Christian Hejnal Addams (born June 3, 1969) is an American
visual effects
Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of
a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production.
The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
producer and the guitarist and occasional vocalist of the Los Angeles-based rock band
Scarling.
Musical career
In the early 1990s, he played in bands such as Candyhateful (previously known as the Brats) and
The Drummed. Candyhateful's song "Stay Down" was featured in the 2000 film adaptation of
Anne Rice
Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature.
She was best known for her series of novels ''The Vampire Chronicles''. B ...
's ''"''
Queen of the Damned
''Queen of the Damned'' is a 2002 vampire film directed by Michael Rymer, loosely based on the third novel of Anne Rice's ''The Vampire Chronicles'' series, '' The Queen of the Damned'' (1988), although the film contains many plot elements from t ...
''",''
In 2001 Hejnal began work on a solo album. He invited singer
Jessicka
Jessicka Addams (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American visual artist and retired musician. Best known by her stage name Jessicka, she was the frontwoman for the alternative rock band Jack Off Jill, and later for the noise-pop ...
, whom he had met some months before at a Los Angeles club through mutual friend Lisa Leveridge, to perform vocals on a track he had written; they began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form Scarling. in 2002.
In the autumn of 2004, after releasing their first album
Sweet Heart Dealer, Scarling. was invited to join the lineup of the
Robert Smith Robert Smith or Bob Smith, or similar, may refer to:
Business
* Robert MacKay Smith (1802–1888), Scottish businessman, meteorologist and philanthropist who founded Glasgow University's Mackay Smith Prizes
* Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), ...
-curated
Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cr ...
,
The Rapture,
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). ...
, and he and Jessicka's long-time favorite,
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and ''Sweet Heart Dealer'' was nominated for the 2004
Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
.
After a series of 7-inch singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album, ''
So Long, Scarecrow
''So Long, Scarecrow'' is the second and final studio album by the rock band Scarling. Written and recorded in early 2005, and released on October 25, 2005. It is Scarling.'s only album to feature drummer Beth Gordon. Its title is a reference t ...
'', would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are The Music Makers" and was released on August 23, 2005. Scarecrow was co-produced by
Rob Campanella and received several favorable reviews.
''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating and described Hejnal as a, "guitar physicist who holds court over these atmospheric rockers' second album, approximating everything from space-station climates to sperm whales rollin' on E, all while delivering solid songs."
In 2006 Hejnal continued to tour in the US and Europe with Scarling. Along the way, touring with such bands as UK shoegaze outfit
Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
and
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depech ...
. Scarling. are currently working on their new album.
Film career
In addition to his work with Scarling, since 1999, Hejnal has worked for
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. is a Canadian visual effects and computer animation studio headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with an additional office on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California. SPI is a unit of So ...
, starting out as a production assistant on ''
The Ninth Gate'' and ''
Hollow Man
Hollow may refer to:
Natural phenomena
*Hollow, a low, wooded area, such as a copse
* Hollow (landform), a small vee-shaped, riverine type of valley
*Tree hollow, a void in a branch or trunk, which may provide habitat for animals
Places
*Sleepy ...
''. In 2000 he became a visual effects coordinator on the film ''
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...
'', and completed work as the visual effects plate coordinator on ''
Spider-Man'', and as a Digital Production Manager for the films ''
Spider-Man 2
''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon. Based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, it is t ...
'', ''
Darkness Falls'' and ''
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
''The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio'' is a 2005 American biographical film written and directed by Jane Anderson. It is based on the book by Terry Ryan, and stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, and Laura Dern. The film received a limited relea ...
'' which stars
Julianne Moore
Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is particularly known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, ...
and
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor and playwright. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards ...
. Currently, he is working as a
digital
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing Hardware
*Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
**Digital camera, which captures and stores digital i ...
effects
Effect may refer to:
* A result or change of something
** List of effects
** Cause and effect, an idiom describing causality
Pharmacy and pharmacology
* Drug effect, a change resulting from the administration of a drug
** Therapeutic effect, a b ...
film producer and is credited as such on the films ''
Grandma's Boy'', the
Adam Sandler film ''
Click'', ''
Spider-Man 3
''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Raimi, his older brother Ivan and Alvin Sargent. It is the final installment in Raimi's ' ...
'', ''
Hancock''.
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
's ''
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...
'', 2011's ''
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of me ...
'', ''
Here Comes the Boom
''Here Comes the Boom'' is a 2012 American sports comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, co-written, produced by, and starring Kevin James as a biology teacher who attempts to save his school's music program by becoming an MMA fighter. It was also ...
'', ''
Oz the Great and Powerful
''Oz the Great and Powerful'' is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner from a story by Kapner. Based on L. Frank Baum's early 20th century ''Oz'' novels and set 20 yea ...
'', ''
22 Jump Street
''22 Jump Street'' is a 2014 American satirical buddy cop action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, written by Jonah Hill, Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel and Rodney Rothman and produced by and starring Hill and Channing T ...
'', ''
Pixels
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
'' and ''
Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, ...
''.
Christian was the co- producer for
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The film was critically well received.
''Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' won
Best Animated Feature Film at the
76th Golden Globe Awards
The 76th ceremony of the Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and American television of 2018, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Produced by Dick Clark Productions and the HFPA, the ceremony was broadcast live on Ja ...
,
it won the same award at the
24th Critics' Choice Awards,
and won the
Best Animated Feature
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
at the
91st Academy Awards
The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AM ...
,
among several other awards and nominations. It was the first non-
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
or
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature since ''
Rango'' (2011), becoming the 6th non-Disney/Pixar film to win this award.
Christian won a
Visual Effects Society
The Visual Effects Society (VES) is an entertainment industry organization representing visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and p ...
award for 'Outstanding Animated Character' in an Animated Feature Motion Picture: 2018, ''
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'' ("Miles Morales").
Critics at
New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...
listed it at 9 on their list of the best films of the decade.
In July 2022, Christian was one of the digital effects producers for ''
The Sea Beast'' for
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating favorable reviews. The following month, Hejnal rejoined the crew as an executive digital producer of ''Beyond the Spider-Verse'' set to be released in 2023.
Personal life
On February 14, 2006, (
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
) while on a break from touring, he and Jessicka were engaged. Their wedding took place on October 13, 2007, at the Oviatt Penthouse in Los Angeles and was attended by numerous celebrities. The couple took Addams as their new surname.
"This bride definitely wears black"
Los Angeles Times October 28, 2007
Discography
Albums
*Scarling., '' Sweet Heart Dealer'' (2004) – writer, guitar, bass, vocals
*Scarling., ''So Long, Scarecrow
''So Long, Scarecrow'' is the second and final studio album by the rock band Scarling. Written and recorded in early 2005, and released on October 25, 2005. It is Scarling.'s only album to feature drummer Beth Gordon. Its title is a reference t ...
'' (2005) – writer, producer, guitar, vocals
Singles and EPs
* Scarling., " Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (7-inch, Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by Long Gone John. The first Sympathy release was the Lazy Cowgirls' ''Radio Cowgirl'' LP ...
2003) – writer, vocals
* Scarling., "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003) – guitar, vocals
* Scarling., "Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in '' River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Door ...
" (7-inch, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004) – guitar, vocals
* Scarling., "Crispin Glover" (7-inch, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004) – guitar, vocals
* Scarling., "Scarling. / The Willowz" (split 7-inch, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2005) – guitar, vocals
* Scarling., " Staring to the Sun" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry 2006 – guitar, vocals, producer
References
External links
Sony Pictures Imageworks profile
Christian Hejnal
on IMDB
Scarling.
official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hejnal, Christian
1969 births
Living people
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
American male singers
Record producers from Illinois
American rock singers
American indie rock musicians
Singers from Illinois
Sympathy for the Record Industry artists
American film producers
Guitarists from Illinois
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
Scarling. members