Richard Taylor is the CEO and creative director of Wētā Workshop, an award-winning special effects and props company based in Wellington, New Zealand. Avatar, Blade Runner, The Lord of the Rings, Thor: Ragnarok, and I, Robot are among the movies in Wētā Workshop’s repertoire. The business has received numerous honours, including four BAFTAs and five Oscars. Taylor and his spouse Tania Rodger established Wētā Workshop in 1987.
Wētā Workshop is now making a name for itself in location-based entertainment (LBE) and Taylor believes that LBE plays an important role in cultural creative relevance. “Most of the world’s population inhabits what I call the vanilla flavoured IKEA future,” he said. “We are living in a hard-surface, sterilised world, interfacing through these glass mirrors that look back at us in the form of flatscreen television, our cell phones, our iPads, our computers. Where is the tactility? Furthermore, what happens to us as people if we lose the tactile interface between ourselves and the world?”
Wētā Workshop’s new immersive experience ‘Unleashed’ in Auckland won the blooloop Innovation Award 2021 for Storytelling. “Storytelling is at the heart of everything we do. Unleashed was a unique opportunity for us to tell our own stories in exciting and innovative ways, using our three favourite film genres; horror, fantasy and sci-fi. To be acknowledged for that by a host of judges from around the world is marvellous,” said Taylor.
“Our aim with Unleashed was to spark creativity in all those who walk through our doors. We believe there’s a maker in everyone. Our hope is that our storytelling inspires our guests to go home brimming with ideas and an itch to begin creating.”
One nominator said: “Richard Taylor is a global institution in the creative world. He is always positive, open and warm to everybody. Richard is one of the most respected individuals in our industry and I am very proud to call him a friend.”