Marte Studio
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 1998
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 3
About Marte Studio
Marte Studio is an independent Costa Rican animation and visual effects production house founded in 1998. Based in San José, it brings together traditional animation, computer graphics and live-action post-production for advertising, film, television and interactive projects. The company emerged from the consolidation of four independent creative boutiques, pooling artistic skills and digital production equipment to undertake work beyond the capacity of the individual businesses.
The studio combines 2D cel animation and 3D character animation with photorealistic visual effects, digital compositing and motion design. Its production capabilities span storyboarding, concept development and previsualization through character modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting and final compositing. Tracking, matchmoving and matte painting support the integration of digital elements into filmed material, while editorial and color grading extend its work into finishing.
Commercial and entertainment production
Marte Studio works with domestic and international advertising agencies, film producers and brand clients. Its commercial portfolio includes animation and effects for Lego, Mattel’s Hot Wheels, Lanco, Meccano, Ford, Nissan, Bavaria and Walmart. Projects range from animated characters integrated into live-action campaigns to fluid simulations and fully computer-generated sequences.
Its work also extends to music videos, animated episodic content and shorts. The studio provided visual effects and post-production for Debi Nova’s Por última vez, and undertook VFX planning, supervision and digital execution for Liberty’s Collector campaign in 2024. These productions illustrate a scope that includes both creative development and the technical execution of finished imagery.
Interactive and visualization work
Alongside linear screen production, the company develops extended reality experiences encompassing augmented and virtual reality. Its interactive work includes VR gaming, real-time visualization, and architectural and engineering visualization. This broadens the application of its animation and CG capabilities beyond commercial films and entertainment.
International representation in Los Angeles and Orlando supports North American producer relationships, commercial project coordination and visualization clients, alongside the studio’s central production operation in Costa Rica.
More about Marte Studio
Founders and leadership
- Founders: Oliver Zúñiga, Hans Castro, Christian Glenewinkel and John Timms.
- The research identifies Fabián Borelly as Producer, Oliver Zúñiga as Visual Effects Supervisor, Hans Castro as CG Supervisor, and Christian Glenewinkel as Director/Producer.
- Founding-partner testimony describes “Boom Studio” as an informal working title considered before the company began operating under its permanent name.
Production methods and collaboration
- Documented finishing equipment includes Autodesk Flint and Avid Adrenaline systems.
- Commercial animation collaboration with RUNE Entertainment and Isobar Toronto combines Marte Studio’s CG production with external production partners.
- Its collaboration with Wow Emotions extends to jointly developed interactive VR gaming.
Recognition
The report associates the studio’s campaign work with a 2009 Gold PR Lion for the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce’s Recuperemos La Paz and a 2011 Bronze Press Lion for VideoCentro’s Mr. Incredible & Russell. These are campaign awards.
It also records FIAP Gold for Canada Dry’s Ballet and Silver for Panasonic’s Androides, without supplying award years. Ford Focus’s Test Drive received three Pantalla de Cristal awards in 2009 and a Volcán de Oro in 2010.
Notable credits
12 creditsOffices
Where Marte Studio is based
- Sabana Norte, del ICE 200m Norte y 200m Noroeste, Distrito Mata Redonda, Cantón San José, Provincia de San José, Costa RicaSan José, San José Province, Costa Rica
San José office
HeadquartersGlobal headquarters and principal CG animation, compositing, finishing and executive production studio.
- Los Angeles, California, United States
Los Angeles office
About this office
Production liaison and regional client office supporting commercial clients, US feature project packaging and executive representation. Producer: Bryan Taylor.
- Orlando, Florida, United States
Orlando office
About this office
Visualization liaison and regional client office supporting architectural 3D/VR and US East Coast clients. Head of Visualization: John Lebaron.
Open roles
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