WETA

"God Sells All Things For The Price of Labor" - Leonardo Da Vinci

Last week, I had the privilege and honor to visit WETA Workshop in New Zealand.

While most of the experience is bound in confidentially, the general theme of what I was able to observe I wanted to share.  It was humbling and refreshing to experience the dedication and passion of the WETA Workshop team and leadership.

WETA (named after a native New Zealand insect) is a special effects and prop company started by Richard & Tania Taylor in 1987. They are entrepreneurial and creative, have a commitment that rivals a healthy obsession and a culture and atmosphere that is admirable and inspirational on so many levels to outsiders and to the WETA employees.

You may not have heard of WETA Workshop & WETA Digital, but they have worked on many of the blockbuster movies we know today: Avatar, Tin Tin, King Kong, District 9, Lord of the Rings, Narnia and so many others (see: WETA Wiki).

They create armor and props, miniature and bigatures. They take painstakingly time crafting and molding the gold standard of realism and quality and passion that you see in all the final products. As we visited and were taken on the WETA journey, I was reminded by the greatness and inspiration people that craft and work everyday with their hands to build and make items that go on to be used on such a global and ultimately cultural scale.

Our gracious and humble host Sir. Richard Taylor took the time and grace to show us the he wonderful part of the world. Thank you.

There is much to be learned from WETA Workshop. The energy and passion combined with the skill with the hands and agility of the artist mind and commitment to detail and quality is a good lesson for any industry and for leaders to observe.

WETA was a good reminder of this for me and I encourage you to see the latest film they worked on: Tin Tin, which premiered this week in France.

This glimpse into the behind the scenes will definitely allow me to appreciate the movie experience to an even further degree than before.

Thank you Richard & Tania for allowing the opportunity to experience this.

Stephen Gillett