Editing Charles Ratteray

{{Cast Data|series=RDM|image=|character=|nationality=US|site=https://charlesratteray.artstation.com|imdb=2671872|sortkey=Ratteray, Charles}}

'''Charles Ratteray''' is an American concept artist, storyboard artist, and illustrator who served as a conceptual designer on the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]].<ref name="ratteray_gnomon_bio" group="external">{{cite web|url=https://www.gnomon.edu/academics/instructors/charles-ratteray/|title=Charles Ratteray - Gnomon|publisher=Gnomon School of Visual Effects|accessdate=August 28, 2025}}</ref> Based in Los Angeles, Ratteray has worked in the entertainment industry for over 25 years, contributing to numerous high-profile television series and films.

== Career ==

=== Early career ===
Ratteray studied art in Philadelphia before relocating to Los Angeles for an internship in special effects at the Academy Award-winning [[w:Stan Winston Studio|Stan Winston Studio]].<ref name="ratteray_artstation_resume" group="external">{{cite web|url=https://charlesratteray.artstation.com/resume|title=Charles Ratteray - Resume|publisher=ArtStation|accessdate=August 28, 2025}}</ref> His performance during the internship led to a permanent position at the practical effects studio, where he focused primarily on character design.<ref name="ratteray_storyboard_interview" group="external">{{cite web|url=https://storyboardartists.com/conversation-charles-ratteray-art-life-storytelling/|title=A Conversation with Charles Ratteray on Art, Life and Storytelling|author=|publisher=Storyboard Artists Guide|date=April 13, 2017|accessdate=August 28, 2025}}</ref>

Ratteray subsequently expanded his skill set beyond character design to include storytelling and other aspects of design and filmmaking techniques. He became associated with [[w:Famous Frames|Famous Frames]], one of the largest storyboard agencies in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas, and has collaborated with directors including [[w:Spike Lee|Spike Lee]], [[w:David Fincher|David Fincher]], [[w:David Twohy|David Twohy]], [[w:Ivan Reitman|Ivan Reitman]], [[w:Patrick Tatopoulos|Patrick Tatopoulos]], and [[w:F. Gary Gray|F. Gary Gray]].

=== Television and film work ===
Ratteray's television credits include ''[[w:Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]'', ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', ''[[w:Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'', and ''[[w:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|CSI]]''. His film work includes serving as a storyboard artist on ''[[w:Captain America: The First Avenger|Captain America: The First Avenger]]'' (2011), ''[[w:Blue Eye Samurai|Blue Eye Samurai]]'' (2023), and ''[[w:Deadpool 3|Deadpool & Wolverine]]'' (2024).

Ratteray's artistic style is characterized by dynamic lines and designs that blend anime and realistic influences. He continues to work as a storyboard artist, concept designer and illustrator for major entertainment companies including [[w:Marvel Comics|Marvel]], [[w:Netflix|Netflix]], [[w:Riot Games|Riot Games]], and [[w:The Walt Disney Company|Disney]].<ref name="ratteray_creative_bloq" group="external">{{cite web|url=https://www.creativebloq.com/features/artist-in-residence-charles-ratteray|title=Artist in Residence: inside the bustling studio of Marvel, Netflix and Disney artist Charles Ratteray|publisher=Creative Bloq|date=May 16, 2024|accessdate=August 28, 2025}}</ref>

== Battlestar Galactica contributions ==
Ratteray served as a conceptual designer at [[Zoic Studios]] during the production of the ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' Re-imagined Series (2004-2009), working under [[visual effects supervisor]] [[Gary Hutzel]]. His most significant contribution to the series was his work on the [[Cylon Raider]] design.

According to production illustrator [[Eric Chu]], who created the initial [[Cylon Raider]] concepts, Ratteray's intervention proved crucial to the final design. Chu stated that while his early designs "had the same basic elements: a central fuselage — which was required by an earlier version of the miniseries' script — a face, and a general disc shape, which I kept from the original Raider," the distinctive profile emerged later. "It wasn't until Charles Ratteray at Zoic took a crack at the design that the scimitar shape came into existence. I liked the basic shape of that and did a final pass to smooth the lines and give it a more organic feeling, which tied it in with the rest of the Cylon designs."<ref name="companion142">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=142|publisher=Titan Books}}</ref>

The [[Cylon Raider]]'s scimitar profile became a defining visual element of the Re-imagined Series, representing the bio-mechanical aesthetic that characterized the evolved [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] technology. This design departed significantly from the original 1978 series while maintaining thematic consistency with the organic nature of Cylon evolution depicted throughout the show.

== Teaching ==
Ratteray serves as an instructor at the [[w:Gnomon School of Visual Effects|Gnomon School of Visual Effects]], where he teaches courses to aspiring visual effects artists and designers.

== References ==

=== External Sources ===
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