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Chris Watts(I)

  • Visual Effects
  • Additional Crew
  • Production Designer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Chris Watts
A 20+ year industry veteran, Watts invented the process now referred to as "Digital Intermediate" with "Pleasantville." Later, he pioneered the use of digital still cameras as a high resolution replacement for film cameras on "Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride." On the Academy Award-winning Gravity, Watts was part of the team that designed the zero-g shooting methodology that allowed the actors to deliver their performances in impossible situations in shots of unprecedented duration.

Famous for doing the impossible, on a budget.

He has worked in visual effects since the early 1990s. He served as visual effects supervisor on the films "Street Kings", "Case 39", and "Where the Wild Things Are" and in 2007 made visual effects history with Zack Snyder's "300". Watts also helmed vfx for the the remake of John Carpenter's classic horror film "The Fog," and was a consultant to Tim Burton's stop-motion animated feature "Corpse Bride." Watts' other credits as visual effects supervisor include Joe Dante's "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" and Andrew Niccol's "Gattaca." He has also worked on such films as Alfonso Cuaron's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Roland Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow," the animated feature "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie," Kevin Reynolds's "Waterworld," and "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," for director Kenneth Branagh.

His first movie job was for the 1985 film "Five Corners", directed by Tony Bill.

In 2004, Watts won a Visual Effects Society Award for his work on Joseph Kahn's music video for Britney Spears' hit song "Toxic." He was nominated in 2001 for an MTV Music Video Award for U2's "Elevation, and was also nominated by the VES for the "best single shot of the year" for the "crazy horse" shot in 300. Watts, along with Derek Wentworth, Grant Freckelton, and Daniel Leduc, won the 2008 Satellite Award for best Visual Effects for "300" He was also nominated for a Saturn Award and a VES award for his work on "300".

In 2012, Watts was VFX supervisor, music licensing administrator and a financial backer of Joseph Kahn's cult hit "Detention." In 2014, Watts and Kahn collaborated on Kahn's highly anticipated Power Rangers (and completely unauthorized) de-boot.

Between feature films, Watts supervises visual effects for commercials, music videos, and other venues. He has contributed to videos by U2, Eminem, Britney Spears, Aerosmith and many others.

Watts can run a set in English and French, and once had a working knowledge of written and spoken Hangul (Korean).

Watts is an accomplished photographer, and is a represented in this capacity by IATSE Local 600. He especially enjoys photographing live music events and has covered shows around the world, including the Coachella Valley Music Festival, and has photographed artists ranging from underground Los Angeles acts to international stars.

Chris Watts currently resides in Los Angeles and has never lived in Colorado.
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 6 nominations total

    Photos2

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    Known for

    300 (2006)
    300
    7.6
    • Visual Effects
    • 2006
    The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
    The Day After Tomorrow
    6.5
    • Visual Effects(Hydraulx)
    • 2004
    Talitha Eliana Bateman in Geostorm (2017)
    Geostorm
    5.3
    • Visual Effects
    • 2017
    Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man (1993)
    Demolition Man
    6.7
    • Visual Effects
    • 1993

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Visual Effects



    • Jodie Foster and Annette Bening in Nyad (2023)
      Nyad
      7.1
      • visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
      • 2023
    • Calum Worthy, Joel Courtney, and Andi Matichak in Assimilate (2019)
      Assimilate
      5.3
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2019
    • Talitha Eliana Bateman in Geostorm (2017)
      Geostorm
      5.3
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2017
    • Powder and Gold (2015)
      Powder and Gold
      6.8
      • visual effects consultant
      • 2015
    • Power Rangers (2015)
      Power Rangers
      7.6
      Short
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2015
    • Daniel Radcliffe in Horns (2013)
      Horns
      6.4
      • second unit visual effects supervisor
      • 2013
    • Gravity (2013)
      Gravity
      7.7
      • visual effects consultant (uncredited)
      • 2013
    • Josh Hutcherson, Spencer Locke, and Shanley Caswell in Detention (2011)
      Detention
      5.6
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2011
    • Beau Bridges, Bindi Irwin, and Siyabulela Ramba in Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove (2010)
      Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove
      5.0
      Video
      • visual effects consultant
      • 2010
    • James Gandolfini and Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
      Where the Wild Things Are
      6.7
      • visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
      • 2009
    • Case 39 (2009)
      Case 39
      6.2
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2009
    • Carmen Electra, Ike Barinholtz, Tony Cox, Gerard Facchini, Roland Kickinger, Vanessa Lachey, Walter Harris, Nicole Parker, Crista Flanagan, Gary 'G. Thang' Johnson, Matt Lanter, Kim Kardashian, and Devin Crittenden in Disaster Movie (2008)
      Disaster Movie
      1.9
      • visual effects supervisor (uncredited)
      • 2008
    • Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Chris Evans, Hugh Laurie, Common, Martha Higareda, and The Game in Street Kings (2008)
      Street Kings
      6.8
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2008
    • Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, and Elizabeth Banks in Meet Bill (2007)
      Meet Bill
      6.2
      • compositor
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2007
    • In the Wall (2007)
      In the Wall
      6.6
      Short
      • visual effects supervisor
      • 2007

    Additional Crew



    • Susan Strasberg, Robert F. Lyons, Doug McClure, and Frank Stallone in Prime Suspect (1989)
      Prime Suspect
      4.7
      • production assistant
      • 1989
    • To Die For (1988)
      To Die For
      4.7
      • production assistant
      • 1988
    • Jery Hewitt in Five Corners (1987)
      Five Corners
      6.1
      • production assistant
      • 1987

    Production Designer



    • Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
      Tales of the Black Freighter
      7.0
      Video
      • Production Designer
      • 2009

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative name
      • Chris S. Watts
    • Height
      • 6′ 1½″ (1.87 m)
    • Other works
      Visual Effects Supervisor for the music video: The Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part" directed by Joseph Kahn

    Self-verified on IMDbPro

    • Gender / Gender identity
      • Male

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