It all begins with an idea.

Email: dfrost@apixels.com | Phone: (818) 383-4414 | LinkedIn Profile

SUMMARY

Entrepreneur | Creative Director | Art Director | Matte Painter | Illustrator | Concept Artist | 40 Years in VFX & Entertainment Industry

Recognized for solving complex artistic and technical challenges. My extensive experience in team building, leadership, and company creation in Southern California has allowed me to help businesses grow and succeed. I am now seeking an exciting opportunity to leverage my expertise in management, problem-solving, and passion for visual effects in a new venture.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 Freelance | Oct 2018 – Present

Art Director, Concept Designer, Matte Painter, Illustrator

As a freelance creative, I’ve collaborated with top-tier studios and production companies including Chicken Bone FX, The Mill, Logan and Sons, Stept, Jamm, and Fotokem, delivering high-impact artwork for commercials, television, and film.

  • Played a creative role on major productions such as Severance S2, Westworld, Dexter Origins, Good Omens, Foundation, Washington Black, and FBI: International.

  • Produced over 40 digital matte paintings and key concept art for the award-winning series The Queen’s Gambit.

  • Contributed to both early-stage visual development and final shot production, blending artistic vision with technical precision.

 The Clockwork Book Company | 2025 – Present | Founder, COO, Creative Director, Writer & Illustrator

  • The Clockwork Book Company (CBC) specializes in children’s picture books and graphic novels, leveraging an existing distribution agreement with Amazon Press for online retail. CBC will also tap into Amazon’s marketing network to expand into brick-and-mortar stores such as Barnes & Noble, as well as libraries and schools.

  • The long-term vision includes adapting titles into television and film projects to maximize creative and commercial returns.

The Nobel Manor | 2019 – Present | Founder, Creative Director

  • Adventure travel is on the rise, with modern audiences seeking not just destinations—but transformative journeys. Whether it’s navigating the Amazon, crossing Europe by rail, or descending into the tombs of Giza, the voyage itself becomes part of the adventure.

  • Nobel Manor redefines this experience through an entirely new category of story-driven adventure resorts. Combines cutting-edge immersive technology with meticulously choreographed travel narratives. Guests journey through stunning real-world environments during iconic eras in history—and traverse parallel universes across our Solar System, each brought to life with cinematic precision.

  • Currently in development, this $3B project merges entertainment, hospitality, and themed storytelling at an unprecedented scale.

 Fuse FX, Los Angeles | Oct 2015 – Oct 2018 | Head of Matte Painting/Digital Environments / Conceptual Design

  • Founded and led the Matte Painting and Digital Environments Department, supporting over 60 productions.

  • Oversaw visual development and final environment creation, ensuring artistic excellence and technical consistency across all projects.

  • Designed and implemented scalable solutions for unscheduled 3D environment enhancements, improving pipeline efficiency, maintaining timelines, and reducing production costs.

  • Acted as a key liaison between creative teams and technical departments to streamline workflows and elevate visual impact.

 Freelance | Feb 2014 – Oct 2015 | Art Director, Concept Designer, Matte Painter, Illustrator

  • Worked on commercial, TV, and feature film projects for The Mill, Fotokem, Blur Studios, CBS Digital, Logan and Sons, Mirada, Method Studios, and others.

  • Worked on a wide range of commercial, television, and feature film projects, including Secrets and Lies, Mortdecai, Skylanders, Thor: Ragnarok, and the One World Trade Center elevator experience film.

 Stargate Studios, Los Angeles | Nov 2012 – Feb 2014 | Head of Digital Matte Painting (LA, Vancouver, Toronto, Atlanta)

  •  Managed matte painting creation across multiple locations for major TV series,
    including NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, Walking Dead, Ray Donovan, Doctor Who and Revenge.

  • Oversaw concept design, 2D and 3D artwork, and compositing for final shots.

Amalgamated Pixels, Los Angeles | 1995 – 2012 | Founder, COO, and Creative Director

  • Founded and scaled Amalgamated Pixels, delivering visual effects for over 40 A-list films, including The Matrix, The 300, and Live Free or Die Hard.

  • Pioneered new production pipelines for high-resolution, multi-projector installations in specialty venues and theme parks.

  • Award-winning projects: Dragon’s Treasure (City of Dreams, Macau), Into the Deep (Shenzhen, China), and Virtual Aquarium (City of Dreams, Macau).

 SimEx Digital Studios, Los Angeles | 1994 – 1996 | Owner / Visual Effects Supervisor / Producer

  • Founded and built a studio specializing in theme park ride films, developing innovative production solutions for custom digital pipelines.

  • Expanded the company’s footprint globally, delivering animated films and installations for major theme parks.

 Kleiser Walczak Construction Company, MA | 1992 – 1994 | Ride Films, Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas

  • Worked with Doug Trumbull’s team to integrate digital visual effects with traditional live-action models and miniatures for Luxor Hotel ride films.

 Wavefront Technologies, Santa Barbara | 1987 – 1992 | Senior Product Designer / Head of Marketing

  • Worked on next-generation animation software and developed marketing strategies for global distribution.

  • Led a team to develop innovative tools for 3D animation used in major Hollywood productions.

 Electronic Arts, London | 1985 – 1987 | CG Generalist

  • Created pioneering 3D commercials using Wavefront software for British television, contributing to the early development of 3D animation in media.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts in Scientific and Technical Graphics | Plymouth University, England, 1984

  • Research: AI Image Recognition for military applications

  • Developed 3D animation software and visualization tools for academic purposes.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

  • 2009 VES Award – "Dance of the Dragons" (City of Dreams, Macau)

  • 2009 THEA Award – Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

  • Advanced expertise in Digital Matte Painting, Conceptual Design, Illustration, Visual AI

  • Strong leadership and team-building abilities

  • Experienced in business development, strategic planning, and project management

  • Market Experience: TV, Film, Commercial, Music Video, Theme Park, Children Book and Graphic Novel

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

  • Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Midjourney, Chat GPT, Adobe Animate, Microsoft Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat

  • Markets: Matte Painting, Concept Design, Illustration,

CONTACT INFORMATION

Email: dfrost@apixels.com | Phone: (818) 383-4414