4 Sept 07 Weta Bug sits down with Weta Sculptor Gary Hunt and asks him about how travelling the world led him to Weta Workshop.

For Weta Sculptor Gary Hunt the journey to Weta Workshop was strongly nurtured by his family. As a child, Gary spent the weekends with his dad making model kits and collecting war games. His father owned a model car and antique toy shop in Sommerset, England, which stocked fantasy and war-game figures. Gary would spend weekends playing with miniatures at the store. ?Dad taught me all about collecting?, he remembers.

Gary demonstrating how to use a Pasta Maker for sculpting in the Better Living series.

When he heard rumours amongst his friends that the Lord of the Rings was filming in New Zealand he decided it was time to go travelling. ?A friend had given me Weta?s address so I was off! I travelled through Thailand, Cambodia and Australia. A few months later, I ended up in New Zealand, and within 7 weeks (and another war-gaming job) I was working in Wellington for the Art Dept on the set of LOTR feeling exceptionally lucky!?

Gary?s role on LOTR involved doing poly-carving for the Kings and working on the creation of the gargoyles of Minas Tirith. Once LOTR finishing filming, Gary was recruited by Weta to work on the merchandising line of Collectibles based on the films. Gary says the highlight was working alongside concept designer Alan Lee.

Gary sculpted the Male Templar from the Weta Collectibles Hellgate: London range. Here is the piece in mid-sculpt.

Since then, Gary has been a part of the design process for King Kong, creating scannable maquettes and creating designs for the creatures, and has worked on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian; Waterhorse; 30 Days of Night and Daybreakers.

Gary recently launched his own business, Miniatures by Gary Hunt. He says the most challenging thing about running his own business is ? everything! ?Every part of running your own business is a learning curve?, he says. ?From the paperwork, promotion, pricing of stock, distribution, designing, packaging to the layout of the website ? it?s all a lot of work, but very rewarding.?

Gary working on his Miniature line.

Gary says that much of his inspiration comes from learning about other cultures. ?The highlight of working on my own projects is being able to choose what subject matter to work on, and then actually going out and doing the research. This can involve reading historical books, seeing films, and a lot of travel. I recently visited Papua New Guinea which inspired me to create so many new pieces.?

And tips for people wanting to start in the film and merchandising industry? ?Lots of hard work! Do your research ? try to be original. Send 3D examples to people you want to work for. Having a 3D sculpture will give them a better idea than just images. Be sure to include a variety of work in your portfolio to show you are a diverse worker.?

Well you heard it folks! You can check out Gary?s work at Weta Workshop, or check out his site here: www.garyhunt.net.nz.