Included among the 25 VFS grads who worked on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is Veronica Marino. As a compositor, she was one of the many 3D Animation & Visual Effects alumni working behind the scenes at Vancouver-based Image Engine.

This year, she’s already seen her name in the credits of Alice in Wonderland, by way of work she did at CafeFX – but Eclipse meant a chance to reconnect with old Image Engine friends, and become a part of a worldwide phenomenon to boot.

“After being away for four months working in California, I have to admit I was very excited to come back to my lovely Vancouver, and for the opportunity to be back at Image Engine with my old coworkers and this time being part of the Twilight Saga,” she says. “It was crazy to see my friends’ and family’s reaction when I told them the news, especially my 18-year-old cousin Isabel, who is a devoted fan.”

Does working on a movie with such a passionate fan base motivate a visual effects artist? Definitely, according to Veronica. ”Working during Eclipse wasn’t any different from any other movie I have worked before… What kept me going was to know that I was working on a movie that, no matter what the outcome, the followers were going to love all around the world.”

“At the end, you are always proud of seeing your work and name and the rest of the artists involved on the big screen. I think, as visual effects artists, what matters the most is to be creative and proud of the work you do on every project, and to know that you will make the movie a reality with all your hard work and passion.”