Weta Digital
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Visual effects, CGI animation |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founders | Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Jamie Selkirk |
| Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand |
Key people | Peter Jackson, Prem Akkaraju (CEO), Joe Letteri |
| Parent | Unity Technologies  |
| Website | www.wetafx.co.nz |
WetaFX (formerly known as Weta Digital) is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. The company went on to produce some of the highest-grossing films ever made, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar. Considered one of the most influential film companies of the 21st century, Weta Digital has won several Academy Awards and BAFTAs.[1][2]
Weta Digital is run by CEO Prem Akkaraju and is part of a number of Peter Jackson's co-owned companies in Wellington which includes Weta Productions and Park Road Post Production.
The company is named after the New Zealand wētā, one of the world's largest insects, which is also featured in the logo.
History[]
As of 2017, Weta Digital has won six Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), King Kong (2005), Avatar (2009), and The Jungle Book (2016). Weta Digital has developed several proprietary software packages to achieve groundbreaking visual effects. The scale of the battles required for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy led to the creation of MASSIVE, a program which can animate huge numbers of agents: independent characters acting according to pre-set rules.[3] To recreate 1933 New York for King Kong, Weta created CityBot, an application which could "build" the city on a shot by shot basis.[4]
Kong's fur also required the development of new simulation and modeling software. A set of tools that combined procedural and interactive techniques added wind to the 460 billion individual strands of fur and modeled interaction with other surfaces. New shaders were written that accounted for the scattering of light from within each hair that added to the volumetric quality of the fur. Large chunks of fur were ripped out and filled in with scars, blood, and the mud of Skull Island. Each frame of fur took 2 gigabytes of data.[5]
For James Cameron's Avatar, Weta modified MASSIVE to give life to the flora and fauna on Pandora, for which the company did most of the visual effects with the four-time Academy Award winner visual effects expert, Joe Letteri,[6] under a team led by executive and producer Eileen Moran.[7]
In 2010, a texture painting application developed by Weta for Avatar called Mari has been bought by The Foundry Visionmongers.[8]
For The Adventures of Tintin and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Weta developed a new grooming system called Barbershop where users can interactively manipulate digital hair. This tool received a Sci-tech award in 2015.[9]
Recently the company has developed their motion capture technique to be able to leave studio for shooting on location, as utilized on the film Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.[10][11]
On June 19, 2020, Weta Digital announced that it would be producing original animation content under the name Weta Animated, was getting a Multi-year Production Deal with Sony Pictures Animation. The company also announced a new chief executive Prem Akkaraju, who comes from Los Angeles.[12]
In December 2020, Weta Digital CEO Prem Akkaraju announced additional board members including Tom Staggs, Jeff Huber and Ken Kamins. They join current board members Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Sean Parker, Prem Akkaraju and Joe Letteri.[13]
On June 17, 2021, Weta Digital announced they have partnered with Autodesk to productize Weta's proprietary tools based in Autodesk Maya for a cloud service called WetaM. It will first be released in Q4 as a private beta.[14]
On August 23, 2021, Weta announced a collaboration with SideFX for a cloud service combining Weta's proprietary tools within SideFX's Houdini (software) called WetaH.[15]
On November 9, 2021, Jackson sold the company's VFX tools development division to video games software company Unity Technologies for US$1.62 billion.[16][17]
Workplace culture[]
Beginning in September 2020, ongoing 1 News investigations into Weta Digital's workplace culture resulted in over 40 current and former Weta Digital employees anonymously sharing accounts of “sexism, bullying and harassment.”[[18]
In their testimonies, workers identified the existence of a male-only pornographic mailing list called “Caveman,” which originated in 2002 following a company-wide tradition known as Porn Friday, and continued to circulate until 2015.[19] Several reports also alleged that the company's IT systems required upgrades in order to accommodate the volume of pornographic content hosted on the company intranet, in addition to numerous allegations of sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation, misogyny and homophobia.[20][21]
In response to these allegations, Weta owners, including Sir Peter Jackson, Dame Fran Walsh, and chief executive officer Prem Akkaraju, commissioned an independent review from Miriam Dean QC, who received 80 complaints of bullying behavior, 120 complaints of inappropriate conduct and 19 complaints of sexual harassment from amongst the company's 1,500 employees.[22][23][24] Dean put forward 17 recommendations for internal reform, including the establishment of a code of conduct, restricting the executive team, expanding the diversity and inclusion program, and reviewing the company's pay structure.[25] The review also stipulated that the existing management systems were not sufficient to protect workers “from bullying, sexual harassment, sex discrimination and other inappropriate conduct.”[[26]
The inquiry into Weta Digital came following similar allegations against sister company Weta Workshop after current and former employees came forward with experiences of sexual harassment and bullying and alleged a toxic working environment, which prompted an independent investigation by Hive Consulting. The corresponding review was released in December 2020.[27]
Film and television visual effects filmography[]
1990s[]
| Year | Films | Studio(s) and Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Heavenly Creatures[28] | Miramax Films |
| 1995 | Forgotten Silver | TBC |
| 1996 | Tales from the Crypt
(You, Murderer) |
Warner Bros. |
| The Frighteners | Universal Pictures | |
| 1997 | Contact | Warner Bros. |
2000s[]
| Year | Films | Studio(s) and Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | New Line Cinema |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | |
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Universal Studios |
| I, Robot | 20th Century Fox | |
| 2005 | King Kong | Universal Studios |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 20th Century Fox |
| Eragon | ||
| 2007 | Bridge to Terabithia | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | 20th Century Fox | |
| Enchanted | Walt Disney Pictures | |
| The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep | Columbia Pictures | |
| 30 Days of Night | ||
| 2008 | Jumper | 20th Century Fox |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian | Walt Disney Studios | |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | 20th Century Fox | |
| 2009 | District 9 | TriStar Pictures |
| The Lovely Bones | Paramount Pictures | |
| Avatar | 20th Century Fox |
2010s[]
2020s[]
| Year | Films | Studio(s) and Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Birds of Prey | Warner Bros. |
| Mulan | Walt Disney Studios | |
| Shadow in the Cloud | Rertical Entertainment
Redbox Entertainment | |
| The Christmas Chronicles 2 | Netflix | |
| We Can Be Heroes | ||
| 2021 | Zack Snyder's Justice League | Warner Bros. |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | ||
| Black Widow | Walt Disney Studios | |
| The Tomorrow War | Amazon Studios | |
| Jungle Cruise | Walt Disney Studios | |
| The Green Knight | A24 | |
| The Suicide Squad | Warner Bros. | |
| Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Walt Disney Studios | |
| Eternals | ||
| 2021 | The King's Man | 20th Century Studios (under Walt Disney Studios) |
Upcoming[]
| Year | Films | Studio(s) and Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | No Exit (2022 film) | 20th Century Studios |
| Peacemaker (TV series) | Warner Bros. | |
| Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | ||
| The Batman | ||
| Avatar 2 | 20th Century Studios (under Walt Disney Studios) | |
| 2023 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Walt Disney Studios |
| The Little Mermaid | ||
| Untitled Planet of the Apes sequel | 20th Century Studios | |
| 2024 | Avatar 3 | 20th Century Studios (under Walt Disney Studios) |
| 2026 | Avatar 4 | |
| 2028 | Avatar 5 |
Television[]
| Year | Name of Television show | Network | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Game of Thrones (Season 7) | Warner Bros./HBO | |||
| 2018 | Game of Thrones (Season 8) | ||||
| 2019 | The Umbrella Academy | Netflix | |||
| 2020 | Space Force | ||||
| 2021 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Disney+ | |||
| 2021 | Mr. Corman | Apple TV+ | |||
| 2021 | Invasion | Apple TV+ | 2021 | Hawkeye | Disney+ |
| 2022 | Peacemaker | HBO Max |
See also[]
- Weta Workshop
- Industrial Light & Magic
- Moving Picture Company (MPC)
- Animal Logic
- Blue Sky Studios
- Pacific Data Images
- Framestore
- Digital Domain
- DNEG
- Sony Pictures Imageworks
- Rhythm & Hues
- Image Engine
- Visual Works
References[]
 | Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. (October 2011) |
- ^ "Another visual effects Oscar for Weta Digital?". Wellington.scoop. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
- ^ "Weta Digital Announces Launch of 'Weta Animated' to Produce Original Animated Content. Prem Akkaraju Joins as CEO of Weta. | Weta Digital". www.wetafx.co.nz. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ "Massive Software". Massive Software. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
- ^ "Interview with Chris White on King Kong". cgarchitect. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
- ^ "Bigger and Badder: How Weta Digital Bulked Up for King Kong". Studio Daily. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
- ^ Alex Ben Block (10 December 2009). "The creatures of 'Avatar' were 15 years in the making". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (3 December 2012). "Top Visual Effects Producer Eileen Moran Dies in New Zealand; Worked on 'Avatar,' 'The Hobbit'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ Mike Seymour (29 March 2010). "Exclusive: Foundry NAB Preview". fxguide. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ Mike Seymour (29 January 2015). "Barbershop at Weta: Sci-tech winner explained". fxguide. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ Staskiewicz, Keith. "'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes': See Andy Serkis and others go ape in this side-by-side special-effects video -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- ^ Danny Allen (5 August 2011). "Giz Interviews Weta Digital's Effects Guru, Joe Letteri". Gizmondo. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ Wiltshire, Laura (19 June 2020). "Weta Digital will create original content for the first time in 25 year histor". Stuff. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ Flint, Joe. "Peter Jackson's Special-Effects Firm Looks to Become a Content Producer". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "WETA DIGITAL PARTNERS WITH AUTODESK TO OFFER NEXT GENERATION CREATIVE CLOUD PRODUCTION PIPELINE". Weta Digital. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- ^ "WETA DIGITAL JOINS FORCES WITH SIDEFX TO OFFER CLOUD PRODUCTION WITH HOUDINI SOFTWARE". Weta Digital. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (9 November 2021). "Peter Jackson Selling Weta Digital's VFX Tech Division To Unity For $1.625 Billion, with the Visual Effects division renamed to WetaFX". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
- ^ Silver, Katie (11 November 2021). "Peter Jackson sells visual effects firm for $1.6bn to Unity". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ "'World's most beautiful toxic waste dump' - Weta Digital employees claim sexism, bullying and harassment". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "'World's most beautiful toxic waste dump' - Weta Digital employees claim sexism, bullying and harassment". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "'World's most beautiful toxic waste dump' - Weta Digital employees claim sexism, bullying and harassment". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "'Toxic': Disturbing stories from behind the scenes at Weta Digital". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Independent Review of Workplace Culture for Weta Digital". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ Witton, Bridie (18 September 2020). "Weta Digital calls in QC after sexual harassment allegations". Stuff. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Weta Digital commissions independent review". Radio New Zealand. 17 September 2020. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Independent Review of Workplace Culture for Weta Digital". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Independent Review of Workplace Culture for Weta Digital". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "'Toxic' culture at acclaimed Weta Workshop revealed by past and present employees". TVNZ (in en-NZ). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "The Birth of Weta", 1994, "The Edge" TV series, S2E7
- ^ Murphy, Mekado (31 July 2017). "Inside Avatar, the Theme Park Version". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
External links[]
- New Zealand animation studios
- Film production companies of New Zealand
- Visual effects companies
- Wellington City
- Companies based in Wellington
- Mass media in Wellington
- New Zealand companies established in 1993
- 2021 mergers and acquisitions
- Mass media companies established in 1993