Chris Duffill
Chris is a tech expert and reviewer for Empire. He has extensive experience in technology and media, having worked in video production, digital design, marketing, and publishing. When asked to list his top-ten movies of all time, the line-up invariably includes James Cameron's Aliens, Carpenter's The Thing, and (plot twist) The Shining. He also grew up watching Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who. He built his own full-size TARDIS (a 1:1 scale USS Enterprise or Death Star won't fit in his garden, unfortunately). Apart from being good at going square-eyed, he's also had plenty of experience in media and technology.
Read morePhotography, cameras and video production
Chris' experience with video and photography started by using 35mm SLR cameras and an old-school darkroom for developing. This interest grew with the advent of DSLRs – eventually leading to a career in video production. Handy, since it also involved yet more high-tech gadgetry to explore. He's an experienced videographer and editor, having graduated from Manchester in the mid-nineties with a BA in Film and Television production. He worked in production as a writer, editor and cameraman, using live studio cameras and mostly single-camera shoots on location. Since then, Chris has used 4K digital video cameras, GoPro-style action cams, and DSLRs such as the Canon 5D. He enjoys post-production and has used professional AVID suites and Adobe Premiere and After Effects based systems.
Hi-fi and AV tech
Also a lifelong fan of hi-fi separates and stereo systems, Chris has owned and written about various audio tech – from amplifiers, speakers and streaming media players to headphones, earbuds and more. He prefers analogue listening, and has a sizeable collection of vinyl records with both new and old pressings. But, you'll also catch him streaming Spotify to a Sonos or Alexa speaker regularly.
An early adopter of home cinema projectors and surround sound systems, Chris has owned and set up quite a few audiovisual setups in his time. It's probably the root of his obsession for all things tech, having started out with Betamax and VHS tapes of his favourite shows and movies on a tiny CRT TV. Cut to today (and many fairly expensive systems later) he now streams UHD content via Plex to 4K QLED or OLED TVs. Despite loving dedicated surround sound systems with Dolby Atmos and the like, he actually prefers the simplicity and quality of some of the best soundbars for everyday viewing.
Writing and editorial
Chris has a Master of Arts in Screenwriting from the University of East Anglia. Following graduation he co-wrote a screenplay based on the novel Elephant Song for the (now late) author Wilbur Smith. He’s written editorially for a number of print and online publications, including automotive, technology and historical features.
PCs, gadgets and gaming
His enthusiasm for film and TV is second only to a lifelong fascination with electronics, gadgets and game consoles of all kinds. From the tiny Nintendo Game & Watch to the huge Star Wars and Space Invaders arcade cabinets of the 80s, this new hardware, software and interactivity kickstarted a tech obsession. Chris grew up as personal computers were really taking off, with the arrival of legendary machines like the BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. Later came PCs running MS-DOS and, of course, Windows. Since then Chris has built one or two modern PCs and modified many. Despite having owned every PlayStation and Xbox console, he still collects and plays classic PC games like LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island and, personal favourite, Interplay's Star Trek 25th Anniversary.
What about his spare time?
"If I'm not watching movies on a 4K TV that’s a tad too large for the room, I'll probably be found making some sort of electronic gizmo from parts that aren’t supposed to do that. I earned my nerd stripes from shows like Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Blake's 7 and too many more to mention. It probably won't surprise anyone that I also like vintage toys and gadgets. I can also be found listening to rock bands on vinyl, dabbling with electronics, or retro gaming. Actually, probably all three at once."
Chris' areas of expertise:
• Audiovisual tech – particularly TVs, projectors, speakers, amplifiers and turntables
• PCs and peripherals
• Video and DSLR Cameras and creative software
• Retro gaming
• Toys, electronic gadgets and prop replicas
• Cult sci-fi TV and classic film