Aaron Cowan

He started in Visual Effects as a VFX Coordinator on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, working closely with production and VFX teams during a transformative era for large-scale digital filmmaking.  

In 2009, Aaron joined Wētā FX, starting as a Sequence Manager on James Cameron’s Avatar. Since then, he has contributed to a range of high-profile projects, advancing through roles such as Production Manager (The Adventures of Tintin), Digital Producer (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), and VFX Producer on titles including The Last of Us, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and most recently Captain America: Brave New World.  

Aaron’s approach emphasizes collaboration, efficiency, and creative alignment between VFX vendors and production. His work on The Last of Us: Season 1 was part of the team effort recognized with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects, and he has received further industry acknowledgment through nominations from the Hollywood Professional Association.  

Before joining Wētā FX, he served as a studio-side VFX Production Manager on projects such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Waterhorse, after initially entering the industry via client-side production roles and onset roles.  

During a period at Base FX, Aaron served as Executive VFX Producer on Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian: Season 1.  

Educated at the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington, Aaron’s ongoing interests lie in building strong production frameworks for complex visual effects work and supporting filmmakers in delivering ambitious narratives.