Matt Aitken (special effects artist)

2.1. Education

Matt Aitken pursued his higher education with a focus on foundational technical skills relevant to visual effects. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Following this, he further specialized by completing a Master of Science degree in computer graphics at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom. These studies provided him with the essential theoretical and practical knowledge that would become crucial for his career in visual effects.

2.2. Early career

Matt Aitken began his professional career as a visual effects artist in 1995. He became a prominent figure at Weta Digital, a renowned visual effects company based in New Zealand. His work at Weta Digital has been a cornerstone of his career, contributing to many of the studio's most iconic and groundbreaking projects.

3.1. Selected filmography

The following table lists selected film projects to which Matt Aitken has contributed, detailing the year of release and the distributor.

4.1. Academy Awards

Matt Aitken has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

• At the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010, he received a nomination for his work on the 2009 science fiction film District 9. He shared this nomination with Robert Habros, Dan Kaufman, and Peter Muyzers.
• His second nomination came at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020 for the 2019 superhero film Avengers: Endgame. For this film, he was nominated alongside Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick.

4.2. Other major awards

Aitken has also been recognized by various other prestigious film and visual effects industry bodies, including the Visual Effects Society Awards, Saturn Awards, British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), Hollywood Professional Association Awards, Gold Derby Awards, Satellite Awards, and Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards.