Biography:
Former Nebraskan, life-long film lover, and two time Emmy Award winner Stargate Digital Mattepainting Supervisor Tim Donahue was best known in the Hollywood Visual Effects industry as the Art Director of Introvision. However, for the past 5 years he has been creating the best illusions of his life-long film-making passion with Sam Nicholson at Stargate Digital. Sam and Tim have been working together on various projects now for over 25 years. Together, they have created numerous astounding illusions that continue to expand the technical and creative possibilities of today’s film and television production.
Presently working on three features for Stargate Digital, plus a long list of this seasons top fall television series and features, the Stargate Digital Mattepainting Department keeps growing. The team is incredibly busy creating all kinds of images from ancient Rome and Troy to futuristic Washington DC and more. Their work encompasses all the artistry’s imagination, technical wizardry, and state-of-the-art digital mattepainting.
Tim’s love for the industry began when he was nearly 5 years old in 1952 while watching the second release of KING KONG on the big screen in Omaha. He’s been “hooked” ever since on creating the “Great Illusion”. Finally coming to Hollywood in 1978 after teaching and degrees in Art and Photography, he began his career working under two of the top wizards of the industry, Linwood Dunn, and Wally Gentleman at the old Film Effects of Hollywood. Two years later he was offered the job as Art Director for Introvision and many years later he branched out doing freelance Art Direction, Visual Effects Supervision, and mattepainting at various establishments throughout the industry. Late in 1998 he joined with Stargate to form a new Matte painting Department and the results are witnessed daily on television screens across the world.
Filmography:
- Defiance (2008) (matte painter: Flash Film Works)
- Spartacus (2004)(TV Movie) (matte painting supervisor)
- Traffic (2004)(TV Mini-Series) (digital matte painting supervisor: Stargate Digital – 2004)
- Control factor (2003) (TV Movie) (digital matte artist)
- The guru (2002) (digital matte painter: Stargate Digital)
- Tomcats (2001) (senior matte artist)
- Running Mates (2000) (TV) (digital matte artist)
- Race Against Time (2000) (TV) (lead matte artist)
- The All New Adventures of Laurel & Hardy: For Love or Mummy (1999) (digital artist) (uncredited)
- Deep Blue Sea (1999) (lead matte painter: Flash Film Works)
- The Deep End of the Ocean (1999) (matte painter)
- “Fantasy Island” (1998) TV Series (digital matte painter: Encore Visual Effects)
- Jane Austen’s Mafia! (1998) (visual effects matte painter)
- Tale of the Mummy (1998) (matte painting supervisor)
- The Survivor (1998) (digital matte artist)
- Angels in the Endzone (1997) (TV) (digital matte painter) (uncredited)
- Switchback (1997) (plate supervisor: VIFX)
- “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show” (1997) TV Series (digital matte painter) (uncredited)
- Batman & Robin (1997) (matte painter)
- Quicksilver Highway (1997) (TV) (digital artist)
- DNA (1997/I) (digital matte painter)
- Celtic Pride (1996) (design artist: VIFX miniature effects unit)
- Broken Arrow (1996) (matte artist: VIFX) (uncredited)
- The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space (1995) (TV) (digital matte painter)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) (digital matte painter)
- Batman Forever (1995) (art director: VIFX)
- The Demolitionist (1995) (matte painter)
- Aurora: Operation Intercept (1995) (digital matte painter) (visual effects supervisor)
- Timecop (1994) (art director: VIFX) (uncredited)
- New Nightmare (1994) (composite supervisor) (matte painting)
- Clear and Present Danger (1994) (art director: VIFX)
- Coneheads (1993) (visual effects art director: Video Image)
- Free Willy (1993) (matte painter)
- Out on a Limb (1992) (visual effects supervisor: Introvision)
- Interceptor (1992) (visual effects)
- Billy Bathgate (1991) (visual effects art director: Introvision) (uncredited)
- Black Robe (1991) (effects art direction: Introvision)
- Blood Ties (1991) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- If Looks Could Kill (1991) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Flight of the Intruder (1991) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- “Land of the Lost” (1991) TV Series (visual effects supervisor)
- Darkman (1990) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Miracle Landing (1990) (TV) (matte painting supervisor: Introvision)
- Driving Miss Daisy (1989) (visual effects art director: Introvision) (uncredited)
- Breaking In (1989) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Lock Up (1989) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- UHF (1989) (miniatures and art directiorn: Introvision)
- The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) (art director: visual effects)
- 976-EVIL (1989) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Distant Thunder (1988) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Rambo III (1988) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Sunset (1988) (visual effects art director: Introvision) (uncredited)
- Housekeeping (1987) (matte painter)
- Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Adventures in Babysitting (1987) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Murder by the Book (1987) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Monster in the Closet (1987) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- The Christmas Star (1986) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Oceans of Fire (1986) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Stand by Me (1986) (visual effects art director: Introvision) (uncredited)
- The Hugga Bunch (1985) (TV) (matte supervisor: Introvision)
- Oh, God! You Devil (1984) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Reckless (1984) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Two of a Kind (1983) (visual effects art director: Introvision) (uncredited)
- Megaforce (1982) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Inside the Third Reich (1982) (TV) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- Outland (1981) (introvision matte artist)
- First Family (1980) (visual effects art director: Introvision)
- The Shape of Things to Come (1979) (visual effects art director: Film Effects of Hollywood)
- “Project U.F.O.” (1978) TV Series (visual effects artist: Film Effects of Hollywood)
- “Wonder Woman” (1976) TV Series (visual effects artist: Film Effects of Hollywood)