Wētā Workshop

Wētā Workshop is a special effects and prop company based in Miramar, Wellington, in New Zealand, that produces effects for television and film. The company is the mascot named after the New Zealand wētā, one of the world's largest insects.

History

Founded in 1987 by Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger as RT Effects, Wētā Workshop has produced creatures and makeup effects for the TV series '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and effects for films such as '' Meet the Feebles'' and ''Heavenly Creatures''. A digital division, Weta Digital (now Wētā FX), was formed in 1993; it is a separate company and operates independently.

Wētā Workshop's output was used in director Peter Jackson's film trilogies '' The Lord of the Rings'' and '' The Hobbit'', producing sets, costumes, armor, weapons, creatures and miniatures. It also aided in the making of Jackson's 2005 version of King Kong.
It supported the creation of ''Reclaiming the Blade'' (2009), a documentary film on stage combat, historical European and Asian swordsmanship.

Wētā Workshop made its American musical theatre debut in 2022 with Workshop designer Rebekah Tisch serving as the art director for the musical stage production of ''Other World'' at Delaware Theatre Company, creating a digital world for live stage.

Innovations

Chainmaille

For the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, realistic looking PVC chainmail was made, not just for the lead actors, but also for the hundreds of extras that appeared throughout the films. PVC pipe was cut into rings, assembled by hand into a semblance of armor, and then electroplated. A total of 82.9 million links were manufactured from 7 miles of PVC pipe.

Wētā workshop makes chainmaille for film and creative industries using new techniques developed in-house. PVC injection was used for the armor in ''Kingdom of Heaven'', giving better results than the process for ''Lord of the Rings''. It produces aluminium or steel mail for high-impact stuntwork.

Bigatures

The term ''bigature'' is Wētā Workshop's nickname for a very large miniature model. They are used in the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, with the largest of them measuring some 9 metres high. Extensive computer graphics techniques and computer-controlled cameras were used to seamlessly mesh the Bigature photography with live actors and scenes.

Bigatures used in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy included models of:

* The Hornburg – the mountain fortress of the Rohirrim
* The Grey Havens – the Elven harbour
* Minas Tirith – the White City of Gondor
* Rivendell – Elrond's city for the Elves
* Caras Galadhon – Galadriel's city in Lothlórien
* Argonath – the gateway into Gondor, two statues of Elendil and Isildur
* Osgiliath – the ruined City of Gondor
* Orthanc – Saruman's tower
* Cirith Ungol – the tower that guards the pass of Shelob
* Paths of the Dead – City of the Dead Men of Dunharrow
* Minas Morgul – Sauron's 'Dead City'
* Barad-dûr – Sauron's massive tower
* The Black Gate – the gate guarding the gap between the Ered Lithui and the Ephel Dúath
* Grond – the battering ram that smashed down the gates of Minas Tirith
* Mûmakil – large war elephants used by the Haradrim

People

* Jonathon Brough works as a designer / props finisher

Workplace culture

Beginning in June 2020, an investigative project by Kiwi public TV broadcaster ''1 News'' into Weta's workplace culture resulted in over 11 current and former Wētā Workshop employees anonymously sharing accounts of "bullying and harassment". Another former employee Layna Lazar came public with her own allegation by social media posting the same month that she was sexually harassed repeatedly and after seeking recourse, was fired, this prompted an independent review by Hive Consulting; in December of that year. Their reviewer Ashley Benefield cleared the company of the allegations stating that "the majority of allegations in the post including the most serious allegations, have either not been substantiated or were reasonable in the context of circumstances not described in the post". The review's December 2020 report did not address the anonymous allegations of over 11 employees originally reported by ''1 News'' back in July, and the concerned employees stated in response they were not informed of the review having finished, either, in spite of their reluctant cooperation in it. Lazar stated in response that she "genuinely 100 percent still" stands by her public allegations. Meanwhile, the project by ''1 News'' resulted in over 40 employees to share accounts of bullying, harassment and sexism at the sister company Weta Digital in September 2020, leading to a separate independent review.

Film

Television

References

Further reading

Official Companies Office Data

External links

Wētā Workshop

Weta Digital

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weta Workshop
Film production companies of New Zealand
Special effects companies
Wellington City
Entertainment companies established in 1987
Companies based in Wellington
Privately held companies of New Zealand
Toy companies of New Zealand
Science and technology in New Zealand
New Zealand companies established in 1987