Weta Workshop Designers Come to Incheon!
- Date: Aug 26 (Monday) to Aug 30 (Friday), 2019; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Orientation: Aug 24 (Saturday), 2019; 11 a.m.
- Location: Incheon Songdo Global Campus
- Translator: Lee, Hyun Jung
- Participants: 70
- How to Apply: Website
- Applications accepted: Jun 16 to Jul 26, 2019
Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy Schedule
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24 (Saturday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy Orientation Filmmaker – Conceptual Designer pairing workshop |
| Aug 26 (Monday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy 1 |
| Aug 27 (Tuesday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy 2 |
| Aug 28 (Wednesday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy 3 |
| Aug 29 (Thursday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy 4 |
| 14:00 ~ 16:00 | Sir Richard Taylor Master Class | |
| Aug 30 (Friday) | 11:00 ~ 13:00 | Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy 5 (Team Pitching) |
2019 Weta Workshop Fantasy Academy – Lectures and Activities
Day 1: Intro to Iona Brinch and Weta Workshop
- How Iona started her career at Weta Workshop
- Weta Workshop: from conceptual art to film
Day 2: Conceptual design and the philosophy behind it
- Case studies from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films
- Conceptual designs, Props and Miniature versus VFX/CG and the philosophy behind these techniques
Day 3: Inspiration and influence
- Exploring design via other works: Open discussion about design selection
- Inspiration and Influence: the importance of reference materials and research, and finding the right balance
Day 4: Workflow and Q&A
- Walking through a personal piece of design work, explaining her workflow
- Choosing a well known book and have an open discussion, coming up with design ideas together (getting them to talk)
- Q&A
- Sir Richard Taylor Master Class
Day 5: Group project pitching and awards
- Design workshop with real conceptual designs (Feature film, SF contents)
- Awards and closing ceremony
2019 Speakers
Sir Richard Taylor
CO- Founder Weta Companies and Creative director, Weta Workshop. 5-time Academy Award winner.
- Special Lecture: Focused study of Finalists’ conceptual designs
- Time: Aug 29 (Thursday) 2:00 p.m. ~ 4:00 p.m.
- Location: Incheon Songdo Global Campus
“When I work on a fantasy film I do not make it considering that ‘the camera can show this much’. It can be efficient to think that way for your budget, but the viewer thinks outside of the frame. If you stay in the frame, the world lacks something and is less convincing. Viewers want to see a culture through movies. So you should be able to imagine what happens when you go back 1000 years in history. The whole culture should be visible in each little detail. Therefore, reality and probability are crucial.”
– Excerpt from Taylor’s 2014 GIFFESTA lecture
Iona Brinch
Head Conceptual Designer, Weta Workshop
- Lecture: From Conceptual Design to Film
- Time: Aug 26 (Monday) to Aug 30 (Friday), 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Incheon Songdo Global Campus
Danish-born Iona Brinch started as a self-taught artist working in traditional media such as watercolors, charcoal, and acrylics, building her skills in drawing, painting and illustrating before studying digital media in New Zealand. Upon achieving her diploma, she began her career with Weta Workshop working with modern 3D sculpture, printing and digital modeling.
Iona has worked on such blockbusters as Blade Runner 2049 and Pacific Rim2. She also is a key exhibitions contributor for Weta Workshop. Her traditional skills combined with a grounding in innovative technology make her a huge asset to Weta Workshop’s design studio.