Blockbuster holiday flick features digital visual effects from local talent

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans on set for the holiday action film Red One, opening in theatres Nov. 15. 2024. (Courtesy: Amazon MGM Studios)

A local visual effects designer is making a name for themselves in Hollywood, landing their first gig on a blockbuster movie.

Red One features Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans saving Santa Claus – played by Academy Award-winner J.K. Simmons – from a kidnapping.

It also features former St. Albertan Dylan Orriss' digital lightning effects.

"I got (into) the internship program at Sony Pictures Imageworks … They put me on a project right away, and that was Red One," said Orriss, who now resides in Vancouver.

As one of the 15 lighting associates, it's Orriss' job to ensure proper digital lighting techniques are being used on in-movie assets including environments and characters.

"Essentially, we place digital lights in the digital scene and make it look like it's actually part of the sets," they added.

Orriss said it feels "surreal" to be working on a Hollywood film right after graduating.

"Sometimes I'll stop myself and be like, 'Well, I'm looking at Dwayne Johnson … I am working on a movie with him,' or Chris Evans, or something like that, and just being blown away.

"It's wild. It's wild how normal it becomes. You're just like, 'Okay, here's just another shot, another day.'"

Orriss got into visual effects while attending Red Deer Polytechnic, which was among the first colleges to have an animation visual effects program.

"I would not have gotten this opportunity to even work in the industry if it wasn't for Red Deer Polytechnic … I graduated, and then I got hired a few weeks later," Orriss said.

Orriss said Red One will likely be the biggest movie they'll work on in a long time, but they are slated to work on an upcoming Netflix movie called K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Red One hits theatres Nov. 15. Orriss said they will be spending the weekend watching the movie on the big screen along with friends and family back home.