Wētā Unleashed

I played a key role in this globally awarded themed attraction project, initially setting the creative strategy and later serving as the lead writer, creative contributor, and steering group member. I collaborated with a small team to conceptualise a make-believe film studio, create the three make-believe films, and write the initial visitor experience walkthroughs and scripted content for screens and hosts. The project earned Gold at the Best Awards and Outstanding Achievement (Brand Experience) at the global Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) Thea Awards.

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Client

Wētā Workshop

Year

2021

Services

Strategy

Creative Concept

Copywriting

Building a make-believe movie studio from Act I, Scene I

An ever-present obstacle for Wētā Workshop’s branded entertainment aspirations is that much of their work is confidential, involving stories and characters ultimately owned by movie studios. The creative strategy for Unleashed was to create an exaggerated, alternate, Wonkaesque version of the Workshop, where three make-believe genre films would be in production—films that we’d create from scratch and wholly own the rights to in perpetuity.

This idea allowed the Workshop to openly discuss everything they do, from concept design through to prop building, in a remarkably fantastical way.

After finding their way to the idiosyncratic entrance on the third floor of Auckland’s SkyCity complex, visitors embarked on a 90-minute scripted tour told across three genre-themed departments with plenty of surprises and Easter eggs to discover along the way.

Studio One: Horror

The Animatronics and Prosthetics department is working on the horror film, Fauna. Walk through the workshop and witness the making of this 1980s-style horror movie, filled with details on how ideas are developed for the film. Brave visitors may enter the claustrophobic horror film set, where something lingers in the shadows.

Studio Two: Fantasy

Enter Wētā Workshop's very own Artists’ Shed, a peaceful haven showcasing the process of fantasy world-building through the imaginations of concept artists who dream up a world for the epic movie Age of the Ever-Clan. Step through the curtain and enter their fantastical world.

Studio Three: Sci-fi

It’s time to step onto the film set of the science fiction adventure movie, Origins. Projected light plays across the stage in a stunning display as an epic sci-fi soundtrack begins. A gigantic robot and an epic spaceship immerse you in an atmospheric sci-fi wonder.