Our drive down to Queenstown was uneventful. Much of the same landscape we’ve been seeing – lots of hills, sheep and cattle. I had been checking availability for a tour I had read about that would supplement what we had seen at Hobbiton.
As we got closer to Queenstown, I made a booking for us at the Wētā Workshop. Founded in 1987, it is an award winning creative services company, taking on projects of all sizes. This 58,000 square foot building makes physical effects. These include things like costumes, weapons, armour, vehicles, models and miniatures, special makeup effects and much more.
They are known for contributing props, weapons, costumes, vehicles, armour, miniatures and much more to a variety of wonderful projects including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Alien: Romulus, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner 2049,
Much of the tour we could not take pictures. We learned how they took moulds of faces in order to make special effects. We saw props that were used in films. We saw hobbit hands and feet.
We learned how they used plastics, foil and other materials in making props. We even had a chance to try making something using aluminum foil.
And then it was photo time….complete with props!
And then the tour was done and we said goodbye to another troll outside the cave.
Following Joyce & Paul's Travels in Retirement 