[Ask Weta] Questions for David Tremont

[theguru1]

The reply about how the prototypes are made, which I assume that's what was being talked about, was rather interesting. But what is the step from there. Are so sort of moulds then made, being a metal product in the end, does that mean molten metal is poured into moulds, and then painted for the final product? If so, those moulds can't last long, not if your going to keep the small/fine details of an ES of 2000.

[Dave Tremont]

Well! It happened, I’ve joined the forum…. Under pressure, from several….. yes, I’m also looking at you – theguru1.

So here I go, safety wheels off and free access to the funny little yellow characters.

#24 – CharlesSong #25 Figwit #26 DownUnderLOTRFan #27 – theguru1 (yes, I’m live!)

There is definitely a Grond theme happening here. There are several of us really keen on doing this and have been from the start – my pointing finger is moving to you Tim. But…. we have pieces to start with and will stay on track with them first. If there is enough positive response, Grond will be on the list to consider and as CharlesSong (#36) has accurately pointed out, we don’t want to make something that only one person buys. But never stop being enthusiastic, we are all full of it…… enthusiasm that is.

#28 – Sundeep #29 – Leaflock #30 – JacKo #31 – MM #32 – Shadow King

Many thanks and from Daniel and Magnus as well.

Is has taken a bit of time, a lot because I’m not familiar with how all this works and spent a bit of time looking around wondering how to do this before handing the answers to Magnus to upload.

Good old Grond.

#33 – CharlesSong David, have you ever had some accidental mishap that destroyed something you were working on?

It does happen. One that comes to mind... years ago I was working on a show with lots of model buildings, flying model aircraft on wires (very Thunderbirds are Go) it was brilliant. But, I built a large model of a shop front that had to be destroyed so it was built very fragile, took ages. It was delivered to set and a grip was setting up a rig above it and accidently dropped it..... guess where it landed. They gave me the lunch break to fix it and get it ready for the shoot. Luckily a good part of it was able to be bent back into shape, bit if glue, dust of paint and it looked like new. After lunch they destroyed it, this time with the cameras rolling.

There have been many other things from dropping models, driving R/C vehicles off the table... oops! We did a big boat model once and when it came to transporting it we all forgot to lock the top down so half way down the highway the wind ripped it off. It landed in many pieces as well as cars running over the pieces before we could get to it.

As a different point, I’ve built many models to be destroyed and have been asked “do you hate seeing your models being blown up?” No, it is great fun. It is disappointing when it goes wrong and the shot is lost.

Yes, there is an audible &%#@!!!!! from the workshop.

#34 – FrodoEyes Any chance of a Bombadil statue/product?
#35 – MM #36 - CharlesSong

Unknown, this is nothing that I have heard any interest on from other departments. But, if there is enough interest it should go on a list to be considered.

#37 – thegur1 The reply about how the prototypes are made, which I assume that's what was being talked about, was rather interesting. But what is the step from there. Are so sort of moulds then made, being a metal product in the end, does that mean molten metal is poured into moulds, and then painted for the final product? If so, those moulds can't last long, not if your going to keep the small/fine details of an ES of 2000.

There are many steps to this process. Before the prototypes are made there is the design stage / decide what it is we are going to do. These then get approved by the licence holders or internally if it is something such as Grordbort. The patterns then get made – model making, sculpting, 3D digital printing etc., and can take many weeks.

From there we make silicone moulds and produce several resin mould masters. These are cleaned up and become the masters that many moulds are produced from to make the product run. These silicone moulds do wear out quickly so a constant supply of them are needed. Metal casting does put more strain on the moulds, they become brittle and tear easily because of the high temperatures of the molten metal. Some of our pieces have a great deal of undercut detail and this also puts a great deal of strain on the moulds.

Finished pieces are cleaned up and hand painted, boxes are designed and printed. Foam packaging designed. The pieces have to withstand a drop from a great height without damage, in the finished box, if they are to survive going to the post office.

[CharlesSong]

Thanks Dave! Info packed posts

BIG welcome!

[Daniel_Falconer]

Dave your answers are great! I'm learning stuff reading them too!

[Olórin]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, Dave!

[theguru1]

Originally Posted by Dave Tremont

Well! It happened, I’ve joined the forum…. Under pressure, from several….. yes, I’m also looking at you – theguru1.

So here I go, safety wheels off and free access to the funny little yellow characters.

O'no, it looks like we have released a monster.....

Great to have you on board Dave, looking forward to the discussions over the next few years.

If your trying to place the nick with a name, the SCE links below or here: http://www.wetanz.com/special-collectors-edition/ (all points to the same thing), may jog the memory, especially issue 2.

Originally Posted by Dave Tremont

The pieces have to withstand a drop from a great height without damage, in the finished box, if they are to survive going to the post office.

Yeah, tell me about it ... never underestimate the ability of the post office or customs to destroy something.

[FrodoEyes]

Originally Posted by Dave Tremont

#34 – FrodoEyes Any chance of a Bombadil statue/product?
#35 – MM #36 - CharlesSong

Unknown, this is nothing that I have heard any interest on from other departments. But, if there is enough interest it should go on a list to be considered.

Aha! Now i'm getting somewhere! This is very interesting.... So you're saying, in theory, that you COULD do a Bombadil character/statue/product? There's no licencing constraint holding you back? We just need to ask for it?
Well, i'm sure all my fellow flamers will rally behind me and beg for this to be done, if anything just to shut me up
Because i will NEVER stop otherwise.....





never.........

[MM]

Great post Dave T,so much info!
Its good to know that Grond is in yours and others minds,Thanks !

TIM!!!!

[Beleg Cúthalion]

Hello, David

Great to have another Weta Nut (not to be confused with our dear member 'wetanut') on board with us. Yar!

My question is: If you do go forward with a Grond masterpiece, would you follow-up with a Gate of Minas Tirith/inner courtyard (including the horsed king statue) companion piece?

[Arannz]

Welcome aboard Dave!

Some interesting info - keep it coming!

Can I come down and use the laser cutter sometime? Oh to have access to Weta's workshop machines....

[Pordey]

Welcome to the forum, Dave.

Great answers on everything

[Radagaster]

Dave, is there anything in any of the movies or projects that you weren't involved in, that way we'd have a better idea what questions not to throw your way (ie, metallurgy -- making of weapons/armor, or environments, or sculpts, etc). Thanks.

[wetanut]

Originally Posted by Beleg_Cuthalion

Great to have another Weta Nut (not to be confused with our dear member 'wetanut') on board with us. Yar!

(<----I LOVE that smilie)

[Sundeep]

Originally Posted by Daniel_Falconer

Dave your answers are great! I'm learning stuff reading them too!

I'm sure you didn't mean for this to be funny, but it was to me!

[Dave Tremont]

Here I am again, It's early evening, the sun is just going down and looking out the window shows a clear sky, light cloud and a bit gusty.

First part of writing this is looking for the keys on this computer. Someone, or something, during the night, moves the keys around... the N is where the K should be but is next to the F instead of being over with the B which moved up to the W. In my day, we did not have computers, we wrote things with our hands on paper with pens... we knew where our P's and Q's were.

Now I've been looking at this key board for five minutes trying to find the G.... oh!... there it is!

Right, all sorted, to work.

I hope that I make sense in the way I present these answers / comments.

#39 - CharlesSong Thanks Dave! Info packed posts
#40 - Daniel Dave your answers are great! I'm learning stuff reading them too!

Thanks guys. Mind you though, Daniel, I think that your info packing is way bigger than my info packing.

#41 - Olorin Thanks for taking the time to reply, Dave!

Thanks for all in taking the time to be part of this group and the interest in what we do.

#42 - theguru1 O'no, it looks like we have released a monster.....

Can't find one of those little yellow dudes that is all scary with big teeth...

Great to have you on board Dave, looking forward to the discussions over the next few years.

Thanks, keep 'em coming.

#43 – FrodoEyes Aha! Now i'm getting somewhere! This is very interesting.... So you're saying, in theory, that you COULD do a Bombadil character/statue/product? There's no licencing constraint holding you back? We just need to ask for it? Well, i'm sure all my fellow flamers will rally behind me and beg for this to be done, if anything just to shut me up Because i will NEVER stop otherwise.....

Ah! The enthusiasm, keep it coming. The reality though, as much as we would love to do these things until they come out of our ears, we have to be able to sell them. Give me a couple of hundred confirmed buyers and we are onto it. Right now we are working on pieces that many of you have asked for. The designs look brilliant, thanks to Daniel and as Tim keeps telling us enthusiastic Weta people... ‘stay focused on the first task, then we move on from there....’

#44 – MM
#45 – Beleg_Cuthalion

Grond! Grond! Grond! I would love to do a Grond. I actually started to build a small model of it way back during the film. The concept and design, of Grond, changed during the build so what I did of the model was redundant. There have been several ways considered for the way we could present a Grond and one being with the Gates and minimal courtyard….. just a thought.

#46 – Arannz Some interesting info - keep it coming!

Thanks, it will as long as you keep asking.

Can I come down and use the laser cutter sometime? Oh to have access to Weta's workshop machines....

Bit tricky at the moment as it is running hot…. so to speak.

#47 – pordey2

Many thanks.

#48 – Radagaster Dave, is there anything in any of the movies or projects that you weren't involved in, that way we'd have a better idea what questions not to throw your way (ie, metallurgy -- making of weapons/armor, or environments, or sculpts, etc). Thanks.

I have been involved in miniatures, props and a great deal of the collectibles from prepping them for production to getting to build them. Anything else I was not. It is easier to describe it this way as there is a very big list of work and skills that happen in this place. This is not to say that I can’t answer other questions, I would just go and ask someone that knows such as Peter for the weapons.

#49 – wetanut

It is a cute smile.

#50 – Sundeep

Me to.

[Shadow King]

Welcome aboard and thanks for the great answers.

[Dave Tremont]

[oldduffer]

I think the O.F.C. runs deep within the Weta family.