# Robert Chapin

Robert Chapin (born April 3, 1964, in Miami, Florida) is a stunt, fight and swordplay choreographer, visual effects artist and supervisor, actor, writer, director, and producer. He is popularly known for acting in and creating the longest running action horror web series called The Hunted. He is also known for creating visual effects for American Beauty, Crouching Tiger, The Big Lebowski and X-Men. Chapin first starred in a film called Ring of Steel, of which he also wrote. As a fight choreographer and instructor, he is certified with the Societies of American, British, and Canadian Fight Directors. He has trained with stars such as Plácido Domingo, Robin Williams, David Hasselhoff, John Saxon, Marc Singer, Richard Grieco, Richard Lynch, Mike Norris, James Lew, Olivier Gruner, Jeff Conaway, Raye Hollitt, Tessie Santiago, and Angelica Bridges.

## Early life, background and career

Robert Chapin was born on April 3, 1964, in Miami, Florida, to a family of puppeteers, Leonora and Gerald Chapin. Chapin grew up making movies with brother, Stuart Chapin. Throughout his junior high and high school years, he attended drama and musical classes. In 1982, he received a music scholarship in Miami Dade Community College where he also took a course in Computer Science. At that same time, he also began training in stage combat and swordplay with a group that performed living chessgames called The Royal Chessmen at local fairs. Later on, he joined a jousting troupe called The Knights Arrant, and a small troupe called Ring of Steel, which performed sword fights at local theme park called Pirates. It was in this time that he met Matthew Gratzner, and Shannon Gans who created New Deal Studios in Los Angeles.
In 1985, he moved to Orlando, Florida. There, Chapin worked his way through college at the University of Central Florida by performing sword fights at a local dinner theater known as Shakespeare's Taevern. In 1986, Chapin's father died, but he continued his college until he graduated in 1987. Also at this time, he continued to take drama classes and choreographed sword fights for Romeo and Juliet.
Convinced by his brother, Chapin moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a swordsman on feature films such as Hook and Army of Darkness. In 1991, Chapin's mother died, two years before Bob wrote and starred in his first film, Ring of Steel, which was distributed by MCA Universal. Over the years, Chapin went on to star in several action films while building his credentials as an actor, stuntman, and fight coordinator. Also in this time, he began a career as a visual effects artist, using his skills and knowledge in computer science. He started with Pacific Data Images in Los Angeles, and then moved from one company to another. Chapin also worked with critically and widely acclaimed award-winning films such as X-Men, Fantastic Four, Armageddon, and American Beauty. He also headed several indie films before he became an in-house visual effects supervisor at New Deal Studios.
Chapin continuously kept up his acting and sword fighting skills. He trained for years with the infamous acting coach, Larry Moss, and was certified in six weapons as an actor-combatant in 1995 with the Societies of American, British, and Canadian Fight Directors at the First International Stage Combat Workshop in London, England.
In 2001, he co-created The Hunted with writer/actor Andrew Helm. The Hunted is one of the longest running web shows online.

## Filmography

The following are the films and TV series or shows participated by Chapin as a visual effects artist or animator, actor, director, producer, and stunt and swordplay choreographer:
Visual Effects Artist / Animator (Film) :
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2012 | Saving Santa | Post-production; Visual effects supervisor |
| 2012 | The Grey | Visual effects artist |
| 2010 | Shutter Island | Digital effects supervisor: New Deal Studios |
| 2009 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Digital effects supervisor in New Deal Studios (Uncredited) |
| 2009 | Watchmen | Previs artist (Uncredited) |
| 2008 | 100 Feet | Digital supervisor |
| 2008 | Iron Man | Previs artist (Uncredited) |
| 2008 | Paraiso Travel | Visual effects supervisor |
| 2008 | Cloverfield | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 2007 | The Red Chalk | Digital artist |
| 2007 | Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer | Visual effects in Hammerhead Productions |
| 2006 | Night at the Museum | Visual effects (uncredited) |
| 2006 | The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift | Effects animator in Hammerhead Productions |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Visual effects |
| 2005 | Fantastic Four | Visual effects |
| 2004 | The Chronicles of Riddick | Visual effects |
| 2004 | Miss Castaway and the Island Girls | Visual effects supervisor |
| 2003 | X2 | Visual effects |
| 2002 | Queen of the Damned | Visual effects |
| 2002 | The Bacchae | Visual effects supervisor |
| 2001 | The Animal | Visual effects |
| 2000 | Almost Famous | 3D artist |
| 2000 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Digital artist |
| 2000 | The Convent | Visual effects supervisor |
| 1999 | American Beauty | 3D artist |
| 1999 | Muppets from Space | Visual effects |
| 1998 | Mighty Joe Young | Visual effects |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 1998 | Armageddon | CG animator; Credited as Dr. Bob Chapin |
| 1998 | Six Days Seven Nights | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 1998 | The Big Lebowski | 3D Digital artist |
| 1997 | The Devil's Advocate | Computer animator |
| 1997 | Trojan War | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 1997 | Con Air | Computer graphics effects |
| 1997 | Dante's Peak | Visual effects supervisor |
| 1997 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time | Visual effects supervisor |
| 1997 | Deadlock | Visual effects |
| 1996 | My Fellow Americans | Visual effects |
| 1996 | Extreme Measures | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 1996 | Alaska | Visual effects |
| 1996 | Matilda | Visual effects (Uncredited) |
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Special visual effects |
| 1996 | Before and After | Visual effects |
| 1996 | White Squall | Visual effects |
| 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | Visual effects |
| 1993 | RoboCop 3 | Production Support |
| 1992 | The Babe | Film recordist and assistant Animator |
| Visual Effects Artist / Animator (TV/Web) |||
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2010 | The Hunted | 2 episodes - Visual effects |
| 2008 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Pilot episode - Visual effects |
| 2007 | Chuck | Chuck Versus the Crown Vic episode - Visual effects |
| 2007 | Criminal Minds | Visual effects - Identity episode |
| 2006 | There & Back: Ashley Parker Angel | Visual effects supervisor - 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Invasion | Pilot episode - Visual effects |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | 4x4 Episode - Visual effects |
| 2000 | The Privateers | TV movie; Visual effects |
| 1998 | The Tempest | TV movie; Visual effects |
Stunts (Film/TV/Web) :
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2011 | Hirokin | Stunts |
| 2011 | Legends of Atoll | Stunt coordinator |
| 2008 | Nenu Meeku Telusa? | Assistant stunt coordinator |
| 2006 | Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny | Stunts |
| 2006 | Kill Your Darlings | Stunts |
| 2005 | Soldier of God | Sword fight choreographer |
| 2004 | Next Action Star | Utility stunts |
| 2002 | Scooby-Doo | Stunt double (Uncredited) |
| 1999 | The Magnificent Seven | Stunts |
| 1998 | Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights | Fight coordinator |
| 1997 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time | Fight coordinator |
| 1996 | Beetleborgs: Vampire Files | Stunts |
| 1996 | Kindred: The Embraced | Stunts |
| 1996 | Baywatch | Stunt double |
| 1996 | Dragon Fury II | Fight coordinator |
| 1996 | The Dark Mist | Stunts |
| 1995 | Dragon Fury | Fight coordinator |
| 1995 | Enter the Blood Ring | Stunts |
| 1994 - 1995 | Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills | Stunt coordinator; Stunt double |
| 1994 | Renaissance Man | Stunts |
| 1994 | 2002: The Rape of Eden | Stunts; As Bob Chapin |
| 1994 | Eyes of the Serpent | Stunts |
| 1993 | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Stunts |
| 1992 | Ring of the Musketeers [de] | TV movie; Stunt player |
| 1992 | Army of Darkness | Stunts (Uncredited) |
| 1991 | Hook | Stunts (Uncredited) |
| Actor (TV/Film/Web) |||
| Year | Project | Role |
| 2011 | Legends of Atoll | thug |
| 2008 | Faux Baby | Elliot |
| 2008 | Pirate's Blood | Andrew Selkirk |
| 2002 | The Bacchae | Battalion leader |
| 2001 - 2011 | The Hunted | Dr. Bob / Mikey |
| 2000 | The Privateers | Captain Antilles |
| 1999 | The Magnificent Seven | Martin, Cowboy with Whip |
| 1998 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | King Arthur |
| 1998 | Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights | Kether |
| 1997 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time | Sir Gawain |
| 1996 | Dragon Fury II | Mason |
| 1995 | Dragon Fury | Mason |
| 1995 | Enter the Blood Ring | fighter |
| 1994 | Ring of Steel | Alex Freyer |
| Director (TV/Film/Web) |||
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2005 | Soldier of God | Second Unit Director |
| 2001 - 2011 | The Hunted | Director |
| 1997 | Deadlock | Second Unit Director |
| Writer (TV/Film/Web) |||
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2001 - 2011 | The Hunted | Director |
| 1994 | Ring of Steel | |
| Producer (TV/Film/Web) |||
| Year | Project | Notes |
| 2009 - 2011 | The Hunted | Producer - 3 episodes |

## Awards and recognition

Awards
| Year | Association | Award/Recognition | Category | Nominee | Result | Reference |
| 2010 | Visual Effects Society | 8th Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Models and Miniatures in a Feature Motion Picture | For the National Air and Space Museum escape in the Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian: Robert Chapin (Digital Effects Supervisor), Tony Chen (Model Maker), Forest Fischer (Model Crew Chief), and Ian Hunter (Visual Effects Supervisor) | Nominated | |
Recognition
* Action Martial Arts Star of the Year (2003) by the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society