Saving Private Ryan, Love Actually and Mamma Mia are also among the films which feature work by the largely unknown Radway artist.

Although his oil and digital paintings will be recognised by millions, Steve has managed to keep his talents a secret for his 30-year long career.

But now, ahead of the release of his latest project Shanghai - featuring John Cusack and Gong Li, the scenic artist has agreed to showcase some of his work at a Leamington gallery.

Shanghai, a spy-thriller set during the Second World War, may have been one of his most challenging feats.

Although portraying the city of its name, the film was shot in Beijing.

As the project’s concept artist, Steve began designing the set five months before it was built.

He said: “Normally, I come in later in a film and paint big backgrounds for the set, but on this one I was involved in that from the very start.

“It was interesting to turn up and see what I had been visualising.

“I haven’t seen the film yet because it’s still in post-production stage, but to see the final thing was very strange.

“It’s like walking into one of your own paintings.”

The 55-year-old first developed an interest in film and television while studying fine art at Leicester University during the 1970s.

He said: “I painted a lot of ‘photo-realist’ style paintings which were very unfashionable at the time - I got a lot of grief about it.

“But I then got an interview with the BBC, started training with them and ended up there for nine years.”

During his time with the corporation, he moved up the ranks to become head of scenic art at BBC Birmingham and worked on hundreds of productions, including All Creatures Great and Small, Howard's Way, Boys from the Blackstuff and Spy Ship.

After going freelance, Steve produced artwork for more than 500 television commercials, plus murals, exhibitions, stills and independent screen productions.

For the past ten years he has been concentrating on feature films - something he enjoys because of the variety of the work involved.

He said: “One minute you are asked to forge a Picasso, the next minute you are building up a 300ft landscape that has to look very real.

“My work involved the whole gamut of art.

“It takes you into different areas you have never worked in or experienced.”

During the past few years Steve has worked in Thailand, Hungary, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.

He said: “The travelling aspect is interesting, although quite often it’s a Hollywood film so I don’t get to explore the different cultures.

“But I have to do a lot of research and end up learning a lot.”

Despite constantly being called abroad, Steve, whose favourite painter is Francis Bacon, continues to produce oils at his studio in Cropredy during the spare moments he finds himself at home.

People can see some of his work this month at the Where I Fell in Love art gallery in Regent Street.