Wētā Workshop: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|New Zealand visualspecial effects company}}

| industry = [[VisualSpecial effects]], [[animation]], [[Video game industry|video games]], [[Board game|board games]] and miniatures

'''Wētā Workshop''' is a [[visualSpecial effect|special effects]] and [[prop]] company as well as a [[board game]] and miniatures company and [[video game developer]] based in [[Miramar, New Zealand|Miramar]], [[Wellington]], [[New Zealand]]. It mainly produces visual effects for [[television]] and [[film]].

[[File:Helmets and gauntlet of Sauron.jpg|thumb|Costumes and armorarmour designed by Wētā Workshop for ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' film trilogy]]

Founded in 1987 by [[Richard Taylor (filmmaker)|Richard Taylor]] and Tania Rodger as '''RT Effects''', Wētā Workshop has produced creatures and special makeup effects for the TV series ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'' and ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' and visual effects for films such as ''[[Meet the Feebles]]'' and ''[[Heavenly Creatures]]''.

Wētā Workshop's output was used in director [[Peter Jackson]]'s film trilogies ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'', producing sets, costumes, armorarmour, weapons, creatures and miniatures.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 March 2020 |title=The Making Of Middle-Earth At Weta Workshop |url=https://tours.wetaworkshop.com/blog/lord-of-the-rings-making-of/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806121918/https://tours.wetaworkshop.com/blog/lord-of-the-rings-making-of/ |archive-date=6 August 2020 |access-date=29 March 2021 |publisher=Wētā Workshop's official website |quote=no trip would be complete without stepping foot ([[sic]]) inside Wellington's Weta Workshop. The Academy Award-winning creative design and physical effects facility is best known for its work on The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and The Hobbit motion picture trilogies}}</ref> It also aided in the making of Jackson's 2005 version of ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]''.<ref name=Morton>{{cite book |first=Ray |last=Morton |title=King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon - From Fay Wray to Peter Jackson |publisher=Applause: Theatre & Cinema Books |pages=316–329 |year=2005 |isbn=1-55783-669-8 |location=New York City}}</ref> It supported the creation of ''[[Reclaiming the Blade]]'' (2009), a documentary film on [[stage combat]], [[Historical European martial arts|historical European]] and Asian swordsmanship.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Film |url=http://www.reclaimingtheblade.com/main/?page_id=22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202061845/http://www.reclaimingtheblade.com/main/?page_id=22 |archive-date=2 February 2012 |access-date=13 November 2013 |publisher=Reclaiming the Blade's official website}}</ref>

Wētā Workshop made its American musical theatertheatre debut in 2022 with Workshop designer Rebekah Tisch serving as the art director for the musical stage production of ''[[Other World (musical)|Other World]]'' at Delaware Theatre Company, creating a digital world for live stage.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Holly |title=How do you create a digital world for the live stage? Like this |url=https://technical.ly/software-development/other-world-delaware-theatre-company-weta-workshop/ |website=[[Technical.ly]] |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>

The term ''bigature'' is Wētā Workshop's nickname for a very large [[miniature model]]. They are used in [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy]], with the largest of them measuring some 9 metersmetres high. Extensive computer graphics techniques and computer-controlled cameras were used to seamlessly mesh the bigature photography with live- actors and scenes.<ref>The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition Special Features DVDs</ref>

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

Beginning in June 2020, an investigative project by New Zealand public TV broadcaster ''[[1 News]]'' into Wētā's workplace culture resulted in over 11 current and ex-former Wētā Workshop employees anonymously sharing accounts of bullying and harassment.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hall|first=Kristin|date=28 July 2020|title='Toxic' culture at acclaimed Weta Workshop revealed by past and present employees|work=[[1 News]]|publisher=[[TVNZ]]|url=https://1news.co.nz/2020/07/28/toxic-culture-at-acclaimed-weta-workshop-revealed-by-past-and-present-employees|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref> 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 they were not informed of the review having finished, in spite of their cooperation in it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hall|first=Kristin|date=19 December 2020|title=Woman whose sexual harassment complaint sparked Weta Workshop review says it's not over|work=[[1 News]]|publisher=[[Television New Zealand]]|url=https://1news.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/woman-whose-sexual-harassment-complaint-sparked-weta-workshop-review-says-s-not-over|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>

[[Category:VisualSpecial effects companies]]