Ari Marttinen
Creative Director
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
I am an animator and the founder and producer of Artpix Oy, an animation studio established in 2004. My company specializes in diverse animation productions and 2D/3D visualizations for both corporate communication and advertising. I am a sole entrepreneur and, when necessary, I utilize a reliable and long-term subcontractor network (sound producers, videographers, advertising agencies etc.) for my projects.
How did you start in your field and what inspires you to continue this career?
In the beginning, my hobbies were drawing, animation, and watching movies, and that's where it all started. At the age of 14, I made my first pixel animations on Amiga Deluxe Paint, frame by frame. It felt incredibly cool back then that you could create something like that on a computer! My friend introduced me to Real 3D, and later LightWave 4.0, which blew my mind. I still remember the feeling of using the software as if it had been developed by an extraterrestrial civilisation because it was more advanced than any other program I had seen in 1989.
Back then, the learning materials for the program were limited (as the internet was still developing), and there were no courses in the field. Working with LightWave 4 was fun, and through patient practice and experimentation, I persistently learned animation/modeling. My friends hinted that animation could even become my profession. In 2000, I participated in a 3D animation competition at Assembly, a computer event held in Finland. I didn't win then, but I did reach the top positions :) The experience was valuable because I saw what the 3D experts were capable of, and it gave me more motivation for my work. I was studying media at the time, and simultaneously developing my animation skills. After graduating, I went to work at an advertising agency, where I did web layout design, among other things, and hoped to utilize 3D in projects. I soon realized that 3D wasn't yet being used and marketed effectively to create jobs in the advertising world. I became frustrated and in 2004 decided to focus solely on animation/visualization and founded my own company, ARTPIX. I wanted to see if it was true, as the "marketing guys" claimed, that you couldn't make a living with 3D. I quickly discovered they were wrong. Although there have been many ups and downs over the years, in 2024 we continue to move forward with 3D. We've had a wide range of clients: TV channels, advertising agencies, companies and organizations from many different fields. In this industry, you get to explore interesting, new, innovative products and production methods, and no two clients are alike. I continue to be interested and strive to improve myself, that's the prerequisite in this field.
Who or what are your biggest influences and inspirations in your work?
I am definitely inspired by DreamWorks and Pixar with their storytelling, impressive animations, and visual aesthetics. Over the years, Finland has had (and still has) strong 3D creators who have inspired me, such as Oy Anima Vitae Ltd, Undo, 3Darts, Rinki, and Fake graphics.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?
In Finland, marketing budgets are relatively modest, which is why clients often focus on quick solutions and disposable content. I personally advocate for versatile, adaptable content with a long lifespan. Not all clients always understand this. 3D production can initially seem expensive when 3D assets are carefully planned and built, but once the content "rollout" begins, its cost-effectiveness becomes evident, as more versatile content can be derived from the same assets with less effort.
Can you tell us about a couple of favorite projects you have worked on, and why they stand out to you?
For the B2C side, Multivita Nalle and Devisol Dino. For these projects, I had the opportunity to model and animate fun characters and handle the entire production from start to finish. I also collaborated with incredibly experienced professionals in the design process. Character animations are a rare treat because they usually represent a longer marketing concept timeline, so there aren't many opportunities for them in Finland.
For the B2B side, the launch video for the new Fluid Eye product and method. This worked well, and the animation is still in use. Another favorite is the Blast Green Steel animation video, which was created for the largest project in the Nordic countries. Clarifying the message through animation was successful, and it was great to see the significant impact of my artistic contribution. The animation was shortlisted in a Finnish marketing industry competition as part of the project.
What originally attracted you to LightWave 3D software and when did you start using it?
LightWave's ease of use and the quality of its output made it possible to easily create beautiful images, animations, and stories. LightWave 4.0 was by far the best software available in 1989 and I got hooked on it.
What are your favorite features of LightWave 3D and how do they enhance your work?
Animation is the best and modeling is easy. As a new feature, the Octane GPU plugin brings speed to production. I like LightWave as a whole, because it can be used to quickly and qualitatively make very good 3D productions. It's a really good program.
