WHEN Leo Neelands sits back and watches one of the year's biggest blockbusters, he will be able to feel a sense of pride at his involvement in it.
The 36-year-old worked as a digital compositor on Iron Man 3, which is due for release on Thursday, April 25.
But working on a big-budget movie is nothing new to him, with last year's The Hobbit and Robin Hood in 2010 also featuring on his CV.
He said: "I am doing the job I always wanted to do. The work is hard but it is enjoyable, exciting and interesting.
"The rewards can be great, with the possibility of travelling the world."
Leo is unable to talk about the exact details of his work on Iron Man 3 – which stars Robert Downey Jnr and Gwyneth Paltrow.
As a digital compositor he created visual effects using computer generated imagery (CGI).
He spent nine weeks earlier this year working on the film, having been contracted by visual effects specialists Fuel FX, based in Sydney.
During his film career, Leo has travelled to as far afield as New Zealand and the USA – a far cry from his childhood in Newark, where he attended Magnus School.
After a few years working as a sound engineer, he went to South Nottingham College (now Central College Nottingham). He gained a Higher National Diploma in interactive media with distinction in all units at the college's Charnwood Centre in Clifton from 2005 to 2006.
It was then that he upped sticks and moved to London.
He re-mortgaged his home to pay for an intensive course in digital compositing and managed to get a job at Elstree Studios, working on a children's TV series, before getting his break in the film world.
He worked for the Moving Picture Company from 2008 to 2009, on films including Sweeney Todd, James Bond's Quantum of Solace, GI Joe and Robin Hood.
Leo then moved to Weta, a company based in New Zealand, where he worked on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
He said: "Sometimes I was doing 23-hour days. It was demanding, but enjoyable. One of the scenes I worked on was the prologue, where the dragon attacks Rivendell."
Leo doesn't have a permanent job, with most firms looking for temporary staff while films are in production.
And he's now looking to work on smaller films, which he says will allow him to be even more creative.
He said: "It's great working on the big films. But they have set ideas you have to stick to. On the lower-budget films you can express yourself a bit more, so I'd like to do a few more of those.
"I've had to go where the work is. You have to be willing to move somewhere at the drop of a hat. You can't afford to be tied down."
Central College Nottingham course leader Tony Parr said: "Leo is an inspiration to other students and indicates what is possible with the right attitude and application whilst studying on a vocational degree."
