towers
In between film work I would work on TV commercials, these paid the bills for the most part. I also co-founded a small production company for a few years and realised that I preferred working freelance. I toyed with the idea of working as a photojournalist but again I preferred film and painting.
Around 2012 I shifted out of post production into pre-production and now create concept art or production art as it used to be called. I produce artwork that helps the director, producers, production designers etc visualise scenes, sets and/or locations. This artwork is used by the art dept to help inform the making of props, building of sets and it also helps the VFX guys in post. Whereas matte paintings are seen on screen in the final shots, concept art is more of a working document, more a blueprint of how a shot or scene might look. Some directors use it very loosely but some like Ridley Scott are very exacting with it.
Crashed Juggernaut, Alien Covenant
Prior to becoming a matte artist I was a photographer and prior to that I was a Radio Tradesman at the Ammunition Factory in Footscray, Melbourne for just over six years which included my 4 year apprenticeship.
When I find time, I work on my scifi oil painting project and also outdoor landscape painting > This is where the Grenadier comes into play <
Sky Burial #2, 66" x 26"
And a couple of landscape paintings
I've been teaching art/illustration at a small illustration school here in Sydney for 10 years as well.
Heres my website: ankaris.com which has a few more images, mostly my scifi and landscape work. There is a link to a more of my film there as well.
Here is my film credit list at IMDB.
![[ Adam ]](/data/avatars/s/9046/9046040.jpg?1705937698){kind=avatar}
