Weta Cave

We spent the afternoon at Weta Cave, an Oscar-winning (and other award-winning) design and effects studio. They have been involved in a ton of movies, including The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Avatar, and the Narnia movies, just to name a few. One of the tours allowed us to learn a bit about how props and costumes are designed and created. The other tour took us behind the scenes of a TV show (Thunderbirds Are Go) and allowed us to see actual sets and learn how they are made. Many of the sets and props are literally made out of junk or common items and are mostly crafted from plastic or foam, but you don't notice because of the way they are put together, the paint, the camera angles and lighting, and other tricks of the trade. Both tours were fascinating and revealed the immense amount of work and talent that go into making movies that we never even think about, far beyond which A-list actors/actresses make an appearance. Movie making is an incredibly labor-intensive, highly creative art form, basically creating false realities for movie-goers by trickery. It's an amazing process and so interesting to learn about! I will definitely have more to think about the next time I sit down to watch a movie with the family.

Troll greeting

Hobbit legs and feet

King Kong's head

Armor from Narnia

Protective gear from Lord of the Rings

My precious with Gollum