CPN Tribal member Andrew Arrasmith is a special effects artist for Legacy Effects near Los Angeles, California. He served as a crew member for Alien: Romulus, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects in 2025.
Arrasmith’s love for makeup effects began at a young age.
“Having some close cousins who were into the same monster movies that I was fascinated with definitely fueled that love,” said Arrasmith.
He was especially drawn to the special effects used to create characters and creatures in the films he watched as a child.
“When I was a little kid, my dad took me to a movie exhibition, and I saw the creature puppet from Aliens,” said Arrasmith. “It was scary and horrifying, but it was also impressive and beautiful. I guess it struck me with a very real kind of awe. It looked literally alive, like you could see its breath. That exhibition was definitely a creative primer during my formative years.”
When asked what his role looked like on the film, Arrasmith said, “Molding, casting and making the Alien’s skin, or exoskeleton for the nerds like me. I came home many a night covered in black goo.”
Creating effects for a major production like Alien: Romulus takes a lot of time. Multiple effects shops worked on the film simultaneously, with Arrasmith and his team handling prominent features of the creature, including puppets and suits.
“It’s not just a normal eight-hour job all the time with effects, or any kind of movie work really,” said Arrasmith. “You never know what’s going to happen during the production of a film like Alien: Romulus. It helps if you’re naturally a night owl like me, I suppose.”
When Alien: Romulus received its Academy Award nomination, Arrasmith’s supervisor, Shane Mahan, attended the ceremony as the official nominee, representing the special effects team’s work.
Arrasmith shared advice for Tribal members interested in pursuing film-related careers. While each path into the industry looks different from person to person, he said education and networking can be “tremendously helpful.”
“Not everyone is going to ask to see your college credentials; they want to know you and your work,” he said. “Film jobs are highly competitive, but so is everything, right? I got where I am by just being myself, and it wasn’t all sunshine and clear paths. I had a really rough time with school and just fitting in when I was younger, but if you’ve got that creative spark and the perseverance to really pursue it, just start doing it if you haven’t already.”
Arrasmith, a descendant of the Bostick family, spent much of his childhood moving due to his father’s service in the U.S. Marines. Despite relocating frequently, his family maintains ties to relatives in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and some family members remain closely connected to their Tribal heritage.
Arrasmith continues pursuing his passion and is grateful to build a career doing what he loves.