The magician of cinematic effects
Achievements

The magician of cinematic effects

Patrick Tatopoulos is a Greek- French film production designer and director. Some call  him a “cinematic effects magician” since he is the creator of famous monsters like the “Gozilla” or the aliens in the film “ The Independence Day”. His latest work is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

“Batmobiles are often designed very low to the ground, something classical. That didn’t feel fully comfortable for us. I thought the Tumbler was a revolutionary design, with the suspension very high up. I wanted to combine the two vehicles. I wanted something of a motorcycle, too: big wheels, suspension, exhausts” he mentioned in an interview.

He currently lives and works in the US – his designs have appeared in blockbuster movies and he has worked with the most successful film directors worldwide.

Patrick was born and grew up in Paris. His father had immigrated in Paris from Macedonia in Greece while his mother was French. His parents owned a clothing store.

He studied in École d’Art Décoratif de Paris, École des Arts Appliqués de Paris and in École des Beaux-Arts. From Paris, he moved to Rome and from Rome to Greece, where he started selling his designs. He lived in Greece for approximately ten years before moving in the US in 1989. He speaks fluent French, Greek and English.

“I  love Greece! I was so happy there, believe me. Around Filopappou hill and Exarcheia square. While I was in Greece, I realized that this is the life I’ve always wanted to live.I felt there was a small gap though. And because of that, I left for Los Angeles without second thoughts. And that was okay with me. How about my wife though? In Greece she was the director of a magazine and I convinced her to leave everything behind and follow a crazy Greek-French guy on the other side of the world!” he noted in one of his interviews.

Patrick is always within the first choices of famous directors like Roland Emmerich, Alex Proyas and Len Wiseman.

He is the owner of Tatopoulos Studios, Inc and  Patrick Tatopoulos Designs, Inc.

He has participated in a wide range of movies such as:

The Doors (1991), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Super Mario Bros (1993), Stargate (1994), Space: Above and Beyond (1995), Se7en (1995), Jade (1995), Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Independence Day (1996), Spawn (1997), Dark City (1998), Godzilla (1998), Stigmata (1999), Stuart Little (1999), Supernova (2000), Pitch Black (2000), Battlefield Earth (2000), Special Unit 2 (2001), Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), Saint Sinner (2002), They (2002), Underworld (2003), Van Helsing (2004), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), I, Robot (2004), Alien vs. Predator (2004), The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004), The Cave (2005), Venom (2005), Underworld: Evolution (2006), Silent Hill (2006), Crank (2006), Eragon (2006), The Dead Girl (2006), Aquaman (2007), The Messengers (2007), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), I Am Legend (2007), 10,000 BC (2008), The Ruins (2008), Outlander (2008), Pathology (2008), Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008), Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) (Director), Blood Creek (2009), Solomon Kane (2009), Knowing (2009), 2012 (2009), Gallowwalker (2011), Underworld: Awakening (2012), Total Recall (2012), Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (2012), 300: Rise of an Empire, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).

COMMENTS

  Comments: 1

  1. Panos Diplarakos

    I had the pleasure to work with Patrick and his wife the early days of Liberis Publications S.A.
    when he started STATUS magazine in a semi cellar in Kolonaki district. Wonderful people,he left for the USA where he made a brilliant carrier creating…monsters for TV series and movies!Where ever he is now I wish him well!


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