See Richard and die

[lobelia321]

Link broken? Try here:
http://www.wetafx.co.nz/workshop/company.htm

The Duck's very own caption:
At 6'5", I'm the short one, along-side one of the herculean actors we've been associated with.

In the end it was so easy. I just scooted over to the official Weta website and here's what Richard says about himself:



WHO ARE WE?

My name is Richard Taylor. My partner Tania Rodger and I have been running an effects facility in Wellington, New Zealand for the past 14 years. We started off, as most people do, in a small way in the back room of a flat that we were boarding in. Over the years, we moved workshops many times eventually settling at Camperdown Studios which we have now worked out of for the past six years.

In 1994, we joined with Peter Jackson and Jamie Selkirk, to form Weta Ltd in the hopes to supply an all inclusive effects facility to the fledgling New Zealand film industry. Since then our crew of skilled technicians has grown and at the height of our work have numbered up to 150 people at the Workshop.

We have stayed extremely busy over the past years and consider ourselves very fortunate as most of the projects we have undertaken have proved to be extremely enjoyable and very rewarding from a creative perspective.    The variety of projects have allowed us to hone our skills and push the extremes of our creativity.

Weta Workshop is comprised of a group of artists united in their love of art and film. The workshop is unique because of its great variety of disciplines - from armourers to leatherworkers, skilled prosthetic technicians, miniature makers, painters to wigmakers, casting and moulding experts, articulation engineers and swordsmiths. We were able to combine all of these artistic disciplines when we were offered the opportunity to create the world of Tolkien’s Middle-earth for the film trilogy adaptation of The Lord of the Rings™.

Cheers,

Richard Taylor  

© 2000 Weta Workshop Ltd.

http://www.wetafx.co.nz/workshop/company.htm



And here's an interview with the man!!!



1. What is your favorite piece of music?

Nick Cave – "Come Sail your Ship."


2. What is your favorite film?

The Manchurian Candidate.


3. What is your favorite TV program, past or current?

The Thunderbirds and The Singing Detective.


4. What do you feel has been your most important professional accomplishment to date?

Gathering the amazing team of NZ technicians around us and generating the confidence and passion in the to take on Lord of the Rings.


5. Which project do you feel didn't live up to what you envisioned?

Tommyknockers – The filmmakers didnt quite click into the NZ film making psyche.


6. What is your favorite book?

The Magus by John Fowle.


7. If you could change one thing about Hollywood, what would it be?

The distance it is from Wellington so that Producers felt keener to come down and visit.


8. If you could change one public perception of yourself, what would it be?

Who is Richard Taylor?


9. What is your next project?

Hopefully a challenging and artistically rewarding project that gives the Weta crew a great time.


10. What is the one project that you've always wanted to do, but have yet to be able to?

A beautiful figurative bronze for the city of Wellington.

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/317105p1.html

Comments

[badgermonkey.livejournal.com]

6'5"! I didn't know that (had read the interview before, though.) He's taller than t'BF! That's ever so manly!

I can't believe I didn't see the detective thing before though. It's like a secret message!

Look at the list in the fourth paragraph of that statement thing. That's one long sentence. I think he likes his lists.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

That's ever so manly!
It's comforting to know, isn't it, that manliness resides to a large degree in tallness.


I think he likes his lists.
Oh yes, and the things he lists! There is definite potential here. I especially like the "articulation engineers".

Just saw 'The Hours', btw. Liked it a lot.