#799: Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore, Wētā Workshop — Untapping Creativity, Stories from The Lord of the Rings, The Magic of New Zealand, Four Tenets to Live By, and The Only Sentence of Self-Help You Need

Weta Workshop, known for its outstanding contributions to the film and entertainment industry, traces its origins back to the quite humble setting of a bedroom workshop.

Weta Workshop Began In Richard and Tanya's Bedroom, Creating On MDF

Company Began With Richard, Tanya, a Few Collaborators, and now Has Over 400 Employees in 7 Business Centers

Weta Workshop was started by Richard Taylor and his wife Tanya Roger, assembling things and making creations on top of their bed in the back room of their flat. They used a sheet of MDF to make various items right on top of their bed. Filmmaker Peter Jackson, who had similarly been crafting in his own bedroom, recognized the smells of rubber and fiberglass emitting from Richard and Tanya’s workspace—a testament to their dedication.

The company began modestly with just the couple, and their first collaborator joined them about two years later. Fast-forward to the present, Weta Workshop has expanded to approximately 400 people working across seven diverse business centers. These centers encompass design and manufacturing for creative industries, digital games, collectibles, location-based experiences, creative media, retail stores, tourism, and even a robotics division.

Weta Workshop's Early Work Included Creating Film and Tv Puppets and Props

Innovation and Speed Enabled Richard and Tanya to Tackle Complex Projects

Richard Taylor reflects on how innovation and a rapid working pace enabled him and Tanya to take on complex film and television projects, particularly during their early years with the company. Their impressive work includes providing practical and special effects that have come to define the visual identities of iconic franchises such as "The Lord of the Rings," "Planet of the Apes," and "Superman," to name a few.

Taylor reminisces about his early work art directing on low-budget television commercials and documentaries where he utilized his skills in sculpting with unusual materials like margarine. This skill led him to create satirical puppets at an incredible pace—one every couple of days—eventually producing 72 puppets over two years for the Gibson Group.

Their work, which once encompassed creating sculptures out of margarine for projects such as "Heavenly Creatures," showcases not just their creative ability but also their incredible work ethic an ...

Weta Workshop, co-founded by Richard Taylor, is known for its exceptional creativity in the world of cinematic special effects and design. Taylor’s sources of inspiration and his commitment to knowledge-sharing form a significant part of Weta’s philosophy and creative process.

Inspiration From Chinese Sculpture and Ray Harryhausen Films

Chinese Sculpture Book Inspired Richard; Influenced by Harryhausen's Stop-Motion Work

Richard Taylor grew up deriving inspiration from a variety of rich visual and artistic traditions. Early in his life, he discovered the "Triptych of the Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch, which opened his eyes to a parallel visual fantasy world. Taylor was especially influenced by a book of Chinese sculpture he found at a sale, which propelled him to commence sculpting with clay from his family farm's creek. His office is adorned with inspiring items, including a sculpture by Gilbert Bay, figurines of Gremlins, and memorabilia from “Harry and the Hendersons”.

Ray Harryhausen’s pioneering stop-motion animation was a significant influence on Taylor as he reached his later teens. Taylor deeply respects Harryhausen’s work, as evidenced by a tribute sculpture to him and his enthusiasm for the characters in films like "Sinbad". In a testament to this admiration, Richard Taylor invited Harryhausen to visit Weta, where he shared his experiences with the team, fostering an environment of inspiration and learning.

Weta Prioritizes Passing Skills To the Next Generation

Richard and Tanya Champion Craft, Creativity, and Handmade Work, Inspiring and Training Others

Taylor’s philosophy greatly emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge and passing down skills to the next generation. Both he and his wife Tanya believe in the significance of making other makers and getting children to engage in creative activities. For example, Weta conducts sculpture workshops using common materials like tinfoil to encourage creativity away from digital screens.

Taylor also respects the importance of craft-based objects as substantial markers of cultural history. He encourages an inquisitive mindset and promotes using all available resources, including the Internet, to foster creativity. Taylor's openness to sharing knowledge parallels his artistic journey, where figures such as Dick Smith and Ray Harryhausen played pivotal roles in his development.

Weta's Process Seeks the Unifying "Grand Idea" Through Philosophical Exploration

Richard and Greg Discussed the Meaning and ...

Creative professionals face the constant challenge of producing innovative work quickly, knowing that much of it may be discarded, and they must navigate this landscape with flexibility and resilience.

Creatives Must Adapt and Generate Ideas Quickly, Knowing Most Will Be Rejected

Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore discuss the attributes that have enabled New Zealand to compete at an international level across various industries, focusing on adaptability and resilience. They highlight New Zealanders' ambition to succeed and the ability to achieve impressive results on limited budgets.

Greg Emphasized the Challenge Of Letting Go Of Attachment To Creative Work and the Need for a Flexible and Resilient Mindset

Greg Broadmore from Weta Workshop explains the high-pressure environment in which artists must generate a vast quantity of work swiftly, acknowledging that most ideas will be rejected during the concept development phase. He speaks to the importance of detaching emotionally from these ideas and maintaining a resilient mindset.

Creatives Balance Passion, Care, Detachment, and Acceptance

Despite the attachment creatives have to their work, the need for rapid generation of ideas and acceptance of rejection is critical in the industry.

Richard and Greg Emphasized Creativity, Speed, and Innovation to Meet Industry Deadlines

Richard Taylor talks about Greg Broadmore's skill in integrating creativity, speed, and innovation. Greg designed characters for a set of lockers on a tight deadline, embodying the adaptive approaches required in creative industries, which often allow no more than eight weeks for project delivery.

In one instance, Weta Workshop was tasked with c ...

Greg Broadmore’s long-standing role at Weta Workshop has spanned over 20 years, and his artistic creations reflect a diverse set of inspirations and a deep engagement with storytelling and world-building.

Greg's Passion For Vintage-Inspired Ray Gun Art Led To His Work on Dr. Grordbort's World

Greg Broadmore’s fascination with ray guns stems from childhood inspirations such as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, which, along with Star Wars, ignited his love for retro science fiction. This passion led him to develop "Dr. Grordbort's World," a project that includes a range of media including books, collectibles, a world touring art exhibition, and a game.

Project Lets Greg Create a Fictional Universe and Associated Media Like Books, Collectibles, and Games

Broadmore has created metal and glass ray guns, leading to Gregory's imaginative expansion into writing books about a fictional world he envisioned. Prompted by Richard Taylor's desire to create collectibles based on their own IPs at Weta Workshop, Broadmore’s pursuit of ideas around the origins and creators of Ray Guns led to the creation of a whole universe from an initial series of nine paintings. This culminated in the Dr. Grordbort's world that now includes games and dozens of different collectibles, stemming from the original Ray Gun art.

Greg's "One Path" Series Inspired by His Love of Dinosaurs and Storytelling

After leaving Magic Leap, Broadmore felt the need to return to basics. Longing for a hands-on creative process, he embarked on creating the "One Path" series, a graphic novel featuring dinosaurs and themes of survival. Despite collaborating with other writers, Greg maintained a personal and hands-on creative process that did not require the painstaking detail necessary in the film industry. He prefers to map out his ideas conceptually, enjoying the freedom of not having to draw multiple versions of a character.

Greg Embraced a Personal, Hands-On Creative Process After Team Projects at Weta

Broadmore’s process involves starting with pencil drawings and moving into Photoshop for interesting ideas. He enjoys the creative freedom allowed by comic books compar ...