VFX directing • VFX supervising • Motion Graphics • 3D
• Contact: paulhupfield@gmail.com or Tel: 0787 535 9133
Click HERE for my IMDB listing.
Having originally studied Film & Video at degree level, I found that once I started working as a producer/director in television, it was much easier (and cheaper for the companies that I was working for) to rely on my own skills to create graphics and visual effects and, several year on, I have now done so for many of the TV shows and pilots I've made.
I have extensive experience with numerous visual effects packages (including After FX, Photoshop etc) along with great working knowledge of a number of industry-standard plugins (Sapphire, Magic Bullet, Boris, Element 3D etc). I also have a great deal of greenscreen/bluescreen compositing experience and have worked with motion control rigs and coordinated teams of 3D artists (Maya) and Nuke along with After FX compositors
January 2013 - Feb 2013
North One Television: 'The Shame Game'
I produced and directed a mini-pilot for a challenge-based hidden camera game show intended for BBC3.
VFX REQUIRED: Several graphical 'maps' to use as transitons between sequences, basic titles and on-screen graphics and a number of greenscreen comppsited shots, to create a montage of the contestants that were composited in.
July 2012 - August 2012
RDF Television: 'Britain Behaving Badly'
I produced, directed and edited a slick ‘sizzle reel’ for a new Channel 4 comedy commission, featuring stand-up comedian Andy Parsons.
VFX REQUIRED: Several greenscreen composites to enable the presenter to step 'out of time', with the background and foreground action freezing, but allowing them to still move freely. I also had to paint the presenter into existing CCTV footage to make it appear as though they were there at the time it was recorded. In addition, there were basic 3D opening titles to create and also some other generic effects.
March 2012 - June 2012
Zeitgeist Television: 'I'm Spazticus'
I directed the disability-based hidden-camera comedy series for Channel 4 but also took on the unofficial title of VFX director and artist.
VFX REQUIRED: A number of complex greenscreen compositing shots were required for several in-show film trailer parodies. Notably, to create a platoon of U.S. soldiers, with only 2 dwarf actors to hand, along with various gunshots, explosions and vehicles. This was done with both post-produced effects as well as utilizing live-action pyrotechnics and also some miniatures. There were also some other less complex titles to create for items within the show.
June 2011 - February 2012
BBC Entertainment: 'Cloned'
I produced and directed a pilot for a prime time Saturday night game-show, ‘Cloned’. The show pitted a team of four contestants against a legion of 'clones' of the comedy performer, Charlie Baker set in virtually created 'game rooms'.
VFX REQUIRED: The show involved numerous complicated motion-control and composite special effects shots to place multiple versions of the host into skill-based games, which were shot in a large bluescreen environment using stand ins, who were then later replaced with the real presenter. The game rooms were created in 3D by Maya artists using a variety of techniques, including digitally Lidar scanning an entire Old Western town to render a highly detailed and photo-realistic 3D model. I also created the title sequence for the show.
October 2010 - December 2010
HatTrick Digital: 'Jimmy Hill Vs The Penguin of Doom'
Jimmy Vs. The Penguin of Doom is an interactive 'branching narrative' game that I produced for the BBC at Hat Trick Digital. 
VFX REQUIRED: I worked as chief graphics designer and animator, leading a team of other graphics artists to create each of the 5 games and story animations within the project. These 'games' were based on various popular gaming engines (1st person shooter, scrolling beat-'em up etc) and were created by filming real actors on greenscreen and compositing them in to each of the gaming environments. In addition, I also created the title sequence for the online show.
July 2010 - September 2010
Punktilio / Phones 4 U: 'Bosh'
I wrote, produced, directed, edited and also animated this online TV mini-show, sponsored by Phones 4 U. The show included music interviews, movie reviews and hidden-camera and comedy animated sketches, for which I also created original animated characters.
VFX REQUIRED: A fast-turnaround online show, for which I had to generate five minutes of fresh animated and edited content, 5 days a week for a month. It was a demanding project to say the least as I was a post-production and effects team comprised of one.
September 2009 - April 2010
Objective Productions: Development
I produced a number of high-end graphics-heavy promo taster reels for new, studio-formatted entertainment shows which Objective Productions used to pitch to several broadcasters.
VFX REQUIRED: Numerous title sequences and motion graphics were required to sell the concept of exciting new TV shows, without any actual filmed content.
July 2009 - August 2009
Objective Productions: ‘The Kevin Bishop Show - season 2’
VFX REQUIRED: Following on from the first season, I contributed comedy ‘graphics’ for the 'Fony Playbox' sketches in second season of Objective’s award-winning comedy series. This involved the creation of several authentic-looking 'Playbox' game packages, to be used on screen.
September 2007 – March 2008
North One Television: ‘The Complainers’
The Dom Joly hosted consumer-interest comedy series that ran on Channel 5.
VFX REQUIRED: This show required several After FX-generated sequences that were used as graphics inserts to help explain certain ideas and themes within the show.
February 2007 - September 2007
Objective Productions: ‘Strutter Series 2’
A comedy sketch and clip-show hosted by comedian Paul Kaye for MTV.
VFX REQUIRED: I produced all of the in-show graphics elements, for Mike Strutter's own infomercial brand. Which involved designing product packs and instructional how-to videos for his fake commercials.
October 2006 - February 2007
Objective Productions: ‘Twisted Tricks’
This was a hidden-camera comedy magic show, which was piloted for Channel 4 starring popular magicians Barry and Stuart.
VFX REQUIRED: I created all of the motion graphics and title sequence for the show, using Photoshop and After FX.
March 2006 - August 2006
Objective Productions: ‘Strutter’
I produced all of the in-show graphics elements, which involved utilizing Flash, After FX, Photoshop and Cinema 4D. The programme won several comedy awards.
‘Dude, Where’s My Movie Quiz?’
This MTV panel quiz show, needed several graphical elements, mainly Photoshop based, but also involved motion-tracking film stars' (such as Johnny Depp's) heads onto a floating stars in After FX and rotoscoping footage.
Film, Video & Media BA Hon. – 2.1
A-Levels: Psychology, Sociology & English
Hands-on training with over 12 years of experience designing graphics and effects in TV.
I have my own portable graphics work-station (running Adobe Creative Suite CS6, AVID and Nuke) and I hold a UK passport and a clean EU driving licence.
I am happy to travel as required (with travel fees added onto my fee if outside of London).
Ben Cooper, Development Producer – North One:
Tel – 07718 945 229
Dan Barraclough, Exec Producer – RDF Television:
tel - 07968 053 030
Jemma Gander, Producer ('I'm Spazticus')– Freelancer:
tel - 07840 003 976
Jonathan Davenport, Head of Digital - Hat Trick:
Tel – 07852 549 813