Weta's 10 Latest People Articles

Kim Graham

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:40:22 +1200

Sculptor and Inventor

Kim Graham has been a professional artist for more than 20 years in the US. Based primarily out of the rainy city of Seattle, she has recently made the move to Wellington to work for New Zealands's Weta workshop. "It is really a perfect fit, I simply adore working with fantasy and mythological images". Kim has worked and taught in huge variety of fields including welding, sculpting, mold making, casting, bronze, ceramic, human anatomy and prop making.

One of the more unusual of her passions is "Performance Art Sculpting which she does at varous conventions and public events. This is her chance to educate and inspire up-and-coming artists by fully sculpting a large fantastical creature on site from beginning to end. This is the perfect opportunity for folks to come and give it a try. Kim always brings extra tools for people who want to experience working on something really big. It is all part of her lifelong interest in teaching and sharing the details of the art field.

A perfect example of this can be found on her online blog, Silkmermaid.com. Here she describes the entire process of building an 18 foot long animatronic mermaid. It shows the work from original concept, to enlarging the work, designing and welding the armature, sculpting the form and getting it into molds. The logistical problems of weight, proper design and man labor are discussed for those both curious and mystified by the process.

Kim Graham is also one of the primary inventive minds behind the Weta legs, a new reverse leg stilt available to the industry and public for the first time.

These can be seen at the Weta Website...

And on Youtube...

To see more of Kim's fantastical work, check out her website at KimGrahamStudios.com

Trevor Brymer

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:46:24 +1300

Trevor Brymer has been involved with the Computer Graphics and Visual Effects industry for 20 years, the last 12 of which have been in the Wellington television industry.

In 1996 he created and ran his own animation studio, Pyrokinesis, with two other business partners. producing computer animation and visual effects for television.

In 1999 he took up the position of Visual Effects Supervisor at Sector 14 Limited and oversaw the production of the visual effects for two seasons of a sword and sorcery TV series called Dark Knight.

Following this Trevor moved to Weta Workshop to do proof of concept work and later to head a small team to produce a promo for the children's animated TV series "Jane and the Dragon". He then took up the VFX Supervision on this show overseeing the design and implementation of a unique motion capture/animation production pipeline, as well as seeing the production through to completion of the first 26 part series.

He is currently VFX Supervisor on Weta Workshop's new animated TV series "The WotWots".

Tracey Morgan

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:51:51 +1300

Office Manager

Tracey Morgan had studied creative arts for a number of years before the opportunity to work in the Production department of Weta Workshop arose.

With a range of experience, from working in the printing and commercial design industry, being a school librarian to PA and chauffeur for two young children, sticking to one hobby is not one of Tracey's strong points. Which makes her perfect for facilitating the office at Weta Workshop.

A particular highlight of working at Weta, says Tracey, is enjoying great working relationships with many of the crew, especially co-owner Tania Rodger. "She continually inspires me", says Tracey. "She is committed to Weta and the people here in every way. I have never worked with a kinder, more gracious person. It's wonderful to work alongside her."

Tracey's role means facilitating many of the behind the scenes tasks, such as sourcing crew, assisting with legal contracts, travel, organising crew requests and all the administration tasks that can come with taking on a project.

Her role has recently expanded to encompass overseeing smaller ‘art based' projects that come through the Workshop. A recent piece of art that she co-ordinated included her daughter Sammie, who posed for the sculpture Weta Workshop created for the Dyslexia Foundation.

Gary Hunt

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:31:59 +1300

Sculptor

The journey to Weta workshop for sculptor Gary Hunt was strongly influenced by his upbringing.

As a child, Gary spent the weekends with his dad, making model kits and collecting war games figures. His father owned a model car and antique toy shop in Somerset, England, which stocked fantasy and war-game figures. Gary would help out at collector's fairs and the store.

Dad taught me everything about collecting"

The store in England became fertile ground for Gary's imagination as he grew up.

Later, as a teenager, Gary studied at Taunton College, Somerset, and obtained a National Diploma in General Art, specialising in graphics. After studying, Gary worked for a die-cast aeroplane company, spraying, painting and casting, while teaching himself to sculpt figures in his spare time.

As his skills in sculpting increased, he studied a National Diploma in Model Making at Bournemouth College in an attempt to better understand the product design trade. Gary then landed a job for a war game company and later moved to London, sculpting toys and merchandise full time, which involved working on Star Wars, The Simpsons, Tellietubbies, monsters in my pocket and Action Man lines.

When he heard rumours amongst his friends that the Lord of the Rings was filming in New Zealand he decided it was time to go travelling.

A friend had given me Weta's address so I was off! A few months later, I ended up in New Zealand, and within 7 weeks I was working in Wellington for the Art Dept on the set of LOTR feeling exceptionally lucky!"

James French

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:13:27 +1300

Model Maker

James originally trained at South Seas Film and Television School where he focussed on Directing and debuted his Art Department heavy short ‘Call Waiting’ at the 2002 Fringe Film Festival. After Film School James became involved on a number of children’s television shows including Suzie’s worls, Te Wero, Party Animals and Power Rangers…

James came to Weta after several years of props building and on set Art Direction in Auckland. Work at Weta began at fever pitch working on the miniatures for King Kong, Legend of Zorro and armour and weapons for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. “It was an incredible workload and the number of people a sheer scale of the work was phenomenal”.

Other highlights included Black Sheep where James was integral to the Animatronics team and the onset Puppeteering of attacking sheep and the infamous fetal lamb responcible for biting Oliver Drivers ear off!

Another was acting in Peter Jackson’s remake of the ‘Lost Spider Pit Sequence’ from the original King Kong from 1933. If you happen to come across the remake, James and his animated doppelganger can be seen being eaten by a giant spider. “It was great to be directed by Peter and all crew had fun hamming it up a little, much like the acting of the day.”

During the moments when the Workshop is between big jobs, James works closely with Head model maker David Tremont, specializing on the cleanup, assembly and finishing of the “masters” of Weta’s collectibles range, in preparation for mass production. “Halo 3 merchandise is due out shortly, it’s some of the most dynamic stuff Weta or in fact anyone’s ever created…It’s not easy fitting and ensuring it all goes together but the sense of satisfaction and completion is very rewarding when the pieces finally leave the Workshop.”

Leri Greer

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:19:36 +1300

Designer

Leri Greer was a graphic designer before joining Weta as a 3d Modeler/Concept Designer.

His advice for anyone wanting to work in concept design, or design in general, is just to be drawing, painting, and designing all the time, and to build your portfolio to a point where a company would be stupid not to hire you. If you ever see amazingly deep portfolios, with tons of work, and wondered how it's possible for a person to have produced so many drawings and paintings, it's probably because we work 10 hour days of nonstop art creation. In one month that's 200 hours of drawing, painting, and designing.

Even a monkey handed a wacom tablet and stylus would probably have a pretty good portfolio after a year clocking in close to 2,400hrs.

Jordan Thomson

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:16:21 +1300

Model Maker CNC

I like building machines that can build machines.

I also like building jet engines and jet powered vehicles.

Lindsey Crummett

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:27:34 +1300

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at California State University Fullerton. I've been drawing and sculpting fantastical creatures since before I can remember and have been a film fanatic long before that. I always thought if I can do what I'm passionate about and somehow make a living, I'd be a very lucky girl...

Lucy Cant

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:29:46 +1300

I studied Industrial Design at Massey University finishing in 2006.

It was a fantastic mix of research, drawing, CAD Modelling prototyping and model-making. In my final year I was lucky enough to receive two awards for my major project Tread, a range of public furniture that utilized recycled tyre rubber: The Wellington City Council Award for Creativity and Innovation and the Zonta Female Designers Award. Through the Zonta award I had the opportunity to come and work here at Weta.

I love every step of the design process from ideation to production, so highlights of my time here have been projects where I have been involved throughout the whole job.

Highlights: 3D Modelling and Machining for the Miraz Castle for Prince Caspian - keeping track of a castle of 60+ different turrets of a number of components and keeping an entire model-making team supplied with parts.
Also, District 9 armour - receiving a 2D concept drawing then seeing the project through from 3D Modelling and Machining to model-making, moulding and assembly.  Yus!!

Tips for people who want to work here:
- Work your tits off
- And learn from the people around you, they are your best and most exciting resource.

Mary Pike

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 02:33:29 +1300

Studied model making and then Production Design at the National Film School in Ireland. Came to New Zealand after qualifying and worked as a designer in Wellington theatre. Started work at Weta after Production Designing a short film, Eel Girl which was filmed at the Workshop.

I would recommend anyone wanting to work in the film industry to try and get as much experience as possible even when it means working for free.