John Walters

John Walters

Supervisor vfx art director / Lead Matte Painter / Concept Artist / 2 yrs

Wellington, New Zealand

Hire Me

vfx art director

Twisted Metal (2023)

Senior Digital Matte Painter

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Senior Digital Matte Painter

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)

Digital Artist

The Batman (2022)

Senior Digital Matte Painter

Eternals (2021)

Senior Digital Matte Painter

Black Widow (2021)

Senior Digital Matte Painter

The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)

Digital Matte Painter

Gemini Man (2019)

Matte Painter

Mortal Engines (2018)

Matte Painter

Rampage (2018)

Digital Matte Painter

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Digital Matte Painter

Justice League (2017)

Digital Matte Painter

War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017)

Digital Matte Painter

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Digital Matte Painter

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Digital Matte Painter

The BFG (2016)

Digital Matte Painter

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Digital Matte Painter

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Digital Matte Painter

Krampus (2015)

Concept Artist

Ash vs Evil Dead (2015)

Digital Matte Painter

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

Background Designer

Major Lazer (2014)

Background Designer / Animation Clean-Up / Character Designer

Axe Cop (2012)

Visual Effects Concept Artist

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)

Visual Effects Lead Concept Artist / Visual Effects Look Development

Spartacus: War of the Damned (2010)

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and now based in New Zealand I trained at The Northern School of Art and Design in the North of England. Here I studied design & crafts in the entertainment industries, focusing on set design. I have a proven background in various creative industries, maintaining a strong foundation in the customary arts, displaying a portfolio across many disciplines.

As well as visual effects I provide services to the themed, entertainment and animation industries such as sculpting, model making, scenic painting, prop making and background painting.

• Traditional and Digital painter, sketch artist and illustrator. • Concept Design and Visual development. • Digital Matte Painting - 2.5D Camera projections • Sculpting, 3D Modeling, Texturing and Camera animation. • 3D Environments in Clarisse, Houdini, Maya, Nuke, zBrush and Photoshop.
Work History

  • VFX Art Director

    Cause and FX

    October 2022 - January 2024
    Wellington, New Zealand

    Twisted Metal: season 1

    Star Trek Discovery: season 5

    Chief of War

  • Digital Matte Painter

    Wētā FX

    April 2015 - October 2022
    Wellington & Wairarapa, New Zealand

    Creating VFX environments, set extensions and matte paintings for feature films and entertainment.

    The Hobbit: The battle of the five armies.
    Maze Runner: the scorch trials
    Krampus
    Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
    The BFG
    Pete's Dragon
    Independence Day: Resurgence
    War for the planet of the Apes
    Avatar ride: flight of passage
    Valerian and the city of a thousand planets
    The Maze Runner: The death cure
    Rampage
    Black Widow
    The Christmas Chronicles 2
    The Eternals

  • Environment/Background Artist

    FOX Animation Domination High Definition

    July 2013 - April 2015
    Remote

    Background design/illustration for ADHD on FOX

    Axe Cop
    Major Lazer

  • Concept Artist

    Ash Vs Evil Dead

    February 2015 - March 2015
    Auckland, New Zealand

    Illustrated key art to facilitate pre-production. Episode 1 - Director - Sam Raimi

  • Matte Painter

    Plastic Wax

    July 2014 - August 2014
    Remote

  • Matte Painter

    Biborg

    May 2013 - June 2013
    Remote

  • Lead VFX Concept Artist/Matte Artist

    Spartacus: War of the Damned

    February 2012 - February 2013
    Auckland, NZ

  • Lead VFX Concept Artist/Matte Artist

    Spartacus: Vengeance

    February 2011 - February 2012
    Auckland, New Zealand

  • Concept Artist/Illustrator

    Merlin Entertainments Group

    January 2011 - February 2011

  • VFX Concept Artist

    Spartacus: Gods of the Arena

    June 2010 - January 2011

  • Character Concept Artist/Illustrator

    Merlin Entertainments Group

    January 2010 - April 2010

  • Matte Painter

    Meniscus Film

    2010 - 2010

  • Concept Artist/Matte painter

    The FX Project, Spartacus: Blood and Sand

    April 2009 - December 2009

  • Illustrator

    Izzat Design Ltd

    2009 - 2009

  • Freelance Artist

    Karactaz Animation

    2009 - 2009

  • Scenic Painter, Illustrator

    Perry Scenic

    2008 - 2009

  • Illustrator/Sculptor

    LDJ Design and Display (Fuzzwire)

    April 2008 - September 2008

  • Architectural Modelmaker

    SB Modelmakers

    March 2008 - April 2008
    Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Sculptor/Propmaker

    Merlin Entertainments Group

    January 2008 - March 2008

  • Scenic Artist/Sign Writer/Props Maker

    Merlin Entertainment

    November 2007 - January 2008

  • Sculptor

    Hallmark

    August 2007 - September 2007
    Bradford, England, United Kingdom

  • Concept Designer

    Nemesis Now Ltd

    February 2006 - June 2006

  • Model Maker

    Dorans Design & Build

    January 2006 - March 2006
    Ashbourne

  • Art Dept Assistant

    Crossroads TV Show

    2002 - 2003

  • Freelance Prop Maker

    John Brooking

    1999 - 2002
View All Positions
Education

  • BA (Hons) in Entertainment Design Crafts

    The Northern School of Art

    1999 - 2002

  • BTEC National Diploma in Art and Design Crafts in 3D Design

    Newcastle-under-Lyme College

    1997 - 1999