Mat Beck to Helm Smallville's "Prototype"

May 10th Installment of Popular Primetime Series Marks Beck's Debut Directing a Full TV Episode

May 09, 2007



On May 10, 2007, the hit primetime series Smallville will air "Prototype," the show's first full episode directed by VFX veteran Mat Beck. The episode continues to expand Beck's accomplished career in film and television as a visual effects supervisor, producer, cinematographer and second unit director, and broadcasts on The CW network Thursday, May 10, at 8:00 PM.

As a veteran collaborator, Beck has executive-supervised all of the visual effects for Smallville since 2002 and has directed a number of its more dramatic action sequences, including shots that bookend the program's main title. This is the first full episode under his direction. His work in the industry also includes such TV shows as Six Feet Under, Band of Brothers, Nightstalker and Fight Science as well as music videos, commercials and more than 60 feature films.

Beck started out in the entertainment business shooting personal films and documentary footage, having completed an education in computers, physiological psychology, film theory and photography. After designing and programming digital tools such as motion control systems and working as a camera operator, he moved into director of photography and visual effects supervisor roles and was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in 2002.

His current memberships include The Directors Guild of America, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, The International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600) and the Visual Effects Society. He is also a member of the The Writers Guild, and penned an episode of the multiple Emmy Award-winning drama The X-Files in 1996.

Beck's lengthy list of credits ranges from movies such as Titanic, The Abyss, Moonstruck, The X-Files, True Lies, Galaxy Quest, The Nutty Professor, The Aviator, Spider-Man 2, Herbie: Fully Loaded and Miami Vice to Band of Brothers, for which he was Emmy nominated in 2002. Also an entrepreneur, he founded visual effects companies Light Matters, Inc. and Entity FX in 1994 and 2002, respectively.

"Prototype" helps wrap an exciting sixth season of Smallville, ratcheting up the action towards the season finale, titled "Phantom," to air on May 17. The plotline of "Prototype," shot over ten days on locations in and around Vancouver, sees the emergence of a deadly super soldier (Tahmoh Penikett) from a clandestine program designed by Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) to imbue military veterans with alien super powers. When the über-G.I. is dispatched to kill a whistle-blowing senator (Alan C. Peterson), Clark Kent (Tom Welling) must face off with the formidable fighter to save intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Erica Durance).

"Prototype" airs May 10 at 8:00 PM Eastern/Pacific time on The CW network.