A local visual effects designer makes a name for himself in Hollywood by landing his first role in a hit film.

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

It also features digital lightning effects from former St. Alberta native Dylan Orriss.

“I went through the internship program at Sony Pictures Imageworks… They put me on a project right away, and it was Red One,” said Orriss, who now resides in Vancouver.

As one of 15 lighting associates, Orriss is responsible for ensuring that proper digital lighting techniques are used on elements of the film, including environments and characters.

“Essentially, we’re placing digital lights in the digital scene and making it look like they’re actually part of the sets,” they added.

Orriss said it seemed “surreal” to be working on a Hollywood film right after graduating.

“Sometimes I stop and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m watching Dwayne Johnson…I’m working on a movie with him,’ or Chris Evans, or something like that, and I’m just blown away.

“It’s crazy. It’s crazy how normal it becomes. You’re just like, ‘Okay, here’s just another photo, another day.'”

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

“I wouldn’t have even had this opportunity to work in the industry if it wasn’t for Red Deer Polytechnic…I graduated and then I was hired a few weeks later,” Orriss said.

Orriss said Red One would probably be the biggest film they would work on in a long time, but they are expected to work on an upcoming Netflix film called K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Red One hits theaters on November 15. Orriss said they will spend the weekend watching the movie on the big screen with friends and family back home.