Robert Scifo

 Biography:

1968-1969. I started Scenic Artwork for CBS Studios in Hollywood, painting sets for Carol Burnet, Red Skelton, Smothers Brothers, Jim Nabors, Glen Campbell, and others.

1970. The first Scenic Backings for a film were as an assistant at Columbia Studios on “A Walk In The Spring Rain”.

1971 to 1974. I worked at independent Scenic shops on Amusement Park rides and Theater, for Disney, R L Grosh, and Sons, and Sid and Marty Kroft.

1975. I worked at Warner Brothers scenic department on several films which I can’t recall right now other than the 1976 “A Star is Born”.

1977-1978. Independent Scenic.

1979. I left Scenic Art to work with John DeCuir Senior at WED (Disney Amusement Park Division). That work ended when John left and they kept me as an illustrator for EPCOT. I worked at Disney (WED) the amusement park division during the late 70’s and early 80’s: after that, I worked at Disney Studio in Burbank.  Lou arrived at WED during the early 80’s as a Supervisor.  He was also working with Frank Van der Veer as a Matte Painter and Supervisor of Effects.  Lou asked Frank to hire me as his assistant since he was busy at WED.  Lou liked my work so he let me do the paintings for Flash Gordon, George Washington and The Bounty. 

While working at WED in the last few years I met Lou Litchenfield who asked me to assist him on his ongoing work with Frank Van der Veer. Lou trusted me to do the work at Van de Veers alone, so I did “Flash Gordon” and “George Washington”  alone with him giving approval.  An interesting note is that Lou would walk in before filming them with a small dish of only black paint and white paint and a small brush to add smears and dots if he wanted to “bring them alive”.

1984-1985. I went to Disney Studios to work on Return to OZ.

1986-1987. Dreamquest hired me as head of the Matte Department.

1992. Super Mario Brothers – started paintings traditionally. While painting traditionally, I was interested in learning digital painting. At some point, I reworked the traditional paintings on a Macintosh with Photoshop.

1993 to 2013. Worked as an independent in my home studio while also helping Illusion Arts, ILM, Hammerhead, Zoic and others from my home studio.

Robert Scifo with a painting for the film “Return to Oz” (1985)

Scifo-Oz1

Robert Scifo and Erik Brevig at Dreamquest Images.

Bob Scifo and Erik Brevig Dreamquest 1988 BobScifo Dreamquest 1988

Filmography:
- The book of Eli (2010)(matte paintings: Hammerhead Productions)
- Zombieland (2009)(matte painter: Zoic Studios)
- The Mummy; Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)(matte artist: Illusion Arts – as Bob Scifo)
- John Adams (TV Mini-Series)(2008) (matte painting supervisor – 7 episodes)

- Drillbit Taylor (2008)(matte artist: Illusion Arts – as Bob Scifo)
- The bucket list(2007)(visual effects: Illusion Arts – as Bob Scifo)
- Married life (2007)(matte painter: Gray Matter Visual Effects)
- 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)(visual effects: Hammerhead Productions)
- Dreamgirls (2006) (matte painter: Gray Matter Visual Effects)
- Blood Diamond (2006) (visual effects: Illusion Arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- The Hoax (2006) (matte artist) (uncredited)
- Miami Vice (2006) (matte painter: Illusion Arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- You, Me and Dupree (2006) (matte artist: Illusion Arts Inc.) (as Bob Scifo)
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) (matte artist: Illusion Arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- Ask the Dust (2006) (matte painter: Double Edge Digital)
- Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) (digital matte painter)
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) (matte painter: Illusion Arts / Studio C, Los Angeles) (as Bob Scifo)
- Casanova (2005) (matte artist: Illusion Arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- Lords of Dogtown (2005) (matte painter: Gray Matter)
-The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) (digital matte painter: Gray Matter FX)
- Secret Window (2004) (digital matte painter)
- X2 (2003) (matte painter: Rhythm & Hues)
- Kate & Leopold (2001) (matte painter) (as Bob Scifo)
- From Hell (2001) (matte artist: illusion arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000) (matte artist: Optical Illusions)
- “Storm of the Century” (1999) (mini) TV Series (visual effects matte artist)
- Beloved (1998) (digital matte paintings: D.Rez Hollywood) (as Bob Scifo)
- The Winter Guest (1997) (digital matte paintings)
- Mulholland Falls (1996) (3d digital artist: D-Rez Hollywood) (as Bob Scifo)
- Fatherland (1994/I) (TV) (digital matte paintings: Illusion Arts) (as Bob Scifo)
- Little Big League (1994) (digital matte painter) (as Bob Scifo)
- Speed (1994) (computer graphics artist: SPI) (as Bob Scifo)

- Super Mario Bros. (1993) (matte artist)
- Homeward Bound (1993)(matte artist)
- Freejack (1992) (matte artist: DQI)
- Final Analysis ( 1992) (matte artist: DQI)
- Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (visual effects chief matte artist: DQI)
- Defending Your Life (1991) (matte artist: DQI)
- Shadow makers (1990) (matte artist: DQI)
- The Exorcist III. (1990) (matte artist: DQI)
- Total recall (1990) (matte artist: DQI)
- The Abyss (1989) (matte artist: Dreamquest Images)
- Warlock (1989) (matte artist: DQI)
- Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- Big Business (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- The Seventh Sign (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- Moonwalker (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- The Blob (1988) (matte artist: DQI)
- Predator (1987) (matte artist: DQI)
-  The Lost Boys (1987) (matte artist: DQI)
- Outrageous Fortune (1987) (visual effects. Matte painting)
- Space Camp (1986)(matte painting artist. Vander Veer photo effects)
- My Science project (1985) (matte artist. Disney)
- Return to Oz (1985) (matte artist. Disney)
- George Washington (1984) (TV series) (matte painter. Vander Veer photo effects)
- The Bounty (1984) (matte painter. Vander Veer photo effects)
- Flash Gordon (1980)(matte painter. Vander Veer photo effects)

 

- A Star is Born (1976) (Scenic Baking artist)
- A Walk In The Spring Rain (1970) (Scenic Baking artist)

Gallery:

I want to thanks Robert Scifo for letting me show photos of his original paintings.

Predator(1987)

Predator-BR 1

Predator

Original plate and first sketch.

Predator Plate 1987 Predator Sketch 1987

The Blob (1988)

The_Blob.1

Full frame painting by Scifo.

The Blob

Homeward Bound (1993)

Homeward Bound

Return to Oz (1985)

Return to Oz1

The Lost Boys(1987)

Lost Boys matte1b

 

Some Illustrations he made during his time working at EPCOT. As an interesting note: In the Moroccan Illustration, The second person from the left is Robert Scifo.  The Architect representing Morocco asked for his team and the top people at WED to be the people in the illustration.

EPCOTcenter MoroccoEpcot Portfolio Illustration-1 Portfolio Illustration-4 Portfolio Illustration-7