Visual effects artist Kris Carson’s first project with Rising Sun Pictures will stay in his mind long after the film has stopped screening.

A TAFE SA graduate and self-described film nerd, Kris’s first role involved post-production work on the latest Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, scoring a credit for his efforts.

“It’s crazy that Indiana Jones was my first project, I grew up watching that franchise so seeing my name in the credits is quite surreal,” he says.

Kris spent more than a decade working in the retail industry before deciding on a career change and says his interests in photography and film helped guide his move to the screen and media sector.

“I spoke to a career counsellor at TAFE SA’s Regency Campus and they put me in touch with Larry, TAFE SA’s CGI and VFX lecturer, and he explained more about the industry and gave me a tour around Adelaide College of the Arts (AC Arts),” he says.

Convinced that it was the industry for him, Kris studied both the Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media and it was during his time at AC Arts that he discovered a passion for visual effects (VFX).

“At TAFE SA, the study is hands on and you get a taste of different things, including game art, visual effects and computer-generated imagery, so you’re exposed to all the different disciplines and you can uncover a passion for something you didn’t know anything about,” he says.

“I knew that I didn’t want to work in game art and that post-production for film would be my focus.”

After completing his studies at TAFE SA, Kris went on to do a Graduate Certificate in Dynamic Effects and Lighting through the University of South Australia and Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) to develop more specialised skills in 3D lighting and effects.

In May 2022, he joined the team at RSP as a lighting artist, a role which involves working on computer-generated assets in 3D, adding backgrounds and lighting them to create a realistic environment.

In addition to Indiana Jones, Kris also worked on this year’s Marvel movie, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, and says there are many more “cool projects” in the wings.

“I love the creativity and problem solving involved in my job and the end result, from seeing something shot in the studio to watching it on the big screen, is so rewarding,” he says. 

For more information about TAFE SA's courses, visit Screen and Media (tafesa.edu.au).