Hey there! I’m Frederic St-Arnaud, a visual effects artist and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience under my belt. My journey has mainly revolved around digital matte painting, set extensions, and concept art, primarily in the film industry. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve had the privilege of building a remarcamable reputation in the VFX community, and it’s been an incredible ride!
I started my career in 1998, at this time when there were only a handful of digital matte painters in the world. I was inspired by the pioneers who were transforming the industry, moving from traditional methods to digital techniques. Back then, powerful computers and advanced 3D software were just emerging, and matte painting was one of the few ways to create stunning, photorealistic environments. It was a time of challenges and innovations, and I was lucky enough to help pave the way for what we see today.
In 2015, I incorporated my artist name STARNO (www.starno.net) to create a VFX Studio that quickly got success across multiple industries. After six amazing years, I got this interesting offer to sell the workforce of STARNO to Rodeo FX in 2021. This merger brought together two talented teams at a pivotal moment for the industry. Before the merger, we had just wrapped up a project with a major Montreal film studio and had several exciting virtual production projects underway. Now, I lead the matte painting department at Rodeo FX, where we’ve seamlessly integrated STARNO’s talented team and ongoing projects.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the pleasure of working on over 100 feature films, including The Amazing Spider-Man, Sin City, Elysium, The Lone Ranger, Pacific Rim, Resident Evil, Terminator Salvation, Babel, and Silent Hill and so on. If you’d like to dive deeper into my journey and achievements, feel free to check out my [IMDB Frederic Profile] and [Linkedin Frederic Profile]
Nov 2005 - Present
Operating under the STARNO banner since the early 2000s, I have maintained a continuous presence as a Freelance Matte Painter and Concept Artist. Throughout my career, I have frequently returned to this independent practice between major studio appointments as a Supervisor or Art Director. This flexibility has allowed me to remain hands-on with high-end creative challenges, delivering specialized environment work and visual development for a wide array of international projects. My freelance journey under STARNO reflects over two decades of technical evolution and artistic adaptability within the ever-changing VFX landscape.
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Apr 2021 - Nov 2024
Privately Held; 1-1000 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As Head of the Matte Painting Department at Rodeo FX, I managed a team of 5 to 14 artists, overseeing their day-to-day work and professional development. I was responsible for recruitment, project casting, optimizing tools and workflows, and promoting the department’s capabilities within the company. My role involved ensuring smooth collaboration between the team and other departments to deliver high-quality matte paintings for various projects.
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Apr 2014 - Sep 2021
Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As the Founder and Owner at STARNO.net, I supervised a team of 4 to 8 artists and collaborated closely with a producer to oversee multiple projects, typically 5 to 7 running concurrently. My responsibilities included managing client relationships, promoting the company, and ensuring the team had the tools and resources needed to deliver quality work. I focused on maintaining a strong network and driving the company’s growth while ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.
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May 2013 - Feb 2014
Privately Held; 500 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As Art Director for the VFX division at MELS, I was responsible for maintaining and elevating the artistic quality of the team’s work. I collaborated closely with 3 to 4 VFX supervisors and a producer to guide a team of approximately 12 artists. My role involved providing creative direction with artists, clients and supervisors, creating sketches and concept art to support artistic goals, and ensuring consistency and excellence across projects.
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Sep 2012 - Apr 2013
Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Vancouver, Canada Area
As a Senior Digitmatte Artist at ILM, I was part of the original team that helped establish the Vancouver division. Working closely with 14 other generalist artists, I contributed to matte painting, 3D environment creation, and compositing, combining technical and creative expertise. In addition to my own responsibilities, I supported the team by troubleshooting technical and artistic challenges, fostering a collaborative and adaptive environment to meet the high standards of ILM.
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Jan 2010 - Mar 2012
Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As Matte Painting Supervisor at Rodeo FX, I managed a team of six artists, supporting their technical and artistic needs while driving improvements in the quality of their work. My responsibilities included refining tools and workflows, providing guidance to elevate creative output, and ensuring the team had the resources needed to excel. My role was focused on fostering the department’s growth and supporting its artists to deliver high-quality work across projects.
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Jul 2007 - Dec 2009
Privately Held; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As one of the first employees at Rodeo FX, I played a key role in the company’s early development, contributing to its growth into a leading studio. With a team of fewer than five during the first year, I utilized my expertise and versatility to adapt to various projects, overcoming both artistic and technical challenges. My flexibility allowed me to work across different aspects of matte painting, helping to elevate the company’s reputation in the industry.
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Nov 2005 - Jul 2007
Privately Held; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Montreal, Canada Area
As Matte Painting Supervisor at Digital Dimension, I led a team of four artists across a range of projects, from visual effects to animated content. My primary responsibility was to direct and support my team, ensuring that we delivered high-quality work on time. I worked closely with both the artistic and technical teams to meet the creative goals of each project, maintaining high standards for every aspect of production.
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Dec 2001 - May 2005
Privately Held; Motion Pictures and Film industry - Quebec, Canada Area
At Hybride, the first leading VFX studios in Québec during the early years of the Visual Effects industry, I was part of a team of approximately 20 artists. However, only two of us specialized in matte painting and concept art. In this highly versatile and flexible environment, I wore many hats, contributing not only as a Matte Painter and Concept Artist but also as a character animator, lighting artist, 3D modeler, and texture artist. This was a time when the role of matte painting and concept art was just starting to gain more importance in the industry. My ability to adapt across different disciplines was key to overcoming creative challenges and helping the studio deliver high-quality work.
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Honors, Awards & Industry Press
2021 | IDEA Award Winner
Best Special Effects – "L'ainé de Demain" campaign (Groupe Maurice) with STARNO.net & Bifurk.
2018 | Canadian Screen Awards Nominee
Best Visual Effects – "1991" (Ricardo Trogi). Collaborated with Fly Studio to create historical environments with the STARNO team.
2017 | Canadian Screen Awards Nominee
Best Visual Effects – "Alias Grace" (Netflix). Collaborated with Rocket Science VFX as Freelance Matte Painter.
2012 | VES Award Winner
Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature – "Rango" (Paramount). Part of the Rodeo FX team as Senior Digital Matte Painter.
2008 | Academy Award (Oscar) & BAFTA Winner
Best Visual Effects – "The Golden Compass" (New Line Cinema). Contributed to the Oscar-winning VFX as part of the Rodeo FX team.
2007-2009 | Industry Jury Member
Official Jury for CGtantra Digital Matte Painting Challenge (2009) and CGsociety Unofficial MP Challenge (2007).
2007 | Double Award Winner – Pixel Theory 3D & 3DTotal
Distinguished for: "Decline of Babel Myth" (Pixel Theory 3D & 3DTotal Excellence) and "Bear vs. Hiker".
2002-2006 | Digital Arts Distinctions
Winner at CGsociety (Waterfall Castle), Graphika Awards (with Fly Studio), and EXPOSE 3 & 4 (Excellence Nominations).
Matte Painting Feature
France
Studio Portfolio
Canada
Issue #8 Feature
Netherlands
Artist Spotlight
Brazil
Digital Art Showcase
UK
Masterclass Tutorial
France
Book Illustration
Germany
VFX Insight
Canada
Master Class Book
Australia
Cultural Interview
Canada
Issue 32 Feature
UK
Volume 3 Anthology
UK
Technical Manual
Korea
Artist Interview
Canada
Concept Art Anthology
Australia
Workflow Guide
France
Creative Showcase
Taiwan
Gallery Selection
UK
Digital Environments
USA
Digital Art Annual
Australia
Painter Techniques
UK
Charity Art Project
France
Excellence in Digital Art
Australia
Feature Illustration
USA
