Gareth John Edwards
Gareth is an expert in all areas of digital imaging and computer graphics.
He is an original thinker, a good communicator, and builds software that does not crash in the middle of the night.
Note 2/3/26: He is compiling a "credits" document for this website that will give a credit mention to as many people as he can remember, and which will be added shortly.
Employment
2013 to present
Technical Director & Systems Architect, Observant Innovations – designing, developing and manufacturing digital imaging solutions based on the Aperture imaging workbench created by Gareth, a powerful real-time machine vision system with the capability to capture, analyse, manipulate, process and then archive, multiple stream of very high quality meta-tagged imagery for professionals especially for industrial inspection, monitoring, safety and security.
2007 - 2015
Visiting Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London – MSc Computer Games & Entertainment Leader of the Shaders and Rendering module, Co-leader of the Mathematics for Computer Graphics.
2007 - 2013
Technical Director, Stargate Resources – high definition, resolution, quality, real-time panoramic or 360° streaming video/imaging applications for Windows, OSX, Linux, Android, and iOS-based systems
2003 - 2007
Technical Director, BiBC – content distribution services to media UK businesses and consumers.
2003 - 2007
Creative Director, Digital City - managing acceleration and growth of early-stage tech companies.
Prior to 2003
Technical Director, Papillon Services; CEO, HDT & Digital Renaissance; Managing & Creative Director, Myths & Legends; Creative Director, Cell Animation; Creative Director, Cinesite (Europe); Head of Computer Graphics, Moving Picture Company; Head of Computer Graphics, CAL Videographics; Graphics Analyst, Dr. John Vince Consulting; Tate Exhibition Curator, Prof. Harold Cohen.
Education
Royal College of Art; London
Gray's School of Art, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen; MA Hons Degree - Scottish equivalent Post Graduate Dip AD Band 1; BA Hons Degree (First Class) - Scottish equivalent Dip AD Band 1
Filmography
Visual Effects Supervisor
Do Not Disturb, Red Swan, Dragonriders of Pern, Simon Sez, Visioner, Preaching to the Perverted, Lawnmower Man 2
Digital Effects Supervisor
Midsummer Nights Dream, Pinocchio, Muppets Treasure Island, Paris Match, Mission Impossible, Free Willy 2, First Knight, Paris Match, I Buchi Neri.
Creative Director Cinesite
Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Space Jam, Golden Eye, Restoration, Englishman Who Went Up A Hill.
Computer Graphics Supervisor
Free Jimmy
History
Gareth began programming computer graphics in1979 at Gray’s School of Art, and then from 1982 at The Royal College of Art (RCA). This led to a 20 year career in TV & Film, initially specialising in the mathematics and programming of procedural animation and visualisation, and later in Digital & Visual Effects. Since 2001, he has become - without planning! - an expert in real-time Informational Graphics and Industrial Imaging.
On leaving the RCA he joined CAL, one of the original Soho video graphics company as the Head of Computer Graphics. He was head hunted to the Moving Picture Company (www.moving-picture.com) as Head of Computer Graphics. During this time, he won many awards for animation and design and began directing commercials. He was then head hunted by Kodak's Cinesite (Europe) (http://www.cinesite.com - at that time the premier European digital film effects company) as Creative Director.
After leaving Cinesite he started his own independent Visual Effects company. This became a partner in an international media group requiring Gareth to work between New York, London, and Oberhausen in northern Germany. Through this partnership he was appointed Managing Director of Digital Renaissance HDT, the largest digital effects company outside of the West Coast of the USA and the European end of the world-famous Digital Domain (www.digitaldomain.com).
After many years of living out of a suitcase, he decided to quit the Film & TV industries to pursue his passion for computer graphics programming and digital imaging, and to find a more wholesome, family friendly and enjoyable way to make a living. This led to a series of commercial ventures that finally led to him being a Founder of Observant Innovations (http://www.observant-innovations.com), a company that designs and manufactures Panoramic 360° cameras for Police and Emergency Services.
In the last few years, he has used the technical resources he created for Observant Innovations to develop 3D surface inspection and 3D surface reconstruction systems, integrated Lidar/Panoramic 360°/Artificial Intelligence systems, and most recently various Industrial Inspections Systems (e.g., capsule detection and verification, concrete truck ANPR registration, loading and monitoring).
Throughout his entire career he has maintained a code archive which has enabled him to author Graphics Engines (for CG Modelling, Animation & Rendering), and Games Engines (for industrial application development). These have been created using the programming languages Fortran, Basic (various), LISP, C, C++, Java, and JavaScript.
Other Interests
Gareth has many interests including: Mathematics for Image Synthesis; Real-time Graphics Programming; Contemporary music from the early days of Prog Rock to today; Choral music from the 16th Century onwards; Cooking and Gardening.