Weta Workshop launches Thunderbirds Are Go Experience
Another must-do experience has been added to the list for film and television fans visiting Wellington – New Zealand’s creative capital – with the launch of Weta Workshop’s new Thunderbirds Are Go Behind-the-Scenes Experience
Fans of the Thunderbirds Are Go television series are now able to see and experience some of the incredible visual effects artistry behind the show in the new tourism experience that has just been opened at Weta Workshop in Wellington’s Miramar film hub.
The Thunderbirds Are Go Behind-The-Scenes Experience takes guests on an exclusive tour of the authentic props, models and set pieces used in the production of the hit Pukeko Pictures and ITV television show. Visitors to the Thunderbirds Are Go Behind-The-Scenes Experience will see a selection of the concept art that Weta Workshop designers created – and continue to create – for the popular television series, now in season two production. The 45-minute guided tour also features scale models used as the filming sets for Tracy Island, the Thunderbird Hangers, and Creighton Ward Manor.
Filming for the second season is underway now in Miramar, and the miniatures that visitors will discover on the tour are the same ones used on set. A shooting stage has been incorporated into the tour to provide a fascinating glimpse at the tricks of the trade used to bring this highly detailed world to the screen.
Thunderbirds Are Go, the contemporary retelling of the beloved 1960s TV show, features a blend of digital characters and physical sets, with the iconic vehicles and aircraft being a mix of the two. This unique approach keeps the show true to its lineage while giving filmmakers the ability to incorporate enthralling action sequences and a wider range of character emotions and movements.
Weta Workshop CEO and co-founder, Richard Taylor has long been a fan of the original show, which inspired his filmmaking career. “My life-long fascination with model making and practical film effects was born of the Thunderbirds and other shows like it. So it has been terrific to have been involved in the design and manufacture of what you’ll see on this tour.”
The new experience complements the hugely popular Weta Cave and Weta Cave Workshop Tour experiences which attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Film fans can also take film tours to The Lord of the Rings locations throughout Wellington, including Mount Victoria, where principal photography began on the first trilogy back in 1999.
The Thunderbirds Are Go Behind-The-Scenes Experience is open every day excluding Christmas Day, with a new tour departing every half hour from 9.00am – 5.15pm. Bookings can be made online at www.wetaworkshop.com, at the Weta Cave Shop, or at the Wellington i-SITE in Civic Square. Tours depart from the Weta Cave Shop, 1 Weka Street, Miramar.
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