Santa Monica, Calif. - On May 10, 2007, the primetime series Smallville will air "Prototype," the show's first full episode directed by VFX veteran Mat Beck.
The episode continues Beck's 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.
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 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.
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. Beck's 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.
The plotline of "Prototype," shot over 10 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.