Meet Einar Martinsen, the 26-year-old VFX superhero who works for Weta Digital.
Last winter, Einar Martinsen got the answer he was hoping for:
– The dream job at Weta Digital is yours!
Ever since I saw the Lord of the Rings, I knew I wanted to work for Weta.Einar Martinsen
Then it was off to New Zealand, where he recently contributed as a matte painter on 2016's most anticipated movie 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'.
The 26-year-old studied 3D Design and Animation at Noroff Oslo in 2008, and 3D Film Production the following year.
– How did you get the job at Weta Digital?
– To me, working at Weta was a far-fetched dream for many years. One day I took a chance and applied for a job online. They replied, and shortly after I was on my way to New Zealand, Einar says.
Wellington, New Zealand: Einar Martinsen currently works for Weta Digital. Photo: Shutterstock
Photorealistic environments
The people are very friendly and there's a great sense of creativity and enjoyment of life here in Wellington.Einar Martinsen
– Ever since I saw the Lord of the Rings, I knew I wanted to work for Weta. My desire to work for them grew even bigger when Avatar came out. I was a student at Noroff at the time, and I was so impressed and motivated by the work they accomplished in that movie.
Weta Digital is one of the world’s premier visual effects companies. Co-founded by Peter Jackson, their work includes blockbusters like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar, the Hobbit trilogy. The company was behind groundbreaking performance-driven digital characters like Smaug, Gollum, and Neytiri.
Weta Digital has won five Academy Awards®.
– What does a matte painter do?
– A matte painter creates photorealistic environments and backgrounds. You can often see matte painting work featured when the movie needs to establish a new place or environment in the story.
Incredible nature: Einar enjoys exploring New Zealand. Private photo.
– Creativity and enjoyment
– What is life like in New Zealand?
I miss my classmates the most. It was a great place to be, with like-minded and inspiring people.Einar Martinsen
– Life in New Zealand is great! The culture is cool, the people are very friendly and there's a great sense of creativity and enjoyment of life here in Wellington.
– The nature is also incredible. You got everything here, palm trees and white beaches, volcanic looking landscapes, jungle, glaciers and snowy mountains!
– What do you do in your spare time?
– I hang out with friends, go out on the town, explore nature around New Zealand and sometimes go surfing.
– How long are you planning on staying?
– I'm taking it year by year at the moment. I really enjoy staying here, but I like the idea of traveling so we'll see what happens!
Trolls: Einar and the three trolls from The Hobbit. Private photo.
– Collaboration is important
– What other projects have you worked on at Weta Digital?
I've worked on so many more projects then I anticipated before coming here. It's awesome!Einar Martinsen
– I've worked on so many more projects then I anticipated before coming here. It's awesome! So far I've been fortunate to work on Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Pete's Dragon, Krampus, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Steven Spielberg's The BFG.
– What did you learn at Noroff that has been useful for your career?
– Collaboration is one of the most useful things I've taken with me. Having a large group of people collaborating well together is so important. Just look at Weta Digital as a good example!
– What do you miss from your time at Noroff?
– I miss my classmates the most. It was a great place to be, with like-minded and inspiring people. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot of useful skills towards working in the creative industry!
'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' premieres March 25.
Read more about Einar and see some of his work on his website.