Christopher Springfield is the Head of Lighting, Rendering, Compositing (LRC), and Digital Matte Painting (DMP) at Cinesite Animation. He leads a talented team of lighters, compositors, and digital matte painters to craft the lighting, matte paintings, and final compositing that bring animated stories to life. Working closely with show leadership, he sets the artistic vision and technical standards while developing efficient workflows that enable his team to deliver high-quality visuals on schedule. A natural mentor and strategic leader, Christopher guides both departmental supervisors and individual artists, helping them grow and navigate the creative and technical challenges of each production.
Christopher’s distinguished career spans over 25 years, with two decades spent at Disney Feature Animation where he contributed to iconic films such as Tarzan, Treasure Planet, Chicken Little, Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph (1 & 2), Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana. His unique blend of scientific rigor—holding a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Caltech—and hands-on filmmaking experience laid a strong foundation for his innovative approach to lighting as a storytelling tool. Christopher was instrumental in developing Disney’s Academy Award-winning Deep Canvas rendering engine and played a significant role in advancing the Hyperion PBR renderer, helping to elevate the artistic quality of lighting in animation.
Throughout his career, Christopher has held key leadership roles, including Lighting Supervisor on several major features and Head of Lighting and FX at Blue Sky Studios, where he led the integration of new rendering technologies and guided the lighting design on Spies in Disguise. He is a proud member of multiple award-winning teams, including the Academy Award-winning visual effects crew on Titanic and the Academy Award-winning lighting team on Big Hero 6.
Driven by a lifelong passion sparked by his first viewing of Star Wars, Christopher finds fulfillment in nurturing talented artists and witnessing their creative growth. Outside the studio, he enjoys building intricate LEGO sets, playing video games, and traveling the world.
