:Pitof

{{Short description|French visual effects supervisor and director}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Pitof

| birthname = Jean-Christophe Comar

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| othername =

| occupation = Visual effects director, producer, screenwriter

| yearsactive = 1976–present

}}

Jean-Christophe "Pitof" Comar is a French visual effects supervisor and director notable for Vidocq and Catwoman.

Career

Pitof began his career in the film industry in 1976 as an assistant director, still photographer and film editor. He then branched out into musical scoring, software design and graphic design for televisions, music videos and commercials. Co-founder of Duran Duboi, a digital postproduction company, Pitof worked on commercials, videos and feature films.

In 1997, Pitof took on the role of second unit director for Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien: Resurrection. It was Pitof’s third collaboration with Jeunet after working together on the Jeunet-Caro films Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children.

in 2000 Pitof made his directorial debut with the film, Vidocq a period thriller starring Gerard Depardieu and Guillaume Canet, premiered in France in September 2001.

It is notable as being the first major fantasy film to be released (one year before Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones) was shot entirely with digital cinematography, using a Sony HDW-F900 CineAlta camera.{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4941598-1.html|title=French 'vidocq' A High-definition First|date=February 15, 2000|access-date=2008-09-18|work=The Hollywood Reporter|author=Charles Masters|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523161903/http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4941598-1.html|archive-date=May 23, 2009}}

In 2004, Pitof made his English-language debut with the Hollywood film Catwoman, starring Halle Berry and Sharon Stone.{{cite web |date=23 November 2003 |title=Director Pitof on Catwoman |url=https://www.superherohype.com/features/83879-director-pitof-on-catwoman}} The film was critically panned,{{cite web |title=Catwoman (2004) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/catwoman |accessdate=24 October 2019 |work=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{cite web |title=Catwoman Reviews |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/catwoman |work=Metacritic}} and is considered one of the worst movies of all time. Pitof was awarded the Razzie Award for Worst Director for the film.{{cite web |title=Halle's Feline Fiasco Catwoman and President's Fahrenheit Blunders Tie for 25th Razzie Dis-Honors |url=http://www.razzies.com/asp/directory/25thWinners.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315210719/http://www.razzies.com/asp/directory/25thWinners.htm |archive-date=15 March 2011 |accessdate=7 March 2011 |work=Razzies.com}} In 2024 Pitof openly explained the many issues behind Catwoman and the exclusion of the Batman character.{{citation |url=https://www.cbr.com/catwoman-no-batman-halle-berry/|title=Catwoman Director Explains Why There's No Batman in the Infamous DC Flop|publisher=CBR (Valnet Publishing Group)|date=1 September 2024|access-date=11 February 2025}}

Pitof was set to direct the US-Chinese co-production Empires of the Deep although he eventually dropped out.{{cite web |last1=Puchko |first1=Kristy |title=Empires Of The Deep Trailer Reveals A Mermaid War Unlike Any Other |url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Empires-Deep-Trailer-Reveals-Mermaid-War-Unlike-Any-Other-33743.html |accessdate=16 May 2015 |website=Cinemablend}}{{cite web |date=25 May 2013 |title=Empires of the Deep: The New Waterworld or How to Lose $130 Million… |url=https://grizzlybomb.com/2013/05/25/empires-of-the-deep-trailer/ |publisher=}}

In 2019 Pitof co-founded 6th Sense VR, a company developing, producing and distributing VR content.