Jean-Christophe "Pitof" Comar is a French
visual effects supervisor
In the context of film and television production, a visual effects supervisor is responsible for achieving the creative aims of the director or producers through the use of visual effects
Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated as VFX) is the pr ...
and director notable for ''
Vidocq'' and ''
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
''.
Career
Pitof began his career in the film industry in 1976 as an assistant director, still photographer and film editor. He then branched out into musical scoring, software design and graphic design for televisions, music videos and commercials. Co-founder of
Duran Duboi, a digital postproduction company, Pitof worked on commercials, videos and feature films.
In 1997, Pitof took on the role of second unit director for Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s ''
Alien: Resurrection.'' It was Pitof’s third collaboration with Jeunet after working together on the Jeunet-Caro films
''Delicatessen'' and ''
The City of Lost Children
''The City of Lost Children'' () is a 1995 science fantasy film directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Jeunet and Gilles Adrien, and starring Ron Perlman. An international co-production of companies from France, Germany, ...
''.
in 2000 Pitof made his directorial debut with the film, ''
Vidocq'' a period thriller starring
Gerard Depardieu and
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet (; born 10 April 1973) is a French actor, film director and screenwriter, and Show jumping, show jumper.
Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like ''Joyeux Noël'', ...
, premiered in France in September 2001.
It is notable as being the first major fantasy film to be released (one year before ''
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'') was shot entirely with
digital cinematography
Digital cinematography is the process of capturing (recording) a film, motion picture using digital image sensors rather than through film stock. As digital technology has improved in recent years, this practice has become dominant. Since the 200 ...
, using a
Sony HDW-F900 CineAlta
CineAlta cameras are a series of professional digital movie cameras produced by Sony that replicate many of the same features of 35 mm movie film, 35mm film Movie camera, motion picture cameras.
Concept
CineAlta is a brand name used by Sony ...
camera.
In 2004, Pitof made his English-language debut with the Hollywood film ''
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
'', starring
Halle Berry
Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...
and
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...
. The film was critically panned, and is considered
one of the worst movies of all time. Pitof was awarded the
Razzie Award
The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic failures. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, the Razzi ...
for Worst Director for the film.
In 2024 Pitof openly explained the many issues behind ''Catwoman'' and the exclusion of the Batman character.
Pitof was set to direct the US-Chinese co-production ''
Empires of the Deep'' although he eventually dropped out.
In 2019 Pitof co-founded 6th Sense VR, a company developing, producing and distributing VR content.
Filmography
Director
*''
Vidocq'' (2001)
*''
Catwoman
Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
'' (2004)
*''
Fire and Ice: The Dragon Chronicles'' (2008) (TV movie)
Writer
*''
Vidocq'' (2001)
*''Le pistolet'' (2003)
Second unit director
*''
Alien Resurrection'' (1997)
Producer
*''Closer Apart'' (2012)
*''The Activist'' (2014)
*"Hacker’s Game" (2015)
*"Make note of every sound" (2015)
*"Broken Angels" (2015)
*"NY 84" (2016)
*"Connected" (2016)
*"One World" (2016)
*"In my Mother’s Arms" (2017)
*"Day Driver" (2018)
*"Venus" (2018)
*"All you Need is Me" (2018)
*"The Sacrifice Zone" (2022)
Visual effects supervisor
*''
Delicatessen
A delicatessen or deli is a grocery that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany (contemporary spelling: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th centur ...
'' (1991)
*' (1992)
*''My Name Is Victor'' (1993)
*''
Metisse
Metisse is a 2.5D X window manager with many features that set it apart from the traditional 3D "cube" workspace. Windows can be turned three-dimensionally in any direction, enabling the user to fit more windows onto a screen, and they can be sc ...
'' (1993)
*''Fanfan & Alexandre'' (1993)
*''The Thirst for Gold'' (1993)
*''
The Visitors'' (1993)
*''Cash-Cash'' (1994)
*''Montparnasse Pondichery'' (1994)
*''Giorgino'' (1994)
*''
Blue Helmet
Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role of the United Nations's Department of Peace Operations and an "instrument developed by the organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the conditions for lasting peace". It is ...
'' (1994)
*''The Daughter of d'Artagnan'' (1994)
*''Dead Tired'' (1994)
*''Ma Femme me Quitte'' (1995)
*''Happiness Is in the Field'' (1995)
*''
The City of Lost Children
''The City of Lost Children'' () is a 1995 science fantasy film directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Jeunet and Gilles Adrien, and starring Ron Perlman. An international co-production of companies from France, Germany, ...
'' (1995)
*''Fallait pas'' (1996)
*''
Beaumarchais
Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watchmaker, invent ...
'' (1996)
*''Fantome avec Chauffeur'' (1996)
*''Didier'' (1997)
*''Alien Resurrection'' (1997)
*''
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' (1999)
*''
Asterix & Obelix Take On Caesar'' (1999)
References
External links
*
*
Pitof at ECI Global Talent Management
{{Authority control
1957 births
Living people
French film directors
French male screenwriters
French screenwriters